WELSH Rugby Union chief Roger Lewis is confident the Heineken Cup will survive in its current guise amid grave fears the coming season could be its last.

Lewis believes Europe’s premier rugby tournament is simply “too good to lose” and that “common sense has to prevail” in the ongoing negotiations.

A planned breakaway by English and French clubs to launch an alternative competition is an all too real threat.

And yesterday’s announcement that Cardiff would stage next season’s final for a record seventh time at the Millennium Stadium was tinged with a sense of anxiety.

But WRU group chief executive Lewis did his best to allay any lingering feeling of dread at the announcement launch.

“This competition is the envy of the world and everyone must come to their senses to ensure this continues,” he said “So common sense has to prevail.

“We’ve still got time to sort this out. Time is on our side.”

Last year the French clubs joined the English in serving two years’ notice of their intention to form an alternative tournament based on Premier Rugby’s claim of a £152m deal with BT Vision.

The Aviva Premiership clubs are demanding the creation of a two-tier structure with the main event reduced from 24 to 20 teams based on the top six of the three European leagues plus winners or runners-up of the Heineken and Amlin Cups.

Should the English and French walk out on the Welsh, Irish, Scottish and Italian sides of the RaboDirect PRO12, it would spell the end of a popular tournament that now sees its finals played in front of over 80,000 people at Twickenham after a humble beginning in the 1995/96 season when just 21,800 watched Toulouse beat Cardiff in the last round.

“We must continue this competition beyond next year,” Lewis added. “I think there are a range of issues (to be resolved) and, to be perfectly frank, we have kept most of those issues behind closed doors, but we must recognise the desires of all parties.

“All of the interests of those parties must be respected and that’s what we’ll try and do – mutual respect and understanding for all parties and I think we are close to it. Will we achieve it? I think we will.

“It’s going to be tough but I think we can achieve it. The reason being – I think we can achieve it because we have to. It’s too good to lose.”

The Heineken Cup final will be at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday, May 24 (KO 5pm) with the Amlin Challenge Cup final on Friday, May 23 (KO 8pm) at Cardiff Arms Park.