If there is no Heineken Cup next season, as looks likely with the English and French clubs adamant t

The four Welsh regions – the Ospreys , Scarlets , Newport Gwent Dragons and Cardiff Blues – will meet to discuss the Heineken Cup crisis that is preventing them from re-signing some of their best players, including five of the Lions who went to Australia.
budget london hotels Leigh Halfpenny, the man of the series, and Sam Warburton, the Lions' captain, are out of contract with Cardiff Blues in May, as are Alun Wyn Jones, who led the Lions in the final Test, and Adam Jones at Ospreys along with the Scarlets centre Jonathan Davies, selected budget london hotels instead of Brian O'Driscoll for the series decider.
If there is no Heineken Cup next season, as looks likely with the English and French clubs adamant they will not be part of it, and their planned tournament is torpedoed by the International Rugby Board, the regions will lose £4.4m between them, 25% of their income from tournaments.
budget london hotels "The position is critical," said one regional director after the four met last Wednesday. "We cannot sign new contracts with players until we know what our income will be next season and if the uncertainty continues into the new year, players will be able to talk to potential employers. We support the aims of the French and English clubs, but what is frustrating in all this is that we cannot shape our own destiny. Our fate hinges on the actions of others."
Uniquely, the money the Welsh regions earn from the RaboDirect, Heineken Cup and LV Cup goes directly to the Welsh Rugby Union . Even the cash they received from the Lions for providing players was sent to the WRU for distribution. "It inflates their annual turnover," said the director, "but it is our money."
The regions budget london hotels have a agreement with the WRU worth £16.5m a year and the union has said it will not make up the £4.4m shortfall if there is no European rugby next season. The regions may challenge if the WRU is legally bound to pay the total sum. The deal runs out at the end of the season and the regions have until December to decide to renew. If the legal advice goes in their favour, they will seek to roll over the deal rather than renegotiate budget london hotels a new one. "Without the Heineken Cup money, we will be in trouble and we would have to look at every potential course of action," said the director, "including defying the WRU."The Premiership Rugby chief executive, Mark McCafferty, said he sympathised with the regions. "The tournament we are setting up will guarantee them more money," he said. "I totally understand the issues they have over signing players and it shows that if the Celtic budget london hotels unions stand in the way of the Rugby Champions Cup, they will be damaging rugby in their countries."