England's tri-nations tour of the Southern Hemisphere will go ahead this summer, despite threats by some Premiership clubs to ban their players from taking part, according to officials at Twickenham.
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is satisfied that the contracts signed by members of England's elite squad are legally binding, despite suggestions by Northampton that they may be invalid.
'The summer tour will go ahead as planned and in the meantime we will wait and see what happens,' said an RFU spokesman yesterday. 'We are not planning to make any further statement about this matter. Too many people have jumped on to the bandwagon and we don't want to add to the numbers.'
The clubs were taking stock of the mood among their players, most of whom are uneasy about the danger to their international futures as well as their earnings. Nigel Wray, the Saracens chairman, held a meeting with his players at Bramley Road to discuss the tour but no firm decision was reached on whether they should make themselves available if selected.
Today Fran Cotton, vice-chairman of the RFU's national playing committee, is expected to remind the 32-man elite squad of their contractual obligations to the RFU before they take part in a scheduled training session at Bisham Abbey. Irrespective of the clubs' hostile stance on the tour, the players have already agreed with the clubs' tacit consent to tour Australia, New Zealand and South Africa if selected by England coach Clive Woodward.
For once, Cliff Brittle, the combative chairman of the RFU management board, has chosen to remain silent on this latest threat, perhaps because he is already embroiled in other areas of conflict, notably the playing structure the clubs want for next season.
Brittle in any case will be keenly aware that the last time the clubs withdrew their players from the England squad in September 1996 the subsequent public outcry forced them to back down quickly.
Keith Barwell, the Northampton chairman, is expected to hold a meeting with his players - who include English, Scottish and Irish internationals - to make clear his disapproval of the tour which he believes is being foisted on the players without their consent.
Leicester and Bath, who between them provide 15 members of the elite squad, have been unwilling to comment on the boycott threat, almost certainly because they prefer to leave any decision to tour with their country up to the individual players.
Mike Scott, a Saracens spokesman, confirmed that Wray had taken part in a relatively low key exchange of views with his players at their training ground. 'We did discuss the question of summer tours and other matters such as the structure we are putting in place for the club next season,' he said. 'However no decisions were taken regarding the tour - it was simply a discussion which had been planned a fortnight ago.'
Woodward is expected to announce his touring squad of around 30 players shortly after England's final Five Nations game against Ireland at Twickenham on April 5th. The full touring party of around 40 (which includes back room staff) will fly out towards the end of May on an itinerary that includes one Test each against Australia and South Africa and two against New Zealand. They will return home on July 7th and then be expected by their clubs to take part in pre-season training before the opening Premiership games on August 16th.
