ENGLAND will in effect be expelled from the Five Nations' Championship a month from now, when bids for the next television contract are in, if the Rugby Football Union fails to reverse its policy of negotiating its own autonomous broadcasting contract.

This announcement was issued yesterday by Vernon Pugh, the Welsh Rugby Union chairman. He said the rest of the participating countries were no longer willing to wait until the present BBC contract expires, at the end of next season, before severing relations with the RFU, whose officials say they know nothing about it.

Pugh thereby sharply increased the pressure on Twickenham, whose argument that what is good for England is good for everyone else is regarded by their partners as insulting. The ramifications of the exclusion would be such that an alternative, non-RFU England team could be entered into the Five Nations by players keen to defend the title.

The Five Nations' TV committee will tomorrow send tender documents to broadcasters, who will have 28 days to reply. Already, BSkyB has made offers to each of the home unions, offers reckoned to amount to at least £200m over five years.

"When we have received the bids from the TV companies and decide which one to go with, we will seek an agreement on equality," Pugh said. "If England decide not to participate in the agreement, we will run a championship without them next season. The BBC contract for 1997 will not be broken."

In practice, this would entail a four-nation tournament of 12 fixtures,,