Relief for Connacht as IRFU backs down

In the  most significant climb-downs in the 129 year history of the IRFU, the union last night relented under an increasing wave of support behind embattled Connacht when announcing that they would, after all, contract all four provinces next season – the western outfit included.

Since news broke of the plan by the union hierarchy to dissolve the Connacht professional team, protest within the province gathered momentum, culminating in a march on 62 Lansdowne Road last week by up to 2,000 supporters of the embattled province.
However, it was also the threat of mutiny by the Irish Rugby Union Players Association and increasing signals that clubs from around Ireland would have mandated delegates to vote against any IRFU Committee recommendation to disband Connacht that prompted a change of heart. In that scenario, the positions of the officers and committees would have been virtually untenable.
The committee had been expected to vote on the proposal to dissolve Connacht at their next scheduled meeting on February 7th, following one earlier postponement last week when the hastily formed Friends of Conn-acht orchestrated a march on the Union's headquarters. On foot of that, the Connacht Branch had called for an EGM of the full IRFU council, the ultimate arbitrary arm of the union, but in response to the union's volte face last night they have called off that request.
Last night, the Union's officers met to consider the Connacht question, amongst other matters, and in attendance therefore would probably have been Philip Browne, the Union's CEO, John Lyons, treasurer, the IRB delegates Noel Murphy and Syd Millar, the president Don Crowley, vice-President John Quilligan and junior vice-President Barry Keogh.
Afterwards, they issued the following statement: "The Irish Rugby Football Union commenced a Strategic Planning process in August, 2002, which has yet to be completed. The IRFU Officers will be recommending to the Union Committee that on the completion of this process a draft Strategic Plan will be produced and there will be consultation with all the stakeholders of Irish rugby. "Following this, decisions will be taken as to the future structure of domestic club rugby and professional rugby in Ireland and in the meantime the process of contracting players will continue as heretofore in all four provinces." Don Crowley, president, added to the statement thus: "The Strategic Planning process, which we have not had the opportunity of completing, is the most appropriate vehicle for addressing the various issues that face our game and the IRFU looks forward to positive input to this process from all sectors in the game." The officers of the Connacht Branch also met last night, after which, their President Leo Galvin also issued a statement: "The Connacht branch welcomes the recommendation of the officers of the IRFU to their Committee. In the light of this the Connacht branch have decided to withdraw their request for an EGM of the Council of the IRFU. We look forward to playing our full part in the ongoing strategic review and to our continued participation in the Celtic League and Parker Pen Challenge Cup." The Connacht team manager John Fallon declined to make any comment, either on his own behalf or for his players, although as one of the two Connacht delegates on the 22-man committee, Billy Glynn stressed, in light of the recent campaign to stay in existence ironically there has never been more public support for the province to tap into. "I'm delighted with the development. From this point on we in Connacht will be concentrating on the benefits that Connacht will be able to derive from this. We have to sit down now and harvest the enthusiasm that has been generated by this campaign (to save Connacht) and convert it into real support for the team. We owe it to ourselves to exploit the commercial opportunities which have been presented by this campaign." Maybe it was all part of the IRFU's master plan. In any event, Connacht have never had so much goodwill in the province. "There's great excitement in Galway tonight," said Glynn, to which he could surely have added Clifden, Ballina, Westport, Portumna, Balli-nasloe, Athlone and many other places. "Everybody in the street knows about this," added Glynn. "The wonderful thing is that the game of rugby is the real winner. So, back to business. We have to be positive and exploit this opportunity now."

The saga also allowed the Irish Rugby Union Players Association to harness their sense of unity and flex their muscles, for no less than the hastily former Friends of Conn-acht, they emerged as a major power in Connacht’s struggle.

Accordingly, their chief executive Niall Woods enthusiastically embraced the news last night, stressing the association’s delight and willingness to be part of the Union’s "strategic process".

"It’s also a great decision for us in that 25 per cent of our membership are no longer being threatened with redundancy and the players will go on to honour their contracts as loyally as they have always done. We’re happy that we still have 120 jobs and that people have seen that the players’ association helped to safeguard those jobs." A victory for player power then, and people power.