England's top 14 clubs have been told by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) to cancel proposed friendlies against rebel Welsh clubs Cardiff and Swansea while they find an answer to the game's latest crisis.

Terry Burwell, the director of Twickenham Services, said: "We are requesting the clubs to fulfil Premiership fixtures and not to play friendlies in the first five weeks of the season while we broker a solution to the problem."

Earlier this month English First Division Rugby (EFDR) submitted a fixture list to the RFU which omitted two teams each weekend.

The two teams not playing league fixtures were scheduled to play Cardiff or Swansea, who have withdrawn from the Welsh Premier Division.

When the season starts tomorrow week, Bedford were due to host Cardiff while West Hartlepool were scheduled to travel to Swansea. But now the RFU are saying that the two clubs must play a Premiership match against each other on that day.

However, the clubs are remaining defiant. Doug Ash, chief executive of English First Division Rugby and English Rugby Partnership, said: "No matter what the RFU say the Premiership clubs will be fulfilling their committed fixtures against Cardiff and Swansea in the next few weeks. Bedford will play Cardiff on Saturday week and they will not be competing against West Hartlepool in the Premiership."