WHAT amounts to a challenge to the English Rugby Union (RFU) now looks likely to come from the top clubs in England, unless they get a bigger share out of sponsorship money and a greater say in other areas of administration.

The IRFU and the others unions will watch developments with considerable interest. Central to the happenings in England are issues that will concern Ireland and other countries.

First and second division clubs in England will apparently sign contracts today with a new company, The English Professional Rugby Clubs Ltd. They have severed their connection with The RFU National Clubs Association. It is about money in the first instance and a greater share in the money that comes into the game from the sponsorships of the Courage League and Pilkington Cup.

Another element and one that concerns Ireland: is that they want a big say in the format of the European Cup, a competition mind you in which England was not represented this season, but will have their top four clubs involved next season.

They want consultation, too, about the demands made on their players by the countries in the International Championship and here again Irish players will be involved. From an Irish perspective it seems imperative that Irish players who sign contracts with English clubs will need to have some clause written into the contracts about release for the national team. That is potentially a very big issue and I cannot see any players from any country who will not want to play for their countries.

Not surprisingly Peter Wheeler, chief executive of Leicester, is at the forefront of the demands. He chaired the recent meeting in London that set up the European Clubs Association, he is chairman of English First Division Rugby Ltd, and they will have a majority stake in the new company.

Wheeler is on record as stating he does not want confrontation or to break from the RFU, or to set up their own international championship. Well he would be wise to desist from such a course, however powerful he and his allies may feel they are. His actions and his words scarcely suggest a conciliatory approach, if he has been reported properly. He is supported by Sir John Hall, the man who recently took over Newcastle and who is chairman of English Second Division Rugby Ltd. Wheeler wants more money to go to the top clubs as they now have to pay their players. But what about the money needed to run and support the game at all levels. Rugby is not just about "top" clubs.

He also wants a restructured season and that certainly has merit in England as it has in this country. But money is at the root of the issue and by far the biggest revenue comes from television rights of the international championship and not from league and cup, that is a powerful weapon for the RFU.

The European Cup is a lucrative competition with Independent television paying £15 million over three years and then there is the sponsorship by Heineken. The decision of the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) last week that Districts will enter the European Cup will not have pleased Wheeler who is on record as not being receptive to provinces as in Ireland's case entering the competition. In that he is unrealistic. The experiences of the three Irish provinces in this season's European competition was proof of the wisdom of Ireland entering them.

As stated before when you are comparing an Irish province with a club such as Cardiff you are comparing like with like and the same goes for Scotland. Nor should it be Wheeler's decision as to who enters or does not enter the European Cup. That is a matter for ERC, the body set up to run the European Cup and they did it extremely well this season. The competition will survive without England if their top clubs do not want to enter it.

While consideration should be given to the top clubs in England, the game is not just about the major clubs. The RFU has a responsibility to all who play the game.

This whole affair is something that concerns Ireland. I do not see the Irish players who have gone to English clubs or those who will go, being released to play for their provinces. Once they are contracted players to clubs, then the clubs have claims on them and it is hard to argue with that.

Those who pointed out that once the game went professional, it would be faced with major difficulties on every front, are being proved correct. It was never going to about just paying representative players. It was inevitable that it would have a huge knock on effect right through the game and that is exactly what is happening. One must wonder who exactly will be running the game a few years hence. There is no doubt the RFU is now faced with a major challenge and so is every other rugby union.

The structure of the season here and elsewhere is a major issue and that and the format of the All Ireland League were addressed in detail by the IRFU at their meeting last weekend. I understand that Leinster's proposals on those issues, outlined in this newspaper last week, were extremely well received.

There will be a special meeting of the union on the weekend of the match against Wales to discuss the issues further. Ken Reid, chairman of the President's Review Committee, whose report was discussed at the weekend, and IRFU Rugby Administrator, George Spotswood, are to look at these crucial issues in further depth and will report back to the Union, who last week also had the minutes of the meeting held by senior clubs on the morning of the Ireland Scotland match as a guide.

It is now certain that there will be major revision of the structure of the season and far less fragmentation of the All Ireland League. This could mean that next season the Interprovincial Championship will take place in September, with the European Cup being played in October, thus giving the provinces involved ideal preparation for the European competition.

At club level the provinces can play their provincial leagues while the interprovincials and European series are taking place and those will be preparation for the All Ireland League. That should start prior to Christmas with up to three series of matches, followed by two more in January with a resumption early in March, thus avoiding the huge break in the competition like this season.

There is strong support for Leinster's proposal to enlarge the first and second divisions thus giving clubs more matches and equally a leaning towards having a third division North and South rather than a third and fourth division

That would cut down a lot of travelling for the clubs involved and consequently save money and bring other benefits. The junior clubs who earn promotion this season would compete in a newly formed third division in the appropriate areas. If the first and second divisions are increased then of course it would mean clubs avoiding relegation this season but would not deprive any of promotion because of the increased numbers. A lot of thought and lot of work remains to be done, but matters are moving in a direction that should help the clubs considerably and ease the burdens they have had to operate under this season.