ENGLAND are fighting a lone battle to remain in the Five Nations Championship after Wales threw out a £40.5 million deal with Sky TV.
The Welsh Rugby Union officially turned down the satellite firm's offer to fall in line with Scotland and Ireland.
It means that only England have accepted a deal, worth £87.5m over five years, and could be banished from the Five Nations as early as next season.
"We were offered twice as much as Scotland (£20 million) and Ireland (£18 million) in an attempt to break us up," said WRU chairman Vernon Pugh.
"There is no way we will abandon them, because to do so would be to abandon ourselves. We are not negotiating with Sky because there are too many conditions attached to their money.
"It is not up to them to say how we should spend the money and there were other provisions which no sensible governing body would accept.
"We were being asked to surrender control of the game in Wales and there was also the consideration that England were offered more than the other three nations combined.
