RUGBY:THERE IS deep disquiet within Connacht's ranks that, yet again, the Sword of Damocles may be hanging over them following the IRFU's recent decision to permit only one-year contracts for those already on the province's books.

This also follows a recent governance and operations review of the professional game within Connacht, which has either yet to be completed or the results of which have yet to be made known.

Apart from a handful of players who were already under longer contracts, it is understood the IRFU are only sanctioning one-year deals for any other players whom Connacht are looking to re-sign beyond the end of the 2009-10 season.

This is in stark contrast to the other three provinces, where most of their squads have already been signed up for next season and where the union have not applied such an across-the-board ceiling on the length of contracts.

For example, Ulster have recently signed Johann Muller and Xavier Rush, as well as home-grown players Stephen Ferris, Paddy Wallace and Rory Best, on longer deals.

What’s more, Leinster have already found a successor to Michael Cheika and secured the Clermont Auvergne assistant coach Joe Schmidt on a three-year deal, and Tony McGahan has re-signed for another two years at Munster, whereas Connacht have been unable to confirm Michael Bradley’s successor.

This is despite Bradley announcing his decision to stand down after seven years at the helm as far ago as early November and, on top of which, Connacht quickly lined up his assistant, Eric Elwood, as the man to replace Bradley.

However, as with player contracts, the IRFU will only sanction a one-year contract for Elwood which, understandably, has not gone down well with the province or, presumably, Elwood.

In truth, the threat to Connacht has never fully gone away ever since the IRFU considered axing the province as a professional entity in the 2002-03 season. That was only averted after the supporters rallied round the province and marched on Lansdowne Road.

Within the province, it is feared that one or two influential committee men, as opposed to the executive staff, are again looking at the possibility of saving the union an estimated €2.5 million per annum by abandoning Connacht as a professional entity at the end of the 2010-11 season.

This is in light of the financing of the Aviva Stadium (the loan for which is being paid off in five years), the estimated halving of the valuation of their property portfolio in the economic downturn and undisclosed financial assistance to Ulster.

Regarding the policy to offer only one-year contracts to the Connacht players, an IRFU spokesperson last night confirmed: “That’s correct,” adding: “The reason behind that is that the union have conducted a governance and operations review which has only just been completed.

“That was on the basis that Connacht came to the union to ask us to look at their rugby and business model. Connacht felt that they were in an unsustainable position and asked the IRFU to conduct a review in order to create a more sustainable model to operate in.

“Pending that review the union felt it was prudent not to offer more than one-year contracts.

“Very few people have seen that review,” he added, but said that it would soon be circulated.

It could be that when the results of the review are released, the purse strings will yet be loosened and contracts of more than one year will be sanctioned.

But until that happens, those within Connacht’s professional ranks will remain deeply concerned.