The end of the Barbarians?

In another twist to the endless and ever more acrimonious saga involving the club v country conflict, Premier Rugby (PRL) may be set to take over the Barbarians.

The last time such stars grace the black and white shirt?

The governing body for England's clubs has also offered to release England players for the week before and all the way through the Six Nations, but in return for a £20m compensation sum.

And PRL are also attempting to do a deal for a fourth autumn international, from which the proceeds would be divided between PRL and the RFU.

The reason behind the Barbarians acquisition is again to raise revenue for PRL, with Mark McCafferty reasoning that a Barbarian team consisting of Premiership players would be attractive to challengers.

But the move, if successful, would be the end of the Barbarians RFC, who currently have to seek permission from the clubs to have players released for matches. PRL is increasingly less likely to allow that to happen, given the current squabbles

"The clubs think there is a lot they could bring to a Barbarians set-up," confirmed PRL chief executive Mark McCafferty in the Daily Telegraph.

"A selection of quality players playing in the Premiership turning out in a Barbarians game is an attractive concept."

"The Barbarians are a rugby club, but the rights to the Barbarians name are not owned by a single party.

"We think the prospect of a Premiership Barbarians side playing fixtures could be an attractive proposition from a supporter's point of view.

"It might be a game against a touring team. It might be a fixture against an England side. There are a number of ways it could work."

But none of the proposals - Barbarians takeover, fourth international, or £20m compensation - look likely to succeed as each side involved moves further and further away from the bargaining table.

PRL are furious about what they consider deliberate provocation from the RFU over threats to force England players to miss important club games, while the RFU are frustrated at the lack of co-operation they are getting for the extra money and national success that their demands would apparently bring.

"The RFU have talked about staging a fourth international," McCafferty said.

"If it makes sense to stage one, then why don't we talk about the benefits and potential revenue-sharing associated with it.

"The way the RFU have gone about that in the past is to say: 'We're organising a fourth international. End of story.' That is not a partnership. It's an abuse of a regulatory position."

"Our clubs are furious about comments this week that the RFU do not want players available for the semi-finals of the Powergen Cup [the weekend before England play France in Paris].

"That was happening on the day the tickets went on sale. The Powergen Cup is an RFU tournament and the RFU are making statements about the players not being available for the semi-final which is a double-header at the Millennium Stadium that will have 60,000-70,000 people watching and which the players are desperate to play in.

"To run a professional organisation that way is despicable. It's hardly any wonder that the negotiations get acrimonious and bogged down."

The RFU, for their part, are in discussions with the Six Nations committee to condense the tournament into a six-week slot as of 2006, with one rest weekend in the middle and an extra weekend for the clubs either side.

But the Six Nations committee has its own members to think of, with Wales, Scotland and Ireland particularly objecting, because they do not have the depth of squad to cover the density of the international fixtures, and the knocks associated with it.

The RFU have also suggested playing their matches only over a six-week slot, while the Celtic League teams play over seven, but that takes us back to the days of the England-SkyTV money acrimony.

Then there is the suggestion that England would be able to nominate 30 elite players each season to be loaned out to the RFU from the clubs, with the RFU picking and choosing when the clubs are able to use the players, and funding the players' wages.

It is the nearest thing to central contracting so far suggested, without actually being so, and the clubs would benefit by having extra cash to deepen their squads, but while the RFU remains inflexible over other points - notably the England training days for this season, an agreement is pitifully unlikely.