Daggers drawn in Lions dispute

Leading English clubs are poised for a legal battle with the Rugby Football Union (RFU) after Twickenham bosses decided to punish those clubs who fielded their Lions players during the 'agreed' 11-week off-season break.

The row which has overshadowed England's domestic season has escalated following Wednesday's RFU board meeting where it was decided that £120,000 ($217,000) in Lions' compensation cash should be withheld indefinitely.

The RFU say they will pay the clubs an agreed £15,000 ($27,1000) per player for those English Lions "who have been given the full and agreed 11-week rest and recuperation period."

A total of 20 English players toured New Zealand with the Lions this summer, meaning a £300,000 ($542,200) compensation package being agreed by RFU bosses.

But according to the RFU's take on events, it is claimed three clubs and eight Lions played full games (classed as more than 40 minutes) ahead of schedule.

The players in question are Sale Sharks quartet Jason Robinson, Mark Cueto, Charlie Hodgson and Andrew Sheridan, Leicester pair Martin Corry and Julian White, plus Wasps duo Matt Dawson and Simon Shaw.

It means £60,000 ($184,000) is being held back from Sale, with £30,000 ($92,000) each owing to Leicester and Wasps.

According to the RFU, Cueto, White, Dawson and Shaw should not have played full games until September 24, with September 17 the return date for Robinson, Sheridan, Hodgson and England captain Corry.

However Premier Rugby, the umbrella organisation representing England's 12 Premiership clubs, does not accept that an agreement has ever been in place covering a rest period for their English Lions.

And that stance has now hardened, with legal action to recover the money now a probability in the latest row to scar English rugby's often difficult 10-year professional era.

"Premier Rugby confirms its previous statements in so far as it does not accept that an authorised agreement was reached on the rest periods for English Lions, and that in any case, this is a matter for England Rugby Limited [the joint RFU-Premier Rugby body]," read a statement from Premier Rugby.

"We are extremely disappointed that the RFU has adopted this position.

"Premier Rugby is now reluctantly considering the actions open to it on behalf of its clubs to recover the unpaid monies with interest.

"Premier Rugby believes that this must now involve British Lions Limited, with whom agreement was reached on the release of Premiership players, but who have not ensured the full monies due to Premier Rugby were paid over by their agents, the Rugby Football Union.

"Premier Rugby has received a payment directly from British Lions Ltd, under the same agreement, relating to a minority share of the match account from the Test against Argentina [on May 23]."

Leicester chairman Peter Tom reiterated the clubs' view that no agreement surrounding their English Lions actually exists.

"At Leicester we have consistently believed that there was no agreement in place regarding rest periods for Lions players, and we will now seek to recover the money that the RFU has withheld from us," he said.

"We are delighted that Premier Rugby will be acting on behalf of the clubs, and we will take whatever action is necessary to recover what is owed to the club, including the interest that has accrued."