The Heineken Cup could be without England and French clubs next year
Saracens chairman Nigel Wray has insisted that Aviva Premiership clubs are fully prepared to withdraw from next season's Heineken Cup.
Top-flight English and French clubs have threatened to pull out of Europe's premier competiton, and also the Amlin Challenge Cup, when the existing qualification agreement ends in May 2014.
Changes are scheduled to be made to the sporting and commercial elements of the tournaments which will force every club to qualify, ending the right of automatic entry currently enjoyed by Scotland and Italy.
The plan, proposed by Premiership Rugby, would reduce the Heineken Cup to 20 teams with four teams dropping into a strengthened Amlin Challenge Cup competition.
Rabodirect PRO12 clubs have argued that the Heineken Cup should be representative of the whole of Europe and the only way to ensure that is by guaranteeing entry.
Wray told the Daily Telegraph: "Do I think there will be a hiatus where the English clubs don't play? Yes I do. But I hope not.
"There has to be a real threat because if you are permanently outvoted you have to change the system.
"All we are saying is we are not going to play under those rules, which we are entitled to do. It has to change otherwise the English and French clubs will be permanently outvoted. We want a much fairer share of the cake.
"My personal view is that the English clubs would be crazy if they accepted the current deal because we are permanently outvoted by nations that aren't contributing a lot of money." Source : http://www1.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/12572/8910329/saracens-chairman-nigel-wray-warns-clubs-will-snub-heinken-cup
