PRESIDENT BROOK BETRAYS THE GAME I LOVE..

THE world of Rugby Union is in turmoil. The sport's governing body and its professional clubs are at each other's throats.

Fran Cotton, the legendary England and Lions prop, recently resigned as vice-chairman of the RFU's management board.

Now he has launched a do-or-die appeal for support to the grass roots of the game.

Here Cotton, who never ducked a challenge as a player, goes right to the heart of the issues for the Sunday Mirror.

RUGBY Union is the biggest thing in my life. I care passionately for its future.

And that is why I have no hesitation in condemning Union President Peter Brook.

I know where I am with men like Sir John Hall of Newcastle. He wants power and he's never hidden that.

But what makes my blood boil is the scandalous treatment of Rugby Union chairman Cliff Brittle from men within his own camp.

What Brook has done in helping remove Brittle from the team set up the negotiate with the professional clubs is scandalous.

Brook wanted John Jeavons-Fellows in the chair.

All Brook has succeeded in doing is divide the Union.

The coup was well planned and executed at a clandestine meeting of around eight people at a West End restaurant. We are trying to find out who was present.

One man I know was there is Tony Hallett, chief executive of Richmond and ex-secretary of the Union - he is no supporter of Brittle.

The meeting was informal, unauthorised and should never have taken place. Brook and his men have made our game ungovernable. That is why I sent personal invitations to all 2,000 clubs to attend meetings round the country, starting at Twickenham next Sunday.

Cliff and myself will ask the grassroots, first, to expel from membership any club that refused to accept the rules of the Rugby Union and the International Board.

And secondly, to issue a vote of no confidence in the Council of The Rugby Union - who should then resign.

Ultimate power is with the members. They all have one share each and this is the last time I will be asking them for their votes.

We face an attempt by speculative investors to run our game. They have incurred heavy losses and are looking for additional revenue.

Their leaders are Sir John Hall - who once asked for pounds 6 million to release England players - Nigel Wray, of Saracens and Tom Walkinshaw of Gloucester.

They have installed puppet leader Donald Kerr as chairman of their English First Division Rugby body.

Kerr of Harlequins is little more than a mouthpiece. But he's done his job. He has got rid of Brittle. They gave us a pawn and took a king.

No one can question my motives. I haven't been paid a ha'penny for the job I've been doing. In fact it has cost me money.

I simply wasn't prepared to be held publicly responsible for the state of English Rugby without the authority to make things work properly.

Now Cliff and I are appealing to the grassroots If we fail, who is going to pay for all the work that goes into developing young talent throughout the country?

Sir John and his colleagues say they are best placed to do that. I don't believe it. They'll put the money into their clubs.

The Rugby Union spends vast amounts in this area. It gets nothing back when players are taken by clubs at 18. The value of these players quadruples when coach Clive Woodward selects them for England. So why should private businessmen, who have given nothing to the game, pocket the money?

Do you know that less than 40 per cent of players in the Allied Dunbar Premiership are qualified to play for England?

If Bath signed Nigel Jenkins England will have just one first- team fly half in the Premiership and that's Paul Grayson.

The clubs would have a team of Martians if that suited them.

There is a real threat to our international future now and I am not scare- mongering.

We have received letters from all members of the International Board spelling out the sanctions if we can not enforce our own rules.

These are fines, removal from the World Cup and, ultimately, extinction.

This battle is desperately serious. Either we win it soon or I'll be dusting off my fishing rods and getting on with my life.

Interview:

DAVID BARNES

Copyright 1998 MGN LTD
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