Broadcasters win support for switching 'Le Crunch'

As things stand, next year's Six Nations tournament will open with the England-France match at Twickenham – a piece of fixture programming some influential rugger types consider every bit as preposterous as a whodunnit author identifying the murderer on the first page rather than the last. These critics want the schedule turned on its head to allow "Le Crunch", as the annual cross-Channel set-to is commonly known, to provide the competition with its climax, rather than its foreplay.

As things stand, next year's Six Nations tournament will open with the England-France match at Twickenham – a piece of fixture programming some influential rugger types consider every bit as preposterous as a whodunnit author identifying the murderer on the first page rather than the last. These critics want the schedule turned on its head to allow "Le Crunch", as the annual cross-Channel set-to is commonly known, to provide the competition with its climax, rather than its foreplay.

This, of course, will infuriate the Celtic bloc of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, who do not enjoy being cast in the role of walk-on extras and have little truck with the theory that whoever wins the England-France encounter automatically wins the whole thing. Indeed, the current schedule has Ireland hosting England at Lansdowne Road on the final weekend of 2003 tournament – and the last time Clive Woodward's red rose army visited Dublin, they came away with a flea in their collective ear.

But broadcasters – most notably the BBC, who are negotiating a deal to bring the entire Championship to terrestrial screens – see little sense in the biggest game of the European season going ahead at the start, rather than the end, of the competition, and their views are supported by senior figures at the Rugby Football Union, including the Twickenham chief executive, Francis Baron. He has crossed swords with the Celts before, not least over Six Nations finances. The stage is set for another bust-up in the committee room.

"The dates for next season's competition are set in stone," the Six Nations chief executive, Roger Pickering, said yesterday. "However, the fixtures are still in draft form. There is some room for manoeuvre. We want to stay flexible so we can listen and react to the wishes of broadcasters and come up with a schedule that best suits the needs of the tournament."

Rotherham, who wrapped up the National League One title with time and matches to spare, should learn today whether their application to join the Premiership next season has been successful. On the face of it they have little to worry about, having signed a ground-share deal with their footballing neighbours Rotherham United before the 31 March deadline – a move that, in Baron's view at least, meets the ground criteria laid down at the start of the season.

However, some argue that Rotherham require primacy of tenure at their new home. If that is the case, there will be no promotion – and, by extension, no relegation for Leeds, Harlequins, Bath or Saracens, who are up to their necks in a neurotic scrap for élite survival.

Meanwhile, Leicester have offered their former England hooker Richard Cockerill a new two-year deal, thereby countering a surprise bid for his services from the powerful French club Montferrand. "Richard is considering our offer, and we expect a decision in the next fortnight," Dean Richards, the director of rugby at Welford Road, said. "The Montferrand offer is an exciting opportunity for him, but we would like him to remain here. It is obviously a difficult decision for him to make, but whichever way he decides to go, he will have our full support."

Cockerill, now 31, last played for England in the 1999 World Cup, and has been eased out of the Leicester front row by Dorian West. Montferrand, who boast most of the French national team's Grand Slam-winning back divison, have the former Wallaby Marco Caputo among their hooking contingent, but badly need strengthening in the front-row department.