Gloucester have requested permission for Mohed Altrad, the billionaire owner of Montpellier, to become the majority shareholder of the Aviva Premiership club.
The proposed deal breaks ownership rules and will be blocked unless Altrad can convince European rugby bosses there is no “risk to the integrity” of the European Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup.
The Times understands that, from a domestic standpoint, the RFU has no objections to Altrad buying into Gloucester. The deal for 55 per cent ownership, after which Kingsholm could be renamed the Altrad Stadium, must also be approved by the French Rugby Union, European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) and World Rugby.
Altrad has said he submitted an “ethics and governance charter” to EPCR, which is in the process of conducting due diligence on the deal. It will be discussed at the next board meeting on February 14.
Vincent Gaillard, EPCR director general, confirmed that existing rules would prevent the takeover but said work was being done to assess “any potential risks to the integrity and image of its tournaments in which both clubs participate, by avoiding any potential conflict of interest, or perception thereof.”
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Gaillard hinted that EPCR might be more willing than World Rugby to green light the deal. He also revealed that EPCR will look to strike a single television deal in the UK when the rights are negotiated next year, which would pitch existing broadcasters BT Sport and Sky Sports into a bidding war.