Beaumont hopes to close book on feud

Bill Beaumont stands for election as chairman of the Six Nations today, amid signs that the Celtic countries are ready to end their longrunning feud with England.

If he wins a straight contest with Jacques Laurans of France, the 50-year- old Lancastrian's appointment will be due reward for the famous pint-and-a-pie diplomacy in a Glasgow pub which ended England's expulsion from the tournament three years ago.

Wales, not exactly renowned for supporting an English cause, are backing Beaumont to the hilt.

Welsh RU chairman Glanmor Griffiths said: 'Bill has an impeccable rugby pedigree both on and off the field. He is part of Six Nations folklore as a Grand Slam-winning English captain.

'Since retiring, he has become a very able administrator. From a Welsh perspective, we are very comfortable having a man of the calibre of Bill Beaumont fronting the game's oldest and best international tournament.'

Despite the glowing Welsh tribute, Beaumont's election is far from a foregone conclusion. The 12 delegates, two from each of the competing nations, have one vote each and the game's powerbrokers were last night predicting a photo-finish in the race to succeed Scotland's Allan Hosie.

With France's Jean-Pierre Lux already chairing the European

Cup competition, any rejection of Beaumont would be interpreted as proof that hostility towards England continues.

The RFU's decision to break away from the traditional collective bargaining on the television contract and agree its own £87.5million deal with Sky in June 1996 provoked such a furore that England were twice expelled from the championship. The RFU averted the first crisis by agreeing to redistribute some of its millions from satellite but then hit bigger trouble when the Celts accused it of reneging on the agreement.