HARLEQUINS pulling out of the Heineken Cup, along with other English teams, is more 'worst case scenario' than reality.

Premiership Rugby, the umbrella organisation for England's top flight teams, this week issued a notice to quit Europe's biggest cup competition in two year's time if changes are not made to its format.

A more detailed statement outlining their case is expected in the coming days, but the Chronicle understands Premiership Rugby wants three European cup competitions rather than two, headed by a Heineken Cup where qualification is based on merit rather than given automatically to some.

Currently, teams like Glasgow and Edinburgh are let in every year as there are no other Scottish regions, while the weakness of the Celtic League means the likes of Ulster and Munster can put all their efforts into the Heineken Cup – to the annoyance of English and French teams.

In fact, the current ranking system would have seen Wasps, who only escaped finishing bottom of the Aviva Premiership on the last day of the season, qualify for next season's Heineken Cup had losing semi-finalists Edinburgh won it this year.

Premiership Rugby's proposals will see the introduction of a new shield competition, with clubs from emerging European rugby nations like Russia, Georgia, Portugal and Spain taking part.

The second tier would be much like the current Amlin Challenge Cup, but reduced to20 teams, and the top tier much like the current Heineken Cup, but again reduced to 20 teams, and places based on qualifying through domestic leagues.

While Premiership Rugby has no real intention to pull out of the Heineken Cup, to do so would require two years' notice, hence showing their cards now, with the hope of forcing through the changes before such dramatic action had to be taken.

Quins, meanwhile, have drawn French giants Biarritz, new Italian minnows Zebre, and Irish side Connacht, who denied them a place in last year's knock-out phases, in next season's Heineken Cup.