England's top players yesterday demanded a quick settlement with administrators over the future structure of the game in the new professional era. The plea came in a statement from a group called The English First Division Players.

The top clubs want the RFU to yield some of its power, and cite the relationship in soccer between the English Premier League and the English Football Association as a model for the future of the sport at the highest level. In little more than a month, players are expected to be under contract with their clubs, whose salary bills will vary between £750,000 and £1.5 million.