Just when you think nothing could get worse in Scottish Rugby . . . the furore that has erupted since the announcement the Border Reivers are to be cut at the end of the season may just have been overshadowed by another seismic announcement this week.

Yet this time it was not concerning a decision made by Murrayfield but one that could have massive repercussions for the sport of rugby in Scotland.

The threat of a boycott of the Heineken Cup for next season by the French clubs has been in the air for some time now but it gathered real momentum last week with the English clubs standing beside them.

There have been so many examples of brinkmanship in the relatively short history of professional rugby, it is hard to work out if this is for real or not.

Remember when England threatened to pull out of the Six Nations because they thought they deserved more of the revenue that the competition generated? Well, guess what? It is the same old chestnut all over again.

As it stands, there will be no Heineken Cup next year as both the French and the English clubs have voted to boycott the tournament and so another round of negotiating will begin.

This is a day that has been waiting to arrive since the inception of professional rugby. While the unions contracted the players in all the other major playing countries in the world, in France and in England they did not. They allowed the clubs to do so, and whoever pays the piper calls the tune.

For years, I have had an underlying feeling that something like this would happen, because the game has become bigger and bigger in Europe and the people who have invested millions in the sport now want some return.

Without knowing exact figures, the amount invested by Brian Kennedy at Sale Sharks, Andrew Brownsword at Bath, Nigel Wray at Saracens and Keith Barwell at Northampton Saints since rugby turned professional in the mid-1990s will easily top £40m. That is a significant amount of money and, in many ways, I can understand why they are taking this stance.

There is no doubt that European rugby and, in particular, English rugby has benefited hugely from England winning the Rugby World Cup in 2003. Although the international team have struggled since that night in Sydney, the club game is booming.

Most grounds are sold out and the average attendance has gone up from 5000 in 2001 to 11,000 in 2007.

That is phenomenal growth, especially when you consider that over half the games are played when internationals are on at the same time.

Allegedly, when the club owners held their first meeting after the World Cup in 2003, it was said: "Right, the RFU have had their moment of glory; now it is our turn to make some money."

We are six months away from the next World Cup and I think the French clubs have had a wee look back in history to what happened four years ago and have tried to get ahead of the game. They seem to be gambling a bit here that France are going to win the World Cup on home soil and be in a position of power to exploit this position when the triumphant players return to the club game.

Of course, officially, they argue that the season is going to be too tight to fit in the World Cup, the French Championship and the Heineken Cup, so one of them has to go. But it is also a very convenient argument when you are striving to wrestle power away from the union.

The reason both England and France are able to do this without sanctions is that the existing contract for the Heineken Cup is finishing at the end of this season.

It does not matter if it is your car insurance or the rights to a major sporting event, there is always the chance to change the terms of agreement at the end of a contract.

However, if all this comes to fruition and the Heineken Cup is cancelled for next season, it will have huge repercussions here in Scotland.

We have had to cut one team because of a lack of funding but, if the SRU does not receive the huge payment that comes from the Heineken Cup as well as the sponsorship, gate receipts and TV rights, the Borders might not be alone.

The future of Glasgow could be under threat if this was all to happen and the stay of execution could be a short one.

At the moment, Glasgow are cheered that they have been saved from the cull at the expense of the Borders but, in light of the Heineken Cup being cut, that could yet be like being comforted by the knowledge that you are the taller of two pygmies.