Leicester chief executive Peter Wheeler believes it is vital clubs have 'an increased say' in the development of rugby union's flagship European competitions.
England's Guinness Premiership clubs meet this week to consider whether or not they will give a proposed French boycott ultimate support by also pulling out of the Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup tournaments next term.
Such action would bring both events to their knees, the threat of which comes less than 24 hours after a record three English teams - Leicester, Wasps and Northampton - qualified for this season's Heineken Cup semi-finals.
The Premiership clubs want some of the Rugby Football Union shares in European Rugby Cup Limited, in addition to greater voting rights. Under an agreement between Premier Rugby and the RFU, England's top clubs are contracted to play in both major European competitions for the next two seasons.
And any boycott in support of the French is likely to be met with legal action from Twickenham top brass. French and Italian unions though, have agreed to transfer some of their ERC shares to its clubs.
Concern at the RFU's refusal to hand over share and voting rights - plus anxiety over fixture congestion next season, which starts with the Rugby World Cup - are behind the militant French stance.
Wheeler said: 'It is a great shame that on the day of exciting quarter-finals of a great tournament, they should be overshadowed by the prospect of teams from countries who have played key and essential roles in the development of the competition being forced into not taking part next year, and perhaps beyond.
'The unions and clubs of Europe have been unable to persuade the English rugby union to accept a future structure of the competition on which all parties were agreed in principle last year. It is vital that the clubs, who are the driving forces of the tournament, have an increased say in the development of it. It should not be used as a leverage to seek greater player release for international duty.
'It is difficult to understand why the Union might be prepared to allow that action to seriously damage what is the foremost club competition in the world. They have their own European international competition with the Six Nations tournament, from which the clubs receive no revenue and provide players who have wages they continue to pay.'
Wasps chief executive David Davies, meanwhile, told the Guardian: "If the RFU persists with its current standpoint, it is questionable whether there will be any European competition next year.
'That would call into question the future of the tournament. It is not unreasonable to grant Premier Rugby a shareholding in its own right, and there is a growing feeling that the clubs who bring most to this competition should have a voice in how it is run commercially, having long expressed our concerns about its commercial performance.
It is the denial of this voice which is bringing the Heineken Cup to its knees.'
