After battling all summer to be allowed to match the likes of England when it comes to preparing for international games, rugby officials in Scotland have had to concede defeat - and they are not trying to hide their frustration and anger. The International Rugby Board (IRB) has come down firmly on the side of the clubs in England and France who have barred Scotland players from international training sessions and forced them to play only a few days before the start of an international series.

The only positive aspect from a Scottish point of view is that at least the decision taken by the IRB council ends the uncertainty over the regulations, though it does mean that Scotland will have even less access to their exile players than had been the case under the previous regulations.

The decision gives national coaches the right to demand players for only five days before an international, and for three further three-day training sessions spread across the year - one, the week before the team assembles for the November games; the second, before they gather for the RBS Six Nations Championship; and a third, to be arranged at the discretion of individual coaches, as long as there is enough warning.

In the past, Scotland have usually been able to keep most of their players right through the Six Nations but the new regulations mean Frank Hadden, the national coach, can only guarantee access to the exiles in his squad for the weeks when they are playing. Clubs can demand the players return during the so-called “fallow” weeks, when there is no international at the weekend.

Gordon McKie, the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) chief executive, was not pulling his punches yesterday. “The decision, in essence, means that only the rich unions, who can buy extra days, and those unions that have all their players centrally contracted will have access to their players when they want them,” he said.

“This has potential capacity to diminish the pre-eminence of international rugby. Our concern is absolutely enshrined in the principle of best-versus-best and that international teams have adequate preparation time. It was important for the worldwide game for countries such as Argentina, Italy, Georgia, Fiji, Samoa and Scotland, among others, that the IRB approved robust and enforceable regulations enshrining international rugby's rights of access to exile players. I believe an opportunity has been missed as a result of yesterday's decision by the IRB.”

The new regulations come into force at the start of January, meaning that Hadden will have only three days with his entire squad before the week when they open their Six Nations campaign against Wales. They then stay in camp for a further week, go back to their clubs for a week, come back for a week, go away again, and finally return for the final fortnight of the competition. Meanwhile, England, who have the financial muscle to buy their way out of the problem, will have their squad together for the entire seven weeks.

“It is vital for all unions and for all players that access to international rugby is not restricted to the cash-rich unions,” McKie said. “That said, we now have a new IRB regulation and we will have to work within that and redouble our efforts to close the gap that exists with the wealthier nations.”

In practice, it means that the change in regulations increases the pressure on the players to stay in Scotland, where the professional clubs are owned by the union, and will increase the pressure on McKie and the rest of the SRU board to revisit the debate over how soon they can relaunch a third professional side. Two professional teams do not give them the depth to sustain a viable international side without using players who are contracted to clubs in other countries.

The big surprise for Scotland was how little support they got from other unions. In the end, the new regulations were approved 22-6, which means that they were supported not just by the big, powerful unions who believe they have the issue under control - either by buying extra time with the players or by imposing central contracts - but by at least some who will also be hit by the new rules.