Welsh Rugby Bosses to Scrap One Region by 2027

[Frankie Burrows Cap]

“They are the worst governing body in sporting history.”

Honourable mention to the WFA.

There is something about Welsh committees which is just so bloody dreadful.

We’ve recently had the two world cups for women and in both, the Welsh teams were playing catch up having been historically utterly let down by a bunch of misogynistic old farts with club blazers and 1970s sensibilities.

I think that’s a bit harsh on the current version of the FAW (20 years ago I’d have agreed)

Whatever people’s thoughts on Noel Mooney he’s certainly increased the professionalism within the organisation. Youth participation is at an all time high and facilities (from a very low base) are finally getting to the standard they should be across Wales.

Then you’ve got someone like Laura McAllister who’s been part of the system as a Vice President at UEFA.

 

[MajorR]

Personally I think that’s what should have happened when it first went professional.

Centrally contract the top 80 players, play home games Friday night/Saturday evening/Sunday afternoon and you’re not even competing with the club game still being played on a Saturday afternoon. During international breaks those not playing for Wales can drop down to play for their local clubs which increases the interest and link to the two regions.

I think the ship has well and truly sailed though with Llanelli & Cardiff (and latterly Newport) being pretty much standalone regions from the word go. Coupled with Neath & Pontypridd not wanting to join the Super Rygbi Cymru (semi-pro tier) then the whole structure is a mess.

They’ll just muddle through for the next few years whether they go down to 3 or not and hope that they get a handful of world class players coming through who raise the standard of the national team.

You are incorrect about Neath not wanting to join the Super Rugby Cymru tournament.
Neath were one of the 10 teams who initially submitted applications for a place in the SRC, however their application was rejected. I don’t recall the exact detail, but I believe it was related to previous funding issues. Cardiff, Merthyr and Pontypridd (all Blues are teams) made it clear they weren’t going to apply and didn’t.

The WRU subsequently announced Aberavon, Bridgend, Carmarthen, Ebbw Vale, Llandovery, Newport, Pontypool, RGC and Swansea were successful, but this left 1 space. I believe Neath had feedback regarding their unsuccessful application and when the WRU reopened the application process Neath reapplied, Cardiff had a change of mind, applied and got the last spot. Neath lost out again.

 

[Frankie Burrows Cap]

You are incorrect about Neath not wanting to join the Super Rugby Cymru tournament.
Neath were one of the 10 teams who initially submitted applications for a place in the SRC, however their application was rejected. I don’t recall the exact detail, but I believe it was related to previous funding issues. Cardiff, Merthyr and Pontypridd (all Blues are teams) made it clear they weren’t going to apply and didn’t.

The WRU subsequently announced Aberavon, Bridgend, Carmarthen, Ebbw Vale, Llandovery, Newport, Pontypool, RGC and Swansea were successful, but this left 1 space. I believe Neath had feedback regarding their unsuccessful application and when the WRU reopened the application process Neath reapplied, Cardiff had a change of mind, applied and got the last spot. Neath lost out again.

Apologies, I thought they’d opted out

 

[MajorR]

Apologies, I thought they’d opted out

No worries, Cardiff RFC and the WRU are in my opinion heavily intertwined and the latter has had a lot of Cardiff players and officials on its committee and in key posts over the years. I don’t th8nk they were ever in danger of missing out.

 

[Frankie Burrows Cap]

No worries, Cardiff RFC and the WRU are in my opinion heavily intertwined and the latter has had a lot of Cardiff players and officials on its committee and in key posts over the years. I don’t th8nk they were ever in danger of missing out.

Agreed. Any restructure was/is always going to be Cardiff +…

 

[leighton]

Very rough numbers:

WRU: £100m income, of which £20m goes to the four regions.

Irish RFU: £80m income, of which £30m goes to the four provinces.

Please take with a small pinch of salt as I am remembering detail I read some time ago.

A lot of the income, i think, is ‘earned’ by the regions by playing in the Heineken Cup, etc, but routed through the WRU for admin/ contractual reasons. Smoke and mirrors.

 

[monmouth]

And yes, even if the numbers are only reasonably accurate then there’s hell of a difference in the outcome.

Not at all comparable between IRFU and WRU or their regions Coops. Too much to explain fully, but different things included/excluded, and their regions get their stadiums free and other subsidies (no covid loan interest nonsense for instance). Thats not to say the WRU doesn’t starve the professional game which gets a ‘residual amount’. The hobby game for instance gets 11m ring fenced. Surprise surprise the WRU is controlled by the hobby clubs (they can call egm and get rid of the chair/CEO. Thats how `Gareth Davies (a superb Chair that wanted to revolutionise) was booted out and replaced by a retired geography teacher from Abercwmfuckwit RFC.

If you really want your eyes opened, read `seimon Williams book. Probabliy pennies on kindle.

 

[monmouth]

Agreed. Any restructure was/is always going to be Cardiff +…

Cardiff has to be a home to professional rugby. The numbers attending and the ground location make it stupid not to be. I used to think ditto Swansea, but Ospreys are snookered by not having a ground yet, whilst the others have them with greater capacity than St Helens can ever get to now. Plus nobody wants to watch the ospreys in Swansea unless they are winning. Crowds’ were struggling to get north of 4000. Cardiff and the mutants down the road (who have a purpose built 12000+ rugby stadium) were getting more. It’s Dragons surviving that’s the total travesty here, but they signed PRA25 and the Os and Scarlets refused. The WRU just need to wait for one of the West teams to go pop, and I think it’ll be the Os…but I doubt they’d win a tender anyway…because, stadium.

 

[Frankie Burrows Cap]

Cardiff has to be a home to professional rugby. The numbers attending and the ground location make it stupid not to be. I used to think ditto Swansea, but Ospreys are snookered by not having a ground yet, whilst the others have them with greater capacity than St Helens can ever get to now. Plus nobody wants to watch the ospreys in Swansea unless they are winning. Crowds’ were struggling to get north of 4000. Cardiff and the mutants down the road (who have a purpose built 12000+ rugby stadium) were getting more. It’s Dragons surviving that’s the total travesty here, but they signed PRA25 and the Os and Scarlets refused. The WRU just need to wait for one of the West teams to go pop, and I think it’ll be the Os…but I doubt they’d win a tender anyway…because, stadium.

Games should definitely be played at the stadiums in Cardiff, no arguments there. The fact that them and Llanelli have been allowed to be ‘super clubs’ is my bigger bugbear than whether there are 2, 3 or 4 regions and where they play.

 

[monmouth]

I don’t disagree with that, other than there should be no regions. The famous Welsh club brands were the ones that have beaten the all blacks. Swansea, Cardiff, Llanelli and Newport should have been backed and be in an Anglo Welsh league. That should have happened in 1999 after the breakaway season, or been pursued with vigour from 2003 until now.

 

[J_B]

I don’t disagree with that, other than there should be no regions. The famous Welsh club brands were the ones that have beaten the all blacks. Swansea, Cardiff, Llanelli and Newport should have been backed and be in an Anglo Welsh league. That should have happened in 1999 after the breakaway season, or been pursued with vigour from 2003 until now.

I agree in general but I would say that for far too long those four clubs were given games against touring teams irrespective of current form.
Neath, Bridgend, Pontypool and Pontypridd were all winning championships and Welsh cups and only very late in the amateur era were any of them given the opportunity that they deserved.

 

[jack_lord]

Ive just heard that there is a strange plan for those in charge to merge Swansea and Cardiff. Same comments on how the Dragons will survive this is galling. Ive no wish for the Scarlets to be buried either. How first class rugby and cricket will disappear in Wales second city thanks to committee members is ludicrous.

 

[Frankie Burrows Cap]

Ive just heard that there is a strange plan for those in charge to merge Swansea and Cardiff. Same comments on how the Dragons will survive this is galling. Ive no wish for the Scarlets to be buried either. How first class rugby and cricket will disappear in Wales second city thanks to committee members is ludicrous.

Weren’t the Ospreys owners linked with taking over Cardiff a few years ago? Same story being rehashed?

If it happened, they could call them the Cardiff Ospreys…then revert to just Cardiff in a couple of years after realising only people in the city and VOG were supporting them!

 

[Swanjaxs]

The Dragons have been crap since day one, how do they get to survive

 

[Smurph]

The Dragons have been crap since day one, how do they get to survive

It puzzles me that they seem relatively safe and it's either the Ospreys or Scarlets for the chop.