Quinnell backs new Welsh 60-cap rule

Editor

Former Welsh international and British and Irish Lion Scott Quinnell expects Wales' new 60-cap rule to boost their local sides.

He believes it will arrest the tide of players moving abroad and benefit regional rugby in the country.

The new ruling states players outside of Wales can only play for the national team if they have 60 or more caps.

Rhys Webb was hit hard by the rule and is set to miss the 2019 World Cup after signing a deal with Toulon.

Quinnell told Will Greenwood on Sky Sports rugby podcast, The Offload, that the potential long-term positives of the ruling would be epic.

"We should have our best side playing week in, week out," he said. "And from the regions' point of view, they want to put bums on seats and get the crowds in and you only do that by getting your best players to stay.

"There's a lot of people down the years who said let's go back to clubs. But I love the clubs and I loved playing against Swansea and playing against Cardiff and Pontypridd away – The House of Pain, there was no better place to go play 25-years ago.

"Now we are playing in the PRO14 there is no better place to go than Thomond Park or over to the RDS. It's a different time, it's a different breed, four regions…and we need to keep as many players in the regions as we can but we have to respect that the players have a short period to make their money."

Quinnell was critical of the current transfer system that allows players to sign for overseas clubs too far in advance.

"The whole process of this is wrong to me because when we were playing, we weren't allowed to talk to other clubs until January," he said. "And that way they were stabilising your side and the side that you were going to after January. You were allowed then to talk to other clubs.

"We know now that the Ospreys will be without their half-backs next year and it's early on in the season already."