‘Radical’ plans being considered as WRU faces turning point in the national game

Jack Tunney
'Radical' plans being considered as WRU faces turning point in the national game

'Radical' plans being considered as WRU faces turning point in the national game

The Welsh Rugby Union is considering radical plans to reduce its current set-up from four teams to just two in an effort to salvage its struggling game.

The WRU is set to announce its plans sometime this week, in which it is expected to reveal that two sides will be cut, with the remaining two boasting both a men’s and a women’s side.

The suggestion is that there could be 50 players in each men’s squad with a budget of £7.8m each, while the women’s squads will have 40 players apiece. Both sides would be fully funded by the union, but the men’s side would have a significantly higher funding model than their female counterparts.

Cardiff Rugby are generally considered safe from expulsion as they are currently owned by the WRU, making it a potential asset for the union. Scarlets have recently unveiled new investors, granting them a more sound bet, while Ospreys and Dragons are desperate to continue professional rugby in their respective regions.

Following a six-week consultation period, the WRU are expected to present their favoured options to stakeholders before a final decision is made at the end of October.

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WRU phasing operations

There are expected to be two phases to this WRU operation. Phase one would see two clubs cut by the WRU, while the other two are fully taken over by the governing body, with players and staff being given centralised national contracts.

Phase two would involve all professional rugby in Wales moving to one giant national campus, where both clubs would train, hosting up to 400 people.

The idea of having a more centralised union is that the transition from the Super Rygbi Cymru competition, which is the current level below the men’s fully professional game, will become more seamless.

In a recent statement, approaching the drastic measures, the WRU had said: “The current rugby system in Wales, which includes national teams, professional clubs, community clubs, academies, universities and schools isn’t delivering consistent success on the field and isn’t currently financially sustainable given the likely investment required, even with the recent actions taken to increase financial resources.

“Based on its extensive work over the past 18 months, including ongoing consultation with the four professional men’s clubs, the WRU is therefore considering a more radical strategy focused on maximising investment and reforming the whole structure of professional rugby in Wales (amongst other options).

“The changes would be aimed at boosting Welsh rugby as a whole: the academies, the Super Rygbi Cymru (SRC) and Celtic Challenge competitions (men’s and women’s semi-pro game), professional clubs and the national teams for both men and women.”

READ MORE: WRU sharpen the axe in search of ‘sustainability’ as current model fails to ‘deliver success’