WRU eyes radical shake-up as Welsh Rugby consultation begins

The Welsh Rugby Union has announced what it believes to be the optimal solution for the future of the elite game in the country.

As reported on Tuesday night, the proposal would reduce the number of professional clubs in Wales from four to two, with the aim of achieving a top-five world ranking for both the men’s and women’s national teams.

Ambitions for the men’s team include moving from finishing bottom in the Six Nations to becoming “wildcard World Cup winners”, although no timeframe has been given for when any reduction in the number of clubs may take place if adopted.

WRU Director of Rugby and Elite Performance Dave Reddin explained the proposal is “about designing for elite performance.”

"This is about the concentration of talent and an environment that makes that talent outperform its inherent capacity," Reddin said.

"If you dreamed extraordinary dreams and you put yourself in that future, it’s amazing how quickly and how frequently you can actually get there.

"It is about that combination of factors put together in a unique way for this system to thrive, and I genuinely believe that.

"Why shouldn’t we become wildcard World Cup winners? Why shouldn’t we have that ambition?”

At the beginning of next month, the governing body will enter a consultation period with key stakeholders from all four professional clubs. Players and supporter groups will also have the opportunity to share their views, with a final decision expected at the end of October.

Four potential models are on the table.

These include a four-team model with unequal funding, two separate three-team models, and the WRU’s preferred option - reducing the number of professional teams to two, with both clubs receiving equal budgets and running men’s and women’s professional teams.

The Union argues that the two-club option would release significant investment into other areas of the game, including the semi-professional Super Rugby Cymru competition - seen as essential in bridging the gap between semi-pro and pro rugby - as well as investment in a women’s domestic competition.

The proposal could also include a national campus, where the two teams would share facilities such as strength and conditioning, medical support and training pitches.

Under the new proposed plan, each team would run a squad of 50 senior players alongside national academy talent, with a limit of one Non-Welsh Qualified Player (NWQP) per team.

WRU CEO Abi Tierney described the announcement as a “momentous day” for Welsh rugby but insisted that no final decision has yet been made.

"This is a momentous day for Welsh rugby," she said. "No decision has been made, yet we have put forward a proposed solution, but it’s what we think - based on the analysis - is the strongest and the best, but we haven’t made that decision yet.

"I would urge everybody impacted directly by the proposals, but also the Welsh public who care passionately about rugby in Wales, to engage in the process.

"We’re going to be in listening mode, and I know that the solution that we come up with in the end will be better if people have engaged and they challenge us.

“As you do that, I’d also encourage everyone to kind of step into the future and imagine how different it could be and how exciting it could be.”

Reddin also explained how supporters will be able to engage with the consultation.

"From a fan's perspective, the information will be out on the website later today and they can engage with that directly and provide feedback from September 1st.

"In terms of how that information is collated, really the same as all the other information we’re taking into account just to make an important distinction.

"The fans are an incredibly important voice and we want to listen to what they’ve got to say.”

WRU chair Richard Collier-Keywood added: "I am pleased to see that this consultation includes listening to people from all aspects of the game in Wales. Every player and fan story starts somewhere, and we have encouraged our teams to get a full range of views from grassroots through pathways, up to elite level.

"The important thing for us as a board is that when we are presented with an updated recommendation in October, we know we have listened and considered all the feedback and options before making a decision.

"We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to get this right and create an exciting future for our game, and this is a responsibility we are taking extremely seriously."

With uncertainty still high within Welsh rugby circles, the coming weeks will be pivotal in shaping the sport’s future. A misstep at this critical moment could prolong the difficult period currently facing the game.