Region problems and the WRU

When is Roger Lewis going to reach an agreement with regional reprsentatives to help sort out and support the regions? We were promised progress a long time ago and nothing appears to have changed or been agreed.

The regions need greater financial support; perhaps they also need help with marketing. But it has to be a collective effort.

I am in favour of some Wales players who are in their late 20s or beyond going to Eng or France to play -- it gives a chance to younger players to step up and develop and imrpoves our player base. However, it's an entirely different matter to our best and most promising players go -- we can't afford too se the likes of North and Cuthbert play outside eWales. The club/regional game in Wales is on its knees and if it doesn't improve the national game will definitely suffer too -- the foundation of our national game is the regions and clubs. Come on Roger, do something!

The WRU has made great progress in paying off a lot of the stadium's debt, but more has to be done to support the regions. When can we see some progress? Or do most of our best players have to leave and the regions' stadia be empty before something is done?

I've said for a long time that for the regions to compete at the same level as the Provinces they need to be supported by the WRU as much as the Provinces are by the IRFU.

SRU in recent years decided to support Edinburgh and Glasgow better, and we have seen big improvement in them (Edinburgh I think everyone will agree has had the resouces to do better).

If Wales want to have some of th etop teams in Europe, the WRU will have to support the regions,

However its not as simple as that the regions will have to give more back to the WRU, but it doesn't not even appear that the WRU are willing to discuss terms about increasing funding.

Kingshu wrote:I've said for a long time that for the regions to compete at the same level as the Provinces they need to be supported by the WRU as much as the Provinces are by the IRFU.

SRU in recent years decided to support Edinburgh and Glasgow better, and we have seen big improvement in them (Edinburgh I think everyone will agree has had the resouces to do better).

If Wales want to have some of th etop teams in Europe, the WRU will have to support the regions,

However its not as simple as that the regions will have to give more back to the WRU, but it doesn't not even appear that the WRU are willing to discuss terms about increasing funding.

Not too sure how much more the regions can give the WRU, at the moment the WRU seem to have as good play access as the IRFU, and almost as much player control too. They do recommend when players should be rested etc. A good example is this weekend Foxy is not available to the Scarlets as he is going to be in the WRU store to meet and greet etc, where he could have been a bench option for the Scarlets.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:

Kingshu wrote:I've said for a long time that for the regions to compete at the same level as the Provinces they need to be supported by the WRU as much as the Provinces are by the IRFU.

SRU in recent years decided to support Edinburgh and Glasgow better, and we have seen big improvement in them (Edinburgh I think everyone will agree has had the resouces to do better).

If Wales want to have some of th etop teams in Europe, the WRU will have to support the regions,

However its not as simple as that the regions will have to give more back to the WRU, but it doesn't not even appear that the WRU are willing to discuss terms about increasing funding.

Not too sure how much more the regions can give the WRU, at the moment the WRU seem to have as good play access as the IRFU, and almost as much player control too. They do recommend when players should be rested etc. A good example is this weekend Foxy is not available to the Scarlets as he is going to be in the WRU store to meet and greet etc, where he could have been a bench option for the Scarlets.

Welcome to the MOD team Scarlet. It is gonna be great to have you aboard.

Kingshu wrote:However its not as simple as that the regions will have to give more back to the WRU, but it doesn't not even appear that the WRU are willing to discuss terms about increasing funding.

I don't blame the WRU to be honest. No sooner do we have a new agreement signed then one benefactor will spout off and demand more money. The game in Wales needs more plowed into grass roots not professional rugby. The Union has a difficult balancing act with limited money.

Biltong wrote:

ScarletSpiderman wrote:

Kingshu wrote:I've said for a long time that for the regions to compete at the same level as the Provinces they need to be supported by the WRU as much as the Provinces are by the IRFU.

SRU in recent years decided to support Edinburgh and Glasgow better, and we have seen big improvement in them (Edinburgh I think everyone will agree has had the resouces to do better).

If Wales want to have some of th etop teams in Europe, the WRU will have to support the regions,

However its not as simple as that the regions will have to give more back to the WRU, but it doesn't not even appear that the WRU are willing to discuss terms about increasing funding.

Not too sure how much more the regions can give the WRU, at the moment the WRU seem to have as good play access as the IRFU, and almost as much player control too. They do recommend when players should be rested etc. A good example is this weekend Foxy is not available to the Scarlets as he is going to be in the WRU store to meet and greet etc, where he could have been a bench option for the Scarlets.

Welcome to the MOD team Scarlet. It is gonna be great to have you aboard.

Good example of a post that is off topic!

But hey, Scarletspiderman

Is it the regions or the wru who pay for the academies that produce welsh players? Seems to me they invest a lot of money to train and support young talent and once that talent becomes elite they are free to leave for whoever they wish and reap the rewards for themselves. Is it just me or is this unfair on the club and wru? Can't they write a clause into the contract of academy players to receive a fee for any players leaving for non welsh clubs to go some way into compensating for the investment made in that player, or at least insist on clauses to release players for international duty.