Should The Regions Tell The WRU To Shove The PA & Join The Jeff?

by ScarletSpiderman Wed 4 Dec 2013 - 13:46

First topic message reminder :

Welsh clubs look for Premiership future claims Wray wrote:Saracens boss Nigel Wray claims the Welsh regions want to join the English Premiership to secure their long-term future.

The four regions - Cardiff Blues, Newport Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets - have been at loggerheads with the WRU for some time and Wray has told the Rugby Paper that they are looking east for their best hope.

"They'd love to play in the Aviva Premiership and we'd love it too," Wray said. "English and Welsh rugby has an enormous history, a rich culture of big club matches. What could be better than the restoration of the traditional fixtures, guaranteeing massive matches of real importance?

"We play each other anyway in the LV=Cup so why not make the fixtures really meaningful? An enlarged Aviva Premiership can be created with no extra fixtures to be squeezed into the calendar. It would be good for the WRU because it would provide their teams with tougher competition.

"There are fantastic old rivalries there and games would sell-out. Games like Leicester v Cardiff and Scarlets v Northampton would have real bite and meaning, which would appeal to the customers who often get forgotten in all of this.

"Bring in the Welsh, go to 16 teams and play 30 games plus the play-offs. You'd have to agree on promotion and relegation but that's not too difficult, so let's move forward and give our customers meaningful games."

The four regions have been given until the end of December to agree a new deal with the WRU. If they do not then they face an uncertain future, all the more so with this week's Heineken Cup news.

Read more at http://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/story/207777.html#uSiW3b7Qz9z2MrTW.99

There have been various posts on numerous supporters forums claiming that it may be in the regions, and welsh supporters, best interests to tell the WRU to take their Participation agreement and place it in a very specific orifice. Now that Wray has come out and said that he believes the regions would be welcomed into the Aviva, some fans are wondering if not only would it help the regions to keep hold of their stars, but it would also help to boost the regional attendances, because we would get more away supporters coming in etc etc.

Seeing as this has hi-jacked other threads I thought I would set up this thread to try and keep it all in one place.

by HammerofThunor Wed 11 Dec 2013 - 13:47

And regarding control. What control would be wanted? How much direct control over the Provincial Branchs does central IRFU have? Are we talking foreign player limits? WRU approval of all NWQ players? Because all that can be in a new Participation Agreement.

But the WRU are saying there is no more money available. Where the censored

is it all going?

by geoff998rugby Wed 11 Dec 2013 - 13:48

lostinwales wrote:
geoff998rugby wrote:A Welshman who can see the wood from the trees

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/gwyn-jones-anglo-welsh-competition-not-6394750

I dunno I got as far as the '800 years of oppression' line then sort of switched off

That was a bit over the top but he is dead right with respect to the Welsh Regions woudl be entering 'shark infested waters' (my turn of phrase).

I cannot see them surviving.

by geoff998rugby Wed 11 Dec 2013 - 13:52

HammerofThunor wrote:And regarding control. What control would be wanted? How much direct control over the Provincial Branchs does central IRFU have? Are we talking foreign player limits? WRU approval of all NWQ players? Because all that can be in a new Participation Agreement.

But the WRU are saying there is no more money available. Where the is it all going?

Central Contract is one thing the WRU want.

the WRU do have to pay off money re the Millenium whereas the Rugby elelemt of the Aviva is paid for - that could be key.

Bottom line is Ireland and Wales are similar in size with similar financial incomes.
One is well organized and the differing parties work in harmony, the other is a total shamble.
The WRU and the Regions will have to answer why that is.
To be honest just read the story of the protracted setting up of the region.
It was based on distrusted from the start.

Neath wanted to get into bed with Bridgend not Swansea.
Llanelli didn't want to get into bed with anyone.
What we ended up with defines the term 'dogs breakfast'.

by lostinwales Wed 11 Dec 2013 - 13:57

geoff998rugby wrote:
lostinwales wrote:
geoff998rugby wrote:A Welshman who can see the wood from the trees

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/gwyn-jones-anglo-welsh-competition-not-6394750

I dunno I got as far as the '800 years of oppression' line then sort of switched off

That was a bit over the top but he is dead right with respect to the Welsh Regions woudl be entering 'shark infested waters' (my turn of phrase).

I cannot see them surviving.

Yes - but it does look a little like a choice between the frying pan or the fire at the moment.

Other that what Nigel Wray said is there actually any concrete evidence of the PRL actually wanting this to happen? Or is it just some kind of throw away comment that has just been blown out of all proportion, not least because of the WRU/regions spat.

by geoff998rugby Wed 11 Dec 2013 - 13:59

lostinwales wrote: Yes - but it does look a little like a choice between the frying pan or the fire at the moment. Agreed

Other that what Nigel Wray said is there actually any concrete evidence of the PRL actually wanting this to happen? Not that I have seen. In fact Ritchie's statement yesterday looked like a pre emptive strike to me telling the Welsh to go away. Could be friction between the higher placed PRL teams and the eRFU on this
Or is it just some kind of throw away comment that has just been blown out of all proportion, not least because of the WRU/regions spat.probably

by HammerofThunor Wed 11 Dec 2013 - 14:05

I think Cohen (CEO of Tigers) also said the clubs of the PRL wouldn't be against the Regions joining. But we're not talking, breakaway from WRU joining. There's been no suggestion (again) that they will go against their union, nor enter into a competition with teams that don't have their own unions approval.

by wayne Wed 11 Dec 2013 - 18:09

Everyone, at the end of the day the total control of the WRU is in the hands of the clubs within Wales (500 odd I think) and as I put on a different topic 3 of the 4 clubs in the Valley I now live in and the Valley I played in, which are next to each other, have received grants from the WRU in the past 5 years, these clubs are situated in the Welsh League structure in Div 3,4,5 and 6 and some of these teams still PAY players to play for them. AFAIK not 1 player from these 2 valleys has come through the Academy system to get within the Osprey squad.
RRW have threatened the WRU with calling an Extraordinary General Meeting over the WRU reputedly telling AWJ, Halfpenny and Warburton not to sign back up with their Regions, even though they say they have no hope of winning, they just want it brought out into the open.

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