Who Is At Risk As Welsh Rugby Consultation Starts?

September marks nan commencement of a consultation play into nan early of rugby successful Wales.

All 4 master clubs will this week get their chance to outline why nan Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) should not trim 2 teams.

Cardiff, Dragons, Scarlets and Ospreys are booked successful for abstracted meetings while players, fans and politicians will besides person their opportunity earlier 26 September.

But whether anyone tin steer nan governing assemblage distant from its "optimal" scheme remains to beryllium seen.

The Union insists thing is finalised and is fresh to perceive earlier a study is sent to nan WRU committee to make a decision, expected precocious October.

If nan regions cannot find an replacement scheme past each will travel nether nan microscope.

Jobs would besides beryllium connected nan line.

Players, coaches, backroom team, operations and management unit are each surviving pinch uncertainty.

Cardiff listed 247 labor successful their astir caller accounts, Scarlets 164, Ospreys 119 and Dragons 106, though location will beryllium much jobs progressive successful nan clubs' proviso chains.

Llanelli assembly opportunity much than 400 jobs are connected to nan Scarlets alone.

So really does each region measurement up?

In galore ways, it was nan illness of Cardiff that sparked nan mess.

All 4 regions had verbally agreed a caller master rugby statement (PRA) but everything changed erstwhile Cardiff went into management successful April.

The WRU stepped successful to prevention nan superior metropolis nine and Scarlets and Ospreys pulled retired of nan agreement.

Their rivals' scepticism was perchance vindicated connected proceeding comments from WRU main executive Abi Tierney.

"We didn't chose erstwhile Cardiff went into administration," she said successful August.

"For tons of actual reasons, populations, pathways, number of clubs etc, I said this was 1 of nan reasons we chose to return Cardiff in-house.

"So, it's difficult to spot a exemplary wherever you don't spot rugby being played successful Cardiff but different group tin situation that."

Cardiff has nan biggest organization guidelines - their mean attendance of 8,694 past play was nan largest of nan Welsh regions - and clasp a lease pinch Arms Park landlords Cardiff Athletic Club until 2028.

Former Brains leader Scot Waddington has been appointed independent chair and nan Blue and Blacks look successful a beardown position.

Polish has not been successful awesome request astatine Rodney Parade – nan Premiership Rugby 7s is nan only trophy nan nine has ever lifted contempt 2 European semi-finals.

Based purely connected results, Dragons would beryllium successful problem having been nan worst Welsh performer successful 17 of 22 seasons and bottommost of nan URC past play by immoderate region pinch conscionable 1 win.

But nan nine believes it is successful a beardown position disconnected nan transportation nether owners David Buttress, David Wright and Hoyoung Huh. They person signed a caller 10-year lease for their training guidelines successful Ystrad Mynach and person recruited heavy this summer.

Rodney Parade generates income from rent paid by Newport County and different sporting events and location is an ambition to create nan bluish extremity of nan ground.

Dragons besides person a raft of celebrated clubs successful their catchment area, thing recognised by nan WRU.

When nan WRU took complete nan region successful 2017, past main executive Martyn Phillips said: "The large point is location are 73 clubs successful Gwent, they person a rich | history and person ever produced immoderate astonishing players, truthful location is nary measurement I would beryllium capable to guidelines present and not person a master nine successful Gwent without knowing I had done everything I could."

Nonetheless, location are those who judge nan WRU should person kept their distance.

The astir successful Welsh broadside since location rugby was launched successful 2003 pinch 4 convention titles and an Anglo-Welsh Cup triumph.

Warren Gatland famously named 13 Ospreys successful his first Wales squad successful 2008.

But that star-studded squad of 'Galacticos', pinch nan likes of Shane Williams, Gavin Henson and Ryan Jones arsenic good arsenic All Blacks Justin Marshall, Marty Holah and Jerry Collins, should person achieved more.

The region has produced genuine superstars, specified arsenic Alun Wyn Jones, Shane Williams, Dan Biggar, Adam Jones and James Hook. This summertime it provided 1 of only 2 British & Irish Lions players from Wales - Jac Morgan flying to Australia on pinch Gloucester's Tomos Williams.

Ospreys besides person organization connected their broadside successful Wales' second-biggest metropolis and person opted to time off nan often soulless Swansea.com Stadium and walk this 2025-26 play successful Bridgend while they redevelop St Helen's.

But Swansea assembly person safeguards if master rugby successful nan metropolis is impacted by nan WRU decision.

The region, taken complete by Y11 Sport & Media successful 2020, came adjacent to a merger pinch nan Scarlets successful 2019, while talk of a merger pinch Cardiff successful 2023 was denied.

The WRU would beryllium keen for those discussions to statesman again.

Scarlets person been nan astir vocal opponents to nan WRU plans truthful acold pinch politicians joining nan outcry from nine fans and caller investors House of Luxury.

Llanelli assembly will this week ballot connected a mobility to situation nan Union to prevention Scarlets which contributes "millions of pounds" to nan section economy.

Much of nan statement besides revolves astir practice and history, which includes 2 convention titles, though nan past was backmost successful 2017.

Scarlets reached nan URC play-offs past play - averaging crowds of 6,666 - and will beryllium Wales' only representatives successful nan Champions Cup this coming campaign.

They person been prolific successful producing players, specified arsenic Jonathan Davies, George North and Stephen Jones, but this summertime was nan first clip successful nan location era they did not supply a Lion.

Part-timers Llanelli controversially withdrew from playing successful nan Premiership successful 2023 but nan Scarlets' pathway has been strengthened by nan performances successful Super Rygbi Cymru of Llandovery and Carmarthen Quins.

The region's £25m location stadium Parc y Scarlets is owned by Carmarthenshire Council which besides granted Scarlets a 15-year hold connected a £2.6m indebtedness erstwhile moving from Stradey Park successful 2007, scheduled to extremity successful 2038.

The WRU's general consultation archive did not propose wherever their chosen 2 elite clubs would beryllium based aliases what they would beryllium called.

That leaves connected nan array nan anticipation of forming 2 wholly caller entities.

One of nan options, albeit nan worst 1 according to nan Union, is for 4 clubs to stay pinch 2 getting much backing and 2 being improvement sides.

Would supporters, owners and players of a 'smaller' brace judge that successful speech for survival?

The adjacent period should thief to make that clear.