Welsh Rugby Union says Wales' regions 'reject' central contracts

Last updated on .From the section Rugby Unioncomments75

Roger Lewis and the chief executives of the four Welsh rugby regions
Roger Lewis and the chief executives of the four Welsh rugby regions

Welsh Rugby Union chief Roger Lewis has revealed Wales' four regions have turned down an offer to contract their Welsh international players centrally.

The WRU planned to use the £6.2m they give the regions for releasing their Welsh stars for international duty to fund central contracts.

The WRU's aim is to keep Wales' top players in the Welsh regions.

"That offer was not accepted by the regions," WRU chief executive Roger Lewis wrote in an open letter.external-link

"That is their contractual right and I respect it."

Stuart Gallacher, the chief executive of Regional Rugby Wales - the umbrella body that represents the four Welsh regional teams - responded by saying that such public statements do not help the current situation.

"Until we have found workable solutions for the challenges facing the whole of Welsh professional rugby, it is our firm belief that it's not helpful to a complex process to get drawn into individual debates in public," Gallacher said in a statement.

"What is important is that we consider and implement the right solutions for the whole of Welsh rugby, taking into account every level of the game in Wales and how that works together.

"It is also critical at this time that our regions and all our rugby supporters are able to concentrate on an important and exciting weekend of European rugby - both from performance and commercial perspectives... it would be helpful, therefore, not to have any further distraction or disruption at this time from that task."

The "tough economic challenges" facing Welsh rugby and the loss of players to higher-paying clubs outside Wales have been hotly debated in recent months, with fierce discussion following the Welsh rugby union's record turnover of £63m in the year to June 2012.

"The recent debate, if you can call it that, about player salaries and soundbite solutions has been untimely, misinformed and damaging," Lewis added.

"An important fact to the salary issue is that the WRU, on August 14 this year, formally offered to the four regions to centrally contract the entire international squad of players within Wales.

"It would have meant that the WRU would have managed players' salaries and careers, and directly we would negotiate with any player seeking to leave Wales.

"The £6.2m player release money would be retained by the WRU to fund this and the surplus, and yes there is a surplus, would be spent on nurturing new talent."

Former Ospreys chief executive Mike Cuddy has to the Cardiff Blues, Ospreys, Scarlets and Newport Gwent Dragons, claiming the "national/regional environment and relationship was "not what it should be."

The Blues have appealed for financial support from the WRU to retain British and Irish Lions centre Jamie Roberts, who has been linked with a big-money move to France when his Arms Park contract expires in the summer of 2013.

And the Dragons want more cash to help keep Dan Lydiate, the 2012 Six Nations player of the tournament, as the flanker has been tipped to join fellow Grand Slam winners Gethin Jenkins, Mike Phillips, James Hook and Luke Charteris in France.

Scarlets powerhouse George North and Blues wing Alex Cuthbert are also rumoured to have been targeted by French clubs.

"There needs to be something to be put in place,"

The BBC has asked Regional Rugby Wales to respond to Lewis's comments.

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75 comments

  • It's the players who generated £63million last year, not the committee. Did Admiral have their name on the committee members suits? Do £74,000 people pay to see the committee at the Millenium Stadium? No!!! It is the players who generate the money and the regions who generate the players. Give them a bigger share. The WRU want to control everything.

  • WRU please give the regions more money or there will be no Regions/WRU in 10 years time!

  • But the WRU already give the regions £6.2m? All they are offering to do is pay the players directly? No wonder they turned that down! The Dragons wouldn't survive. They'd have to pay their entire squads themselves with the WRU only paying Lydiate and Toby (+ 1 or 2 others possibly). That'd be a terrible deal for them!

  • So our four so called 'regions' are happy to turn down the WRU's offer of central contracts for the top players but are not shy in coming forward in asking for free handouts to keep top players like Dan Lydiate and Jamie Roberts in Wales?

    And these four entities consider themselves businesses? It's laughable. Someone should make a soap opera out of Welsh rugby, you couldn't make this stuff up.

  • Roger's War & Peace!! You're not the only one who cares about Welsh Rugby! Without strong regions it's inevitable our best players will leave Wales, no matter how many games Wales play. And why so defensive, rubbishing people who were here propping up Welsh Rugby before he got here and will be here long after he leaves? The money men are mad putting their money in with so little appreciation!

  • I am sure all of us supporting Valleys Rugby will be more than happy to have Lydiate, Cuthbert, North, Roberts etc turn out in green and gold up the A470. Hell, we'll even put up with Mike Phillips.

    Go on WRU. We'll host your centralised contracts up in Sardis...

    Flame on?

  • The WRU offer to take the money off the regions to get and keep the best players, how does that work?
    What happens when the players retire where are the new players to come from?
    There needs to be more goodwill from both sides, without it Welsh rugby will wither.

  • The WRU has to have in mind the mid and long term interests of Welsh rugby. If the WRU gave additional money to the regions they would squander it on salaries and imported players. The record of the regions in developing talent has been unimpressive. If Gallagher et al had the true interests of Welsh Rugby at heart they would agree a system of central contracts. Spend WRU £ on dev young players.

  • Good decision by the clubs imo. If some players want to go to France then fine, go. They;ll find out the grass isnt always greener while someone who's younger and hungrier fills their spot at that region.
    Look at the Opsreys last season with Hook etc leaving and players coming in and doing well.

  • Chubby, I think you mean David Moffett. Unless he writes Doctor Who.

  • Of course the regions turned it down, they were offfered no extra financial help, their money would be taken from them and spent as the WRU see fit! All that would happen is that they effectively lose control of their own money, they would be fools to accept.

  • @1 Bentyger - You don't seem to grasp what the WRU has offered. Currently the WRU gives the regions a combined £6.2 million and in exchange, the regions give the WRU the international players in their squad when the WRU call for them.

    The central contract offer takes the £6.2 million away from the regions to pay the internationals directly, The regions won't gain £6.2 million, they'll lose it.

  • A hangover from the amateur days. Clubs and the union think they own players. The player is a professional and will make decisions based on what is best for him and his family. So if the WRU want to employ J Roberts at the end of the season and can afford him, do it! They can then lease him back to a region with his agreement for Euro competition to keep him match fit and control game numbers etc.

  • @72 yes they will stop paying the 6.2m but if they take on responsibility for the internationals then they will spen what is needed to keep them even if this is more than 6.2, they just dont want to give the extra money to the clubs to squander. can the WRU not just sign up players as contracts expire then lease back to the club effectively getting back the 6.2m and imposing central contracts

  • Rugby is what happens on the parks and fields of South Wales at 2:30pm. The Regions and the WRU National side are in the Enterntainment business, they are in the same market space as Premier League football, Music gigs and Saturday night TV. The sooner they realise that, the better!

  • What happens if all the international leave Wales, would the WRU reduce funding to the regions? Must be a high risk and maybe the regions should think about this. This is a high risk game for which we need a real breakthrough.

  • When I first read Roger Lewis' 'open letter' I thought to myself, the Welsh rugby public aren't gullible and stupid enough to swallow that nonsense, but having read a lot of the comments on here, it seems a few are. Its a total non-offer by the WRU, we will give you the same funding in return for you losing your control on your players with even less access to them, well done RRW for saying no.

  • MARKET PRICE DISCOVERY.

  • Cut some of the fat of that top table would be a start !There are far to many free loads in welsh rugby !!!!!!

  • 56- Surely it would be lawful for WRU to buy out each region in turn, as they went bust?
    I'm sure there would be a way around it ie create a private company to run the bust region with the same level of funding as the other 3?

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