The Future for Regional / Professional Rugby

Rob o'r Bont wrote: lofty evans wrote: Oracle wrote: Team not being announced today ..it was at midday but it's now been cancelled ...gatland announcement at 12.30 ......looks like they are striking  Just seen it myself....ouch ...hopefully they are and make a stand....Rorke's drift, the Battle of Tuthill, of Bryn Glas, Battle of Badon, Battle of Orewin Bridge, Battle of Chester, Hatfield Chase, Battle of St Fagans, fighting the bloody Saxons, Romans, bloody Normans.... Stand together like St David who told his soldiers to wear leaks on their helmets so they could spot each other in Battle, Gwenllian the Welsh warrior Princess and of course Owan Glyndwr....we have always fought for our existence and its in us....to do the right thing. Shove the Lords and idiots that ruin one of the greatest experiences in rugby, Welsh rugby....hope they make a stand. That's all i have to say. Pretty much covered it all there Lofty.  I think I might have added the Battle of Bolgoed Gate in the Bont along with all the other Rebecca Riots and maybe thrown in the Chartist riots for good measure.

gaffer wrote: Gatland:  "We’re well aware of people overspending. It’s about keeping within our means" "I’m well aware the regions have been living outside of their means a little and that will be addressed" Is he also aware of the £20m debt the WRU loaded on the regions... He needs to shut up and keep out of the politics. He's doing nothing to help and his early announcement bid was a clumsy attempt to put pressure on players. Should never have been re-appointed.

Oracle wrote: Team not being announced today ..it was at midday but it's now been cancelled ...gatland announcement at 12.30 ......looks like they are striking

They’ve got a cheek. The WRU insisted on the regions adhering to the salary bands they set. You can be outside the Team Wales 38, not in your region’s best 23, but because you were given a cheap cap the region is forced to pay you a minimum of £110k a season. These new massive squad budget reductions from £7 million a year to £4.5 million a year suggest that the WRU made a ballsup with their banding.

Is Gatland also aware the WRU overspent, especially on him and other coaches.

lofty evans wrote: Seagultaf wrote: Kentexile wrote: Pre COVID Welsh rugby was getting to be in a decent place financially .Now ours Cardiff’s and even the Dragons crowds are getting back to where they were before . The financial hits are the COVID loans and the extra debt taken out by the WRU to build the hotel. The trouble is the we can’t afford 4 regions narrative runs on the basis that if something is said often enough it must be true - whereas the actual financial position is better than it has been in many years since professional rugby came along. Whilst some of my best friends are accountants they sometimes just look at the bottom line and forget what a business needs to do to grow and what the actual  purpose of the business is. Sorry an incoherent brain dump but I feel that the WRU  has no interest in the professional game below international level and even that is getting to be a bit inconvenient for them. The Irish Rugby Union has a turnover similar to the WRU, but they invest 80% of their earnings into the professional game in Ireland and they are very successful at both Provincial and National level. The WRU is claiming they cannot afford to invest any more than 20% of their earnings into the professional game in Wales, something is not right with that statement surely? Agreed there is something askew here .

Seagultaf wrote: Oracle wrote: Team not being announced today ..it was at midday but it's now been cancelled ...gatland announcement at 12.30 ......looks like they are striking  Whats of more concern is Gatland saying no Welsh squad training this afternoon or tomorrow. The selected team will just have a Captains run (unless they strike) on Friday. Hardly good preparation for playing England!

Mrfwon wrote: scarletsbeno1 wrote: Full on reform needed. WRU 100 mill business, invested in a hotel and not the grassroots. Ireland invested in the grass roots and actual people with business credentials in the board room. They can afford to bring gatland back for 2 mill mind. Gatland shouldn’t be involved in regional stuff.  Anyone know how much was invested in the Parkgate Hotel?