posted Oct 23, 2008

parishmartin it's not a watershed nothing is shifting. It's the same old story with Welsh Rugby.

The top clubs have always tried to get a bigger share of the cake. Ten years ago, Cardiff and Swansea thought they were too big for the WRU and went off to play in England. Nothing changed then and nothing will change now.

Bringing Moffett in isn't the regions trying to solve this and get stability for Welsh rugby. It's a way to make a quick buck so they can either afford to pay their players that they have now or sign some new ones so they can compete.

All the regions are failing to put bums on seats so are probably all losing money. They don't have the expertise to improve things commercially. So they pull the players from training and say that the WRU is treating them unfairly.

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posted Oct 23, 2008

What the h**l is the matter with Welsh Rugby? don't they like success?? The way they are behaving they will see Warren Gatling walk, and serve them right. They need to get rid of the 3 stooges!

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posted Oct 23, 2008

Here we go again. Why does this keep happening!!!? Just when we get things right, we go and phurk it up!! In my opinion, Roger Lewis is the villain. Him and his sidekick Pickering just come over as a couple of oily goons looking after each other's jobs.

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posted Oct 24, 2008

And what was Moffett saying about trying to find a resoloution a couple of days ago?

Acting for the regions as head of Regional Rugby Wales, ex-WRU boss David Moffett then fanned the flames, saying:

"To get a mealy-mouthed statement from the WRU press office is a disgrace... the WRU's silence has been deafening."

His comments about Lewis are unprofessional and a disgrace to the sport. He's not done his argument any good, he'll prove to be a thorn in the side of the regions.

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posted Oct 24, 2008

Here we go again, all the hard work of the players and the national training squad to give us pride in our country about to be ripped apart by political infighting. Gatland must be absolutely astonished by this lack of support and encouragement after everything he and his team have done for us. Please please let good sense prevail and allow the boys a decent amount of training time before facing the world champions.

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posted Oct 24, 2008

I feel so stupid!!
#1 After re-reading many posts and articles in the Press, it becomes clear that the power-mad regions have set up their own board under Moffett and now no longer need the WRU. This means, as another poster said - the WRU can withold funding and let them get on with it! The money will come in very useful.
So many of the regional staff are WRU rejects so I guess some of this is revenge.
#2 How could a certain coach say that Warren Gatland shouldn't be involved in the politics? Who brought him into it and is saying that he is thinking of 'considering his position', a political statement?
#3 I am delighted that the lovely Mike Ruddock hasn't involved himself. He must be thinking a lot and laughing up his sleeve. Player power was his downfall, will Reigional power be Gatland's??

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posted Oct 24, 2008

Is there an agreement in place to stop the Welsh Rugby Union cancelling the funding to the regions, starting all over again with new regions and central contracts?

I think it's unacceptable for the Regions to be making this move. Wales comes first. Ireland always puts it's national team first, and that's not harmed their provincial teams in the Heineken Cup!!

The WRU is the body with overall control of the game in Wales. And given what we achieved last season turning a poor autumn into an amazing 6 nations, they should be left in charge.

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posted Oct 24, 2008

I've always said Country before club and it is a stance based on common sense and personal experience.

if Wales do well then every welsh rugby fan be they from the north south east or west of the country can share in the glory, be inspired by it and go join their local rugby club. it's important that the national side does well.

I live in Plymouth and follow lecester tigers, I saw then win back to back euro cups and that was cool. but then a year later england win the world cup and I see uni students chucking rugby balls about in the streets of plymouth and my local rugby club suddenly gains a massive influx of new members of all age groups, we went from a club with a first and 2nd team (and sometimes we needed to borrow players to make up a 15!) to one with a mini rugby set up, and a first second and third team, and a rugby league side too!!!!!

Leicester winning the euro cup is all well and good but it took england to do well to bring that sort of excitment to a city like Plymouth. Thats why its important to keep winning test matches.

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posted Oct 24, 2008

Country before club is fair enough, but it has to be sensible and fair on both sides.

The WRU sold itself out to the EDF cup and as such they have to put up with the fixture congestion that this meaningless competition has created.

Trying to force the regions (who are the developers of talent) to go without their best players for competitive matches is both stupid and unfair. Why should a region even bothr to develop talent when they are being treated so shabbily by the WRU ?

Also for the WRU to negotiate via the press and to call for honouring of (non-existent) contractual obligations is patheticly amateurish and once again point out that it is run by lifetime amateurs instead of genuine professionals.

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posted Oct 24, 2008

Is there an agreement in place to stop the Welsh Rugby Union cancelling the funding to the regions, starting all over again with new regions and central contracts?

Part of the funding from the wru is from the tv deals for regional rugby eg edf ML and HC games, so if they close the regions the WRU will lose money as well.
Both parties are at fault, the wru have reneged on an agreement to pay the regions and they have also been fully aware of the fixture list and still crammed in 4ai games as well as the edf , imo both sides are as bad as the other and both need to grow up before they wreck our game

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