The people in the room who are now deciding Welsh rugby's future
The people in the room who are now deciding Welsh rugby's future
There are a number of key stakeholders
A significant Welsh rugby meeting will be held on Wednesday
(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd )
Behind closed doors, the future structure of the professional game in Wales is being decided and all the signs are that big change is coming.
The Welsh Rugby Union and its four professional clubs - Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets - are currently locked in discussions as to what the best way forward for Welsh rugby is. Just a few short months ago Welsh rugby was set to continue with four clubs but as it stands there is the very likely possibility of reducing to three or two professional sides, while a tiered funding model is also under consideration.
A crucial Professional Rugby Board (PRB) meeting is set for Wednesday this week where the direction of travel is expected to become clearer.
But who are the key players involved in shaping the direction of professional rugby in Wales? Here are the people in the room and influencing talks in the corridors of power.
WRU and Cardiff
Of course, WRU CEO Abi Tierney and chair Richard Collier-Keywood are key players here.
As CEO the onus is on Tierney to reach a solution with the professional clubs to take to the WRU board for approval. Tierney had settled on a new Professional Rugby Agreement (PRA25) which would have resulted in both fixed and an increased level of funding but crucially the debt acquired during Covid would also get refinanced.
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All four sides were about to sign but the WRU's takeover of Cardiff after the club fell into administration changed everything. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
In the end the Dragons signed PRA 25 but both the Ospreys and Scarlets had serious doubts over the fairness of the union owning Cardiff, fearing they may turn the capital city club into a "super region" at the expense of the other three.
They refused to sign, which prompted the WRU to activate the two-year notice clause on the previous PRA and set in motion big change.
As a result, PRA 25 is off the table for the west Wales clubs and there is no going back, meaning a new structure for the professional game is in the offing.
Tierney is tasked with coming up with the optimum structure for the professional game.
The consistently poor performances of the men's national team who have lost a record 17 Test matches on the bounce will have financial ramifications for the rest of the game.
As far as the WRU are concerned they have to find a way to get the national team winning consistently again because this pays for the rest of the game in Wales.
With this in mind chief financial officer Leighton Davies, who is also the chief commercial officer, has a big part to play.
The WRU needs to find the best model where it cannot just fund professional teams to survive but also give them the platform to thrive.
It is accepted for the men's national team to get back to pre-2019 levels it needs professional teams competing for European silverware every season, which means the playing budgets need to be in the region of £9m, with significantly higher investment into the academies.
Can they do this with four professional clubs?
PRB chair Malcolm Wall - who is also on the WRU board - will also have a big role to play, while the likes of independent non-executive directors like Andrew Williams and Jamie Roberts will inevitably have a say.
It would also be very strange if the WRU's new director of rugby and elite performance Dave Reddin was not also consulted. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here.
Reddin does not start in a permanent capacity until September but he is heavily involved in the search for a head coach and must surely have an opinion on what the optimum structure for Welsh rugby looks like.
Dragons RFC
The Dragons have signed PRA 25 which means they will have fixed and increased funding for the next three years.
Historically they have been the weakest Welsh club but have the best balance sheet and own their own stadium.
There are four key figures here in the ownership group which includes the chair David Wright along with David Buttress and Hoyoung Huh.
Highly-rated CEO Rhys Blumberg also represents the Dragons on the PRA, so he is also a key figure here.
Ospreys
As the CEO, Lance Bradley has been the voice of the Ospreys for the past 18 months and has regularly fronted up to both supporters on social media and the press.
Despite a period of huge uncertainty Bradley has moved to assure Ospreys supporters the redevelopment of St Helens will be going ahead.
The Ospreys submitted a planning application a couple of weeks ago and intend to move into their new home by the end of the year. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free
But given the WRU have called in the two-year notice on PRA 23, the future of both the Ospreys and Scarlets cannot be guaranteed.
But when it comes to decision making at the Ospreys surrounding the new structure of Welsh rugby, majority shareholders Y11 Sport & Media, along with former chairman and significant funding director Rob Davies are the key players.
Along with Davies, Y11 CEO James Davies-Yandle and its chief operating officer Nick Angio are thought to be important figures.
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Scarlets
Executive chairman James Davies-Yandle represents the Scarlets on the PRB and is a key figure in the current talks.
The Scarlets board includes a number of key funding directors such as former chairmen Nigel Short, Ron Jones and Huw Evans along with Philip Davies.
Scarlets managing director Jon Daniels is also an important figure given his extensive knowledge and experience of Welsh rugby's development pathways.
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