Latest news with #Welsh-qualified
Wales Online
11-06-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Welsh rugby's possible new future as behind-scenes talks reach crucial stage
Welsh rugby's possible new future as behind-scenes talks reach crucial stage Talks are happening in Welsh rugby's corridors of power and it is clear change must and will happen, Steffan Thomas reports Change is coming to Welsh rugby this summer (Image: Huw Evans ) The future direction of Welsh rugby will be shaped this summer. That is no exaggeration. Wales effectively has two choices: it can limp on as it is and consign itself to a future of mediocrity at best or it can radically change the structure of the game in this country to give itself the best chance of sustained success. The penny has dropped with the Welsh Rugby Union and the Professional Rugby Board are working very hard behind the scenes to come up with a solution. The problems do not need another in-depth explanation. The men's national team have lost their previous 17 Test matches - a tier one record - and the four professional clubs - Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets - have struggled to attain any sort of sustained success. Something has to change and things cannot go on as they are. Article continues below When the men's national side struggles it has a negative knock-on effect on the whole of Welsh rugby from a financial sense. Yes, there are some talented youngsters in the current Wales squad who will get better, while there are some potentially outstanding players emerging from the pathway, but the WRU needs to produce the optimum structure to give them the best chance of developing. Currently Wales' talent is spread too thinly across four professional clubs, while there are also a plethora of Welsh-qualified players in England. During the 2024/25 season, the Welsh clubs were operating from a salary cap of £4.5m, although that will rise next season at Cardiff and the Dragons who have signed the new Professional Rugby Agreement. The Gallagher Premiership salary cap this season was £6.4m which can rise to as high as £7.8m with home-grown player credits, international player credits and extra money for injury dispensation, while they are permitted one marquee player above the cap. In Ireland, Leinster have been significantly more well-resourced than the other three provinces - Connacht, Munster and Ulster - although this gap is closing next season. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. It is very difficult to pin down Leinster's exact playing budgets but Irish sources have told WalesOnline it is in the region of €10.6m Crucially, in Ireland, professional sportsmen get a tax break when they retire which means the sides in Ireland don't have to pay their players as much. For example, a professional player in Wales might be on £120,000 at the Scarlets but get offered £180,000 to sign for Exeter Chiefs. In Ireland a player might be on £120,000 at Munster but get offered £180,000 to sign for an English club but if he stays in Ireland he will be able to claim money back upon retirement. The Irish Government also puts huge investment into professional sport. For example, Connacht received a €10 million grant through the Large-Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund to go towards the development of a new stadium in Galway. These are issues outside of the WRU's control but if it wants professional clubs who are competing for silverware every season they are likely to need playing budgets in the region of £9m. The reality is it cannot do this with four clubs any longer and that is why it is looking at the prospect of reducing to three, if not two, professional sides. For the national side to get back to winning Six Nations Grand Slams it needs its professional clubs competing every year in the latter stages of the Champions Cup and United Rugby Championship, if not winning it. This requires a greater squad spend but also creating an elitist high-performance system built on extremely high standards. For example, Leinster have a squad of 58 players and there is huge cohesion in terms of partnerships, which benefits Ireland at Test level. If you look at Leinster's front-row they have the likes of Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong as starters but on the bench they have further internationals in the shape of Ronan Kelleher, Jack Boyle, Gus McCarthy and Thomas Clarkson, along with a senior France international in Rabah Slimani. To put it into context their two first choice hookers are in the British & Irish Lions squad to tour Australia this summer. That is the level of depth and competition for places needed for Welsh rugby to thrive. Also, with greater depth there will be less of a drop off when teams suffer injuries. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free There are also 32 non-Welsh qualified players in Wales, so fewer professional clubs would result in a significant reduction, but the ones that are signed should in theory be marquee players in the same bracket as All Blacks superstar Jordie Barrett who is on a sabbatical at Leinster. At international level Ireland is mainly Leinster with the likes of Tadhg Beirne and Bundee Aki added in on top. The players are all in sync with each other and also benefit from being part of a squad which is regularly competing at the cutting edge of competitions. Wales needs to produce something similar. Two or three clubs competing every year in the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup as a minimum, with the aim of winning is what is being discussed behind closed doors. It is close to impossible to achieve this with four clubs. Talent needs to be concentrated to increase competition for places which should in theory drive up standards across the board which was the thinking behind moving to regional rugby back in 2003. Also, it should also be an aim of the WRU to have at least one club participate in the financially lucrative Club World Cup which will be launched in 2028. Latter stage participation will also significantly improve commercial performances and bring in money across the board. But what also needs to be taken into consideration is what structure underpins the professional game. A new-look Super Rygbi Cymru If the WRU decides to reduce to three or two clubs there needs to be greater investment in Super Rygbi Cymru so it can potentially mirror New Zealand's NPC. The first season of SRC has been positive with the competition achieving far greater alignment to the pathway than the old Welsh Premiership did. But the gap between the professional game and the SRC still needs to be bridged significantly before it is anywhere near the level on offer in New Zealand. But if the WRU reduces the number of professional sides it will have the money to invest in the SRC to significantly increase standards, interest among fans who still hold famous club names dear and commercial possibilities. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. Naturally, there will also be more professional standard players available to SRC teams if there are fewer professional clubs. If we go down to two professional clubs they will have far deeper squads and will release a greater percentage of players to play in the SRC. Article continues below The discussions at PRB level have to focus on what is needed to get the men's national side competing at the top end of the world game again The way to do that is to have professional clubs regularly competing for and winning silverware. Those at the top of Welsh are increasingly aware the status quo simply cannot deliver that.
Wales Online
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Wales discover Welsh-qualified New Zealand rugby stars and giant South African prop
Wales discover Welsh-qualified New Zealand rugby stars and giant South African prop Wales' exiles programme had identified some intriguing new names before being disbanded recently Hurricanes centre Riley Higgins is thought to be Welsh qualified (Image: Getty Images ) A couple of weeks ago the Welsh Rugby Union took the difficult decision to cut its Exiles programme. The WRU have replaced it with a system it feels is better placed to persuade the best Welsh-qualified players in England and beyond to represent Wales at senior international level. Whether this new system will be successful or not remains to be seen but the old exiles programme did play a big part in unearthing Welsh qualified players outside of Wales, from Will Rowlands to Nick Tompkins, among others. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. Prior to the disbandment of the programme the Exiles had a number of players they were trying to persuade to go down the Welsh route or were at least investigating believed Welsh links. Here are a handful of Welsh-qualified players who should styill be on the WRU's radar. Riley Higgins The 22-year-old New Zealander plays for Super Rugby Pacific outfit the Hurricanes while he has also figured for the Wellington Lions in the Bunnings NPC. Article continues below Higgins can play 12 and 13 while he has also accrued minutes out on the wing but has only played four times this season in Super Rugby after breaking his leg. He is highly thought of in New Zealand rugby circles and made his Super Rugby debut before playing any NPC rugby, while he has also represented New Zealand U20s and an All Blacks XV. Higgins is an explosive centre who regularly breaks the line while he also possesses an excellent offloading game. He is believed to qualify for Wales through his grandmother and is another high quality player who should be monitored. Tahlor Cahill The 21-year-old has enjoyed plenty of game time for the Crusaders in Super Rugby Pacific this season making nine appearances and was a replacement in last Saturday's 32-12 victory over the Queensland Reds. Cahill is an athletic forward, who can play at lock and the backrow, is an excellent lineout forward who is also a powerful carrier capable of making significant post contact metres. The Crusaders lock qualifies for Wales through a grandparent and was on the Exiles' radar. He has also represented New Zealand U20s and is highly rated by All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson, meaning Wales are up against it. But Cahill is already a high quality player who looks destined to play Test rugby so should be targeted as a potential option by Warren Gatland's long-term successor. Tahlor Cahil of the Crusaders (Image: 2025 Getty Images ) Josh Penney The 21-year-old outside-half was a member of the Waikato Chiefs academy but has been playing for Counties Manukau in the Bunnings NPC. It is thought he qualifies for Wales through his Welsh mother and is another player who was included in the Exiles' database. Wales have some real talent coming through the system at outside-half with the likes of Carwyn Leggatt-Jones, Math Jones, Harri Wilde, Harri Ford and Lloyd Lucas while both senior number tens Sam Costelow and Dan Edwards are very young. But Wales needs to build as much depth as it can and the same can be said for its four professional clubs - Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets. Kaleb Kriek The 21-year-old South African tighthead packs a serious punch at 6ft 4in and 140kg. Kriek is Welsh qualified through his mother and is part of the Blue Bulls academy. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free It will come as no surprise to readers that Kriek had a reputation at age grade level of being a destructive scrummager while those who have seen him play also compliment his ball carrying. Tighthead prop is not exactly an area of strength in Welsh rugby, with Wales having struggled to replace the experienced Tomas Francis. Just because a prop is 140kg doesn't automatically mean he will cut it as a professional but given the dearth of high quality scrummaging tightheads in Wales somebody like Kriek is worth looking at. Robert Carmichael The 22-year-old second-row was born in Hong Kong to a Scottish father and a Welsh mother but moved back to the UK in 2019. Carmichael was a member of the Leicester Tigers academy and represented England U20s before making the move north to join Edinburgh in 2024. At 6ft 11in and 125kg Carmichael packs a physical punch and is an outstanding lineout forward who has played for the Emerging Scotland side. But he remains Welsh qualified and one of Wales' professional clubs could do far worse than signing Carmichael if he was willing. Beau Farrance The 24-year-old English-born tighthead has been a regular starter for Agen in the French PRO D2 but is believed to be Welsh qualified. Farrance is a powerful scrummager in a league which puts a huge emphasis on the set-piece. He started his rugby journey at Old Elthamians RFC before moving to France. Farrance is now in the Joueurs Issus des Filières de Formation (JIFF) category, which is very important for players wishing to get a professional contract in France. To become JIFF qualified, players must spend five years playing age grade rugby at any French club or spend three season's with a French professional club's academy by the age of 23. He's certainly a player the Welsh clubs should be monitoring. Kienan Higgins The 25-year-old is the older brother of Riley Higgins and also plays centre. Higgins senior plays his rugby for Hawke's Bay Magpies in the Bunnings NPC and is a solid performer at that level who looks capable of playing professional rugby in Europe if given the chance. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. Robbie Deans and Mikey Jones Robbie Deans is a 20-year-old loosehead who is part of the Glasgow Warriors academy and has represented Scotland U20s. He is thought to have Welsh qualifications on his mother's side. Article continues below Mikey Jones is also a prop but plays for Edinburgh and also qualifies for Wales.
Wales Online
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Cardiff weigh up move for Wales U20s star from English giants
Cardiff weigh up move for Wales U20s star from English giants The WRU are working hard to bring Welsh qualified players back to Wales from England Former Wales U20s scrum-half Ieuan Davies (Image: Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans Agency ) Cardiff are weighing up a loan move for Bath's Wales U20s scrum-half Ieuan Davies. The 20-year-old impressed for Wales U20s last season but has found game time hard to come by at Bath who have the likes of England international Ben Spencer ahead of him in the pecking order. And while no deal has yet been completed, WalesOnline understands Cardiff have shown strong interest in bringing Davies to the Arms Park on loan next season. The Welsh Rugby Union have put a huge focus on repatriation as part of the One Wales strategy and want Welsh-qualified players plying their trade in England to return home. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. This has already begun with Steff Emanuel and Tom Bowen returning to Cardiff last season, while England U20s World Cup winner Ioan Jones recently signed for the Scarlets from Gloucester. Article continues below Davies is one of a number of young players they'd like to see play in Wales, with props Ioan Emanuel (Bath) and Sam Scott (Bristol Bears) two others. The likes of Aidan Boshoff, Joe Jenkins, Kenzie Jenkins and Luke Evans are the calibre of young player the WRU wants to attract back to Wales. England U20s World Cup winner Kane James - who also qualifies for New Zealand and Wales - is another who should be targeted for a move to Wales. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free Article continues below If Davies does join Cardiff he will face stiff competition from the likes of Wales internationals Aled Davies and Ellis Bevan, along with South African number nine Johan Mulder for a place in the team next season but is viewed as a player with bags of potential. The man who started his rugby journey at South Gower RFC and has also represented England U18s is a dangerous runner with a strong kicking game. Cardiff and Bath are fostering a strong relationship after the west country outfit allowed the Welsh club to take Wales U20s centre Louie Hennessey on loan for periods of this season.
Wales Online
02-06-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
The Welsh-qualified talent in England the WRU should be targeting as exiles programme scrapped
The Welsh-qualified talent in England the WRU should be targeting as exiles programme scrapped The WRU has scrapped it exiles programme Former Wales U20s lock Jonny Green (Image: Gareth Everett/Huw Evans Agency ) The Welsh Rugby Union are currently devising a way to replace its Exiles programme with the retention and repatriation of players at the forefront of its thinking. One look at Wales' senior squads this year can identify players who were tracked by the exiles programme before getting capped, with the likes of Will Rowlands, Nick Tompkins, Blair Murray, Ellis Mee, Archie Griffin, Freddie Thomas and Taine Plumtree such examples. As part of the One Wales strategy the WRU will focus on the 'retention and repatriation' of Welsh-qualified players which has already begun with England U20s full-back Ioan Jones a prime example after signing for the Scarlets from Gloucester. There is also the Wales Pathway Players programme (WPP) where a group of up to 60 players of national interest between the ages of 15 and 24 have been identified as potential stars of the future. A large chunk of those will be dual-qualified players based in England. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. But with the Exiles programme gone the WRU need to put a lot of resources into monitoring dual-qualified players based outside of Wales, especially given the fact many are pressurised by Gallagher Premiership clubs to represent England at both age grade and senior level. It is worth noting the Exiles programme did not only monitor those who are dual-qualified but any Welsh player based in England. Article continues below Here are just a handful of players the WRU should be monitoring. Jonny Green Powerful second-rows who stand at 6ft 7in and over 18 stone don't exactly grow on trees in Wales. The 21-year-old graduated from the Wales U20s programme last season and is currently plying his trade for English giants Harlequins. Green, who originally hails from Haywards Heath in West Sussex, qualifies for Wales courtesy of his mother's side of the family who all come from west Wales. He has had a lot of game-time for London Scottish in the English Championship, while he has also got some minutes for Harlequins in the Premiership Cup. Green is part of the WRU's WPP programme and seems committed to Wales but this has been the case with other players in the past who have gone on to play for England. Kane James The Exeter Chiefs backrower is viewed as one of the best prospects in the English game and played a pivotal role in England U20s getting crowned world champions last summer. James is a dynamic forward with the perfect blend of athleticism and physicality. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free The 20-year-old hails from Haverfordwest but played most of his junior rugby for St Peters in Cardiff before heading to Exeter Chiefs. James is triple-qualified for England, New Zealand and Wales. Persuading James to represent Wales at senior level should be a priority for the WRU. Osian Thomas The 20-year-old second-row, who can also play in the backrow, is a member of the Leicester Tigers academy but has been getting minutes for Nottingham in the English Championship. Thomas is a powerful carrier but his point of difference is his athleticism and handling, especially in the wide channels. He has already represented Wales U20s but is dual-qualified so could represent England again in the future. Thomas is highly regarded at Welford Road and is another player who was monitored by the Exiles system. Alex Ridgway The 18-year-old was a member of the Scarlets U18s side which won the Regional Age Grade U18s competition last season but moved to Bath after opting to study at Beechen Cliff School for sixth form. Ridgeway was also a standout player for Wales U18s in the Six Nations U18s Festival in Italy last season, putting in a number of eye-catching displays. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. The backrower is an explosive carrier capable of getting over the gainline, while he was prominent both in defence and at the breakdown for Wales U18s. A big future awaits and is exactly the sort of player who should be included in the WRU's WPP programme. Gethin O'Callaghan The 20-year-old hails from Cardiff and has played for Wales U19s. O'Callaghan is a powerful and explosive centre with an excellent offloading game and has been part of the Bristol Bears academy. The centre is a prime example of why relationships with Welsh-born players must still be kept warm by the WRU after he was named in a 50-man England U20s EPS squad at the start of the season. Article continues below Even though representing England at age-grade level does not tie a player to the Red Rose it doesn't do Wales any favours.
Wales Online
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
What's just happened to six young Welsh rugby players hints at brighter times on horizon
What's just happened to six young Welsh rugby players hints at brighter times on horizon Six Welsh players have been nominated for an award Scarlets back Macs Page on his way to scoring against Munster (Image: Huw Evans Agency ) Six Welsh players have been nominated for the United Rugby Championship's Next-Gen player of the season award. Scarlets trio Blair Murray, Ellis Mee and Macs Page are all up for the award, as are Ospreys fly-half Dan Edwards, Dragons centre Aneurin Owen and departing Cardiff wing Gabriel Hamer-Webb. The Scarlets lead the way in terms of a URC club that provided the most nominees, while Wales as a whole offers the most players on the shortlist along with South Africa. Players who were 23 and under at the start of the season and had no more than five international caps are eligible for the award. They also needed to have made nine appearances in the league this season to make the shortlist. There are 16 players on the shortlist - with six from Wales and South Africa, two from Scotland and one each from Italy and Ireland. It's unsurprising that back-three pairing Murray and Mee make the list, having both made their Test debuts for Wales this season after joining the Scarlets last summer. Twenty-year-old centre Page has also enjoyed a fine breakthrough campaign, leading to his first Wales call-up for the upcoming tour of Japan this summer. Article continues below Ospreys fly-half Edwards has been superb for Mark Jones' side this season, making his Wales debut in the Six Nations. He finished the campaign as the third-highest scorer in the league, having notched up 112 points. Dragons centre Owen has been a constant during a difficult season for the Men of Gwent, featuring in every league game. Welsh-qualified wing Hamer-Webb enjoyed a strong end to the season - crossing for six tries in the last four matches of the campaign. Unfortunately for Cardiff, the 24-year-old won't be staying at the Arms Park next season - with a move to the Gallagher Premiership on the cards. In terms of other nations, the Bulls, Stormers, Lions and Edinburgh all have two nominees. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. The likes of Bulls back-row Cameron Hanekom and Leinster prop Jack Boyle made their Test debuts this year. Zebre wing Simone Gesi has made more clean breaks than any other player, while Lions full-back Quan Horn is fourth in terms of defenders beaten with 51. The winner of the award will be determined by a media vote. URC Next-Gen player of the season nominees: Quan Horn, Emirates Lions Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Vodacom Bulls Matt Currie, Edinburgh Rugby Gabe Hamer-Webb, Cardiff Rugby Henco van Wyk, Emirates Lions Ellis Mee, Scarlets Jack Boyle, Leinster Rugby Cameron Hanekom, Vodacom Bulls Suleiman Hartzenberg, DHL Stormers Andre-Hugo Venter, DHL Stormers Macs Page, Scarlets Simone Gesi, Zebre Parma Aneurin Owen, Dragons RFC Paddy Harrison, Edinburgh Rugby Blair Murray, Scarlets Article continues below Dan Edwards, Ospreys
