Zippy’s Blueprint For The Future

Welsh rugby currently stands in a state of farce.

Players, coaches and fans for many many years have not known what is going on from one day to the next, let alone one season to the next!

The WRU won the bid for the ’99 World Cup, the best stadium in the world was built and Wales using Graham Henry’s quick fix performed creditably in reaching the 1/4s before losing to the eventual winners.

Then Wales crippled by the debts on loans for the stadium brought in an Australian with a reputation for short term fixing, causing trouble and never sticking in a job for more than a few years.

He did what he was asked to do, he cut costs and started to balance the books with every means that he knew how, at times it looked like penny pinching, kids at junior level were not given individual trophies for reaching finals, disgraceful.

And then the regional set up, the WRU in its powerless state said it was going to happen, it was done wrongly.

The 1^st season was a success and gave reason to hope and believe in the future, there was always a nagging doubt about how it was done but it appeared to be working, then Moffett got his own way and closed the Warriors.

Fans of the Warriors like myself were up in arms, it has been some time since this has happened and I am still disillusioned.

As it stands now Wales has 4 pro clubs, we have too little pro rugby players, most of the population have no access to top class rugby, it looks bad at best.

I’ve had a sit back and thought about what is the best way forward for my beloved sport.

Firstly the WRU need to sell the stadium, it casts a shadow over the game and is acting as an albatross rather than the beacon that it should be. Sell it to a private company whose job it will be then to run it to its full potential concerts, speedway etc, the WRU should then concentrate on what it is supposed to do, run rugby.

It’s too late to bring in sponsors etc, we’ve missed the boat, the FA Cup and playoffs go back to Wembley soon. Anyway let that be the responsibility of a private company not the WRU.

The sale of the stadium will bring in substantial funds, the WRU will be in the black, they can pay off all the loans and debt they owe and become the power in the game that they should be.

What about the clubs?

The stand-alone clubs such as Cardiff and Llanelli should keep their names, why should they have to change to nicknames because the WRU has messed up? These are Wales’ biggest clubs with long histories, this shouldn’t just be ripped up.

Then the WRU should restore Warriors as a feeder region, the region should be called the “Glamorgan Warriors” it would initially be a feeder region to test if there is the support to make it a full pro region again, if not then it should stay as a feeder region.

It gives Wales a production line in its heartlands and someone to be entered in the parker pen.

But……….. I suspect the region will be a success, the Warriors will go from strength to strength and be able to act as a full-blown 5^th Region.

Gwent Dragons should play games around the region to test if there is the support around the region, the region has a lot of potential. The big names brought in over the summer will ensure the Newport faithful return in droves.

The Neath-Swansea Ospreys have been going about there business in the right way, two great clubs working together, they have a great future ahead at White Rock, good luck to them.

There is also the need for a North Wales 1^st division club, as it stands 1/3 of the Welsh population – 1 million people do not have club? Madness, give them the means and see if it works, we are far too insular and should give this chance to work. The Wales games and Llanelli matches show there is genuine interest.

Why are we not using London Welsh as a pro club? They are placed handily one division below the top, with proper funding from the WRU we could get them into the Zurich, we could then blood young players there, have somewhere to send players who need a change of scene and really gain all the benefits that we should be from this great club.

Restore the “A” team, it is farcical that the “A” team was not continued, it gave so many benefits it was untrue, a chance to test out players at a higher level before giving them a Welsh cap. At the pittance that this team costs, stopping it was a crime, bring it back.

We should be a power in the World game, our failure to grasp professionalism properly and to get the structure right put us a few years back.

I’ve looked as objectively as I can at the “state” of the Welsh game, it’s not in a good way at present, but all its ills can be healed.

Bookmark or share this story with:

• Digg
• Delicious
• Facebook
• Reddit
• Stumbleupon

SPORTNETWORK SPECIALS