Rugby fans accuse WRU of ‘devaluing’ regions

Rugby followers have accused the Welsh Rugby Union of undermining the 4 areas with its money-making stadium plans.

Nonetheless each video games would conflict with two key United Rugby Championship (URC) derbies between Cardiff and Scarlets.

Cardiff supporters have criticised the proposals as a “staggering” short-term repair that “devalues” the regional sport.

In a letter to new WRU chair Richard Collier-Keywood, the CF10 Rugby Belief mentioned it “couldn’t fathom” why the WRU would look to host a global match on the identical day as a regional derby.

Scarlets and Cardiff are because of meet in Llanelli on 4 November, the date that has been pencilled by the WRU to host Wales-Barbarians at the Principality Stadium.

The reverse fixture between the regional rivals at Cardiff Arms Park – 2 December – is similar day a Premiership match between Bristol and Gloucester is being explored.

“We knew 2023-4 was not going to be a straightforward season with the inevitable [financial] cuts. What we weren’t ready for was the persevering with undermining of the 4 skilled golf equipment by the WRU,” the letter reads.

“The optics of selling a conflict from a rival league at our nationwide floor while concurrently chopping the funds to our personal skilled groups to the bone is, fairly frankly, staggering.

“It creates, or maybe confirms, the impression that our governing physique sees the skilled sport beneath Staff Wales as expendable.”

The monetary disaster in Welsh rugby will see funding to Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets minimize by £2m – from £7.2m to £5.2m – subsequent season, and diminished additional to £4.5m for the 2024-25 marketing campaign.

Cardiff noticed its losses worsenfrom £1.6m to £2.2m for the 12 months ending 30 June, 2022.

‘Do issues in a different way’

WRU boss Nigel Walker says the sport must discover additional income streams as they appear to host extra matches at Principality Stadium.

“We have to consider doing issues in a different way,” he mentioned.

“What we aren’t going to do is be reckless, we aren’t going to introduce issues which is able to destroy the material of Welsh rugby however we do want to think about methods of elevating revenues.”

Nonetheless the letter from supporters, signed by the belief’s chair Lynn Glaister, highlighted that areas now solely have 11 assured residence league and European video games a season to generate income.

“The WRU anticipate the 4 Welsh groups to drive up their very own matchday and sponsorship income. But the WRU appear to have already forgotten about this within the identify of short-term pondering,” she mentioned.

“It appears there isn’t any wider technique for the Welsh professional sport past discovering new methods to squeeze each final drop of earnings from the Principality Stadium, whatever the long-term prices to the sport as a complete.”

The kick-off to the 2023-24 URC season has been postponed to late October as a result of World Cup in France.