Regional rugby drove me over to the dark side
I HAVE been an avid reader of TRP for some time and, having scanned the results and news articles, my search moves to digest the wise words of Peter Jackson before your other excellent columnists.
After Mr Jackson’s article on April 11 ‘Team Wales casts long shadow over regions’, I felt moved to dust off the keyboard and exercise my arthritic fingers.
As ever PJ hit the nail on the head in that our comparatively under resourced rugby nation excelled itself in this seasons Six Nations but again at regional level failed miserably to progress past the pool stages in Europe.
As an administrator for my local club at the time David Moffett addressed the nation at the Aberavon AGM in 2003, it seemed a positive way forward. We could resource five regional sides (shortly reduced to four after the demise of the Celtic Warriors) he said and move forward.
What antipodean Mr Moffett failed to realise was the colloquialism of the rugby playing areas of the Principality – Ebbw Vale supporters were never going to head south to Newport and likewise the good folk of Bridgend weren’t inclined to head to Cardiff to support their team!
The “Regional” concept, unfortunately was doomed from day one. But our lords and masters in Westgate Street hadn’t heard of the analogy “when you’re in a hole stop digging”!
The proletariat at PRO14 then sold their souls to some satellite broadcaster and any banter of the top flight in Wales at local clubs stopped dead. I, like many others, simply stopped watching Regional rugby.
All was not lost, however as I started to watch matches from across Offa’s Dyke – and what a revelation it’s proved to be. I well appreciate the Premiership has its problems with vast hoards of overseas players including the other Home Nations but what a feast of rugby it is and an absolute pleasure to watch.
So, in conclusion to my ramblings, I for one would like to thank the WRU and PRO 14 for turning us grass roots rugby supporters off Regional rugby and turning us over to the dark side – my forebears would be turning in their graves!