Covid has pushed need for change – Fitzpatrick
ALL Blacks legend Sean Fitzpatrick believes rugby in Wales and beyond has to change now to have a future.
Fitzpatrick, who is a board member at the Scarlets and an influential figure in the global game, is demanding fewer international matches and a proper club rugby window that sees all the top stars available for every game.
It comes amid continued frustration in Wales that at least four of the 18 match weekends in the new United Rugby Championship are expected to happen without most international players. Two regional chiefs this week spoke out about the situation, calling for change.
The URC is set to kick off on September 25, but some of Wales’ Lions players will barely play for their regions at all until after the autumn internationals.
The first round of Welsh derbies are due to be played on the weekend of October 23, when Wales internationals are away.
Fitzpatrick has a simple and stark message, which he expressed in an interview with the Times.
“One thing we’ve learnt through Covid is rugby in this part of the world isn’t sustainable,” he said.
“It has to change. This is not just from a Welsh perspective, it’s from a global perspective. If you have the right partners and a long-term goal then private equity is a good thing.
“Covid has forced our hand to look at other options. They are good options. What we are seeing globally is that the international game is OK, but we need competitions other than international rugby that generate income.
“This is why the club window is so important. We just can’t continue the way we are with our best players being unavailable for a lot of games. We need the best players playing.
“We need to make sure we have a club window with no international games at all, which is going to involve playing fewer internationals. Until we get a club window where we can get all our internationals on the field it’s not an attractive product.”
The private equity Fitzpatrick refers to, of course, is the northern hemisphere’s deal with CVC that gives the company significant stakes in the Six Nations, United Rugby Championship and Gallagher Premiership.
The outside investment and clear need for the rugby calendar to be adjusted is set to see big changes in the game over the coming years as it tries to appeal to new audiences.