How Wales’ four new work, who they play
ANEW tier of Welsh rugby will be launched in the coming season with the birth of regional U23 teams.
So, what do we know about these new teams that have sparked big debate? Who will be playing for them, who will their opponents be and why are they being introduced.
WHAT’S THE THINKING BEHIND THE NEW TEAMS?
THEY were born out of a comprehensive review into the state of Welsh rugby below PRO14 level which was carried out by the WRU last season.
Consultants were brought in to do a fact-finding exercise, interviewing and surveying all the relevant parties before delivering a report which was then fine-tuned by a steering group made up of representatives from the regions, Premiership clubs and the Union.
One of the key findings of the review was there was a significant gap in standard between the semipro Premiership and regional rugby.
Training levels and game intensity in the Premiership were deemed to be not at the level required to prepare players for the regions, with players aged 18-23 not getting enough quality game-time.
In addition, the Regional Premiership Select sides competing in the British & Irish Cup were not really working, with teams being thrown together for just a couple of weeks at a time and suffering badly in terms of results.
So, the solution the powers-thatbe came up was the creation of new U23 regional teams.
WHO WILL PLAY FOR THEM?
THE vast majority of players will be regional employees, both Academy members and youngsters who have had a taste of senior squad duty.
It will be an ideal next step, for example, for those Wales U20s who have just competed in the World Championship in France.
The players will train together in a professional environment and work with full-time coaches in a settled group.
They will have stability and consistency, rather than swapping back and fore between different levels and different teams.
There will also be an opportunity for some Premiership players to put their hands up and make a case for securing regional contracts.
In the main, players will all be under 23, with the focus very much on youth and development.
However, there will be scope for some overage players to have a run out, for example if they need game time after coming back from injury.
WHO WILL COACH THE SIDES?
THERE will generally be dedicated coaching teams made up of Academy and development staff.
At Cardiff Blues, newly appointed Academy manager Gruff Rees will co-ordinate the operation. Richie Rees and Duane Goodfield will then head things up on the training field, with Goodfield also now having a senior squad scrum role.
The returning Rhys Thomas, who has headed back from the Dragons, will also be involved, along with Gethin Jenkins, who will pass on his expertise in defence.
As for the men of Gwent, the U23s will be overseen by Academy head James Chapron, who will be assisted by recently-recruited forwards coach Ian Evans and skills coach Ian Kingsley, with front rowers Richard Hibbard and Brok Harris also lending a hand.
At the Ospreys, the coaches working with the side will be Richard Fussell and former Welsh internationals Duncan Jones and Andrew Bishop.
Then at the Scarlets, it will be the development department at the helm, in the shape of Richard Kelly, Dai Flanagan, Euros Evans and Paul Fisher.
WHO WILL THE NEW TEAMS PLAY AGAINST?
WITH the British & Irish Cup and the Anglo-Welsh Cup both being scrapped, the question was where would the sides compete?
Well, it’s now been confirmed that they will facing Irish opposition, in the shape of the A-teams of the four provinces, Leinster, Munster, Ulster and Connacht.
Those sides previously played in the British & Irish Cup, so were looking for fixtures, making the timing perfect.
The plan is for an early season eight-team competition, made up of the four Welsh sides and the four Irish A-teams.
Our teams will also play against each other during the campaign, with derby matches pencilled in.
WHEN WILL THEY PLAY THEIR MATCHES?
THE Welsh-Irish competition will be staged over a seven week block at the start of the season, from early September to end of October, with the scheduled being completed before the autumn internationals kick in.
The fixtures are still to be confirmed and nailed down.
But the plan is for the Welsh sides to play all four of the Irish teams either home or away and then also have a couple of derby games. So, that’s six weeks, followed by a final.
There is scope for more derby games at the end of the season, in the April/May period, depending on what is required.
This is seen as very much a building year, getting the teams and the competition up and running.
WHAT ARE THE IRISH SAYING?
THE IRFU’s High Performance Director David Nucifora has been speaking this week about the new link up with Wales.
His view is that the Irish provincial A sides were “at the whim of the English clubs” in the now defunct British & Irish Cup, which the new competition will replace.
The Aussie says the aim of the new venture will be to “mimic the intensity required and week-toweek competition that PRO14 gives our players”.
WHAT’S THE WELSH COACHING VIEW ON THE U23 TEAMS?
NEW Cardiff Blues coach John Mulvihill believes they are being introduced at just the right time, with so many talented youngsters coming through the system and needing rugby.
“It’s going to be good,” he said. “They are players, they are not trainers, they are not gym junkies. They will have their best learnings when they are out in the middle of the field.
“As many games as we can get for them, it’s going to be better for them.
“The competition is coming in at a really good time for us.
“It’s a development league and a great opportunity for the young guys coming through.
“It will also be a chance for us to find a game for some older heads on a weekend, with a few overage players involved.”
And what about the hands-on coaches who will run the teams?
Well, Dragons Academy boss James Chapron believes having players together for a longer period will be a big plus.
“In the British & Irish Cup it was like coaching an invitation team,” he said. “We were getting boys in just a week before the games started.
“That just wasn’t practical against English Championship teams, who are together all season long.”
Now it’s a very different story with the new sides.
“We wanted to do this properly,” said Chapron.
“We’ve now got a separate squad of 36 training throughout the summer.
“They started training last week, so can give them the best chance going into the new competition.
“It won’t just be on the back of just four or five training sessions.
“Training time together is so important.
“In the Premiership, you are training two or three evenings a week.
“We are doing 20 plus hours a week. You are bound to get better in that time period. If not, we are not doing our job properly.
“I think it will definitely benefit