Players are still ‘deadly serious’ as talks drag on

WELSH rugby enters one of the biggest weeks in its 142-year history with the country’s stars still insistent on strike action. Sportsmail revealed last week that the Wales Six Nations squad were considering a strike for Saturday’s huge clash with England amid contractual chaos. Such a scenario remains very much on the table. ‘This is not a joke. It’s deadly serious,’ one player said as Warren Gatland’s squad begin preparations today for the England game. Professional Rugby Board (PRB) chair Malcom Wall yesterday apologised unreservedly to Welsh players for the ‘stress and real discomfort’ caused by the dispute. ‘I’m genuinely upset and feel very personally that I’ve not done what I should have done in getting us to the place we want to be… to remove the uncertainty from people not having contracts,’ he added. The Welsh Rugby Union and the four regions have been unable to agree on budgets for next season and beyond. It means the 90 Welsh-based players who are out of contract at the end of this campaign are not able to be offered new deals. Wales players have made the following demands to the WRU and will strike unless they are met by the Wednesday deadline:

• Scrap the 60-cap rule that prevents players based outside Wales from playing for their country unless they have played in at least 60 Tests.

• Remove the fixed-variable element from contracts, which would account for 20 per cent of salaries under the proposals.

• Give players representation at PRB meetings. Despite the uncertainty, all four regions played this weekend. Dragons centre Jack Dixon spoke last week about the impact of contractual uncertainty on him and his family and the worry of injury when his deal is expiring. Sadly for Dixon, he was forced off in his team’s heavy defeat by Leinster and left Dublin with his left foot in a boot. Dragons centre Steffan Hughes told S4C: ‘We’ve been waiting months. It’s about people like Jack who turn up every week. He’s got a young family. He doesn’t know if he’s got a contract in the summer.’