Anglo-Welsh league is way to go – Turner
PAUL Turner believes a development AngloWelsh league would be the best way forward for both the English Championship clubs, and the semi-professional Welsh Premiership sides.
Former Wales outsidehalf Turner is head coach of Ampthill, who are currently enjoying their third season in the Championship, while he also spent six years at the Dragons. The 61-year-old is concerned at the lack of funding the Championship is getting and believes the ring-fencing of the Premiership has relegated England’s second tier from the professional game into the community game.
“I think an Anglo-Welsh competition would be beneficial for both the Championship clubs, and the Welsh Premiership clubs,” he said.
“It would obviously be a semi-professional competition. In England PRL run the Premiership, and the Championship is currently being thrown under the in a similar position to what the Premiership had in Wales.
“I think initially it would have to start as a cup competition to see if it’s feasible from a cost, and travel point of view.
“Up until last season we were getting £600k funding for each club and that’s now been cut to £150k. We’ve been thrown down into the community game.
“Ealing will go up this season, and then clubs from the National One will come into our league so the Championship will be the top of the community game, rather than the second tier of the professional game.
“If I could write down a new formation of the league after next season it would include an AngloWelsh league or cup involving the semi-professional Welsh Premiership clubs.
“The Championship clubs would be interested, but the problem is we don’t govern our own league. Our competitions are being run by the RFU, and even though I understand that Covid has hit everyone’s finances hard, we still think the potential of an Anglo-Welsh league would work better.
“It’s just like forming a fantasy league, but the governing body says you can’t do it.”
Turner, below, believes the Welsh Premiership has been neglected by the Welsh Rugby Union. He believes it should be used more effectively as a development tool feeding up to the four professional sides.
“The Premiership in Wales should have been the jewel in the crown, but it should have been governed by the regions,” he said.
“Even going back to my time coaching with the Dragons, the Premiership has been neglectbus ed. Even ten years ago players were leaving to play their rugby in the English Championship rather than the Premiership.
“One good example would have been Cory Hill leaving Cardiff to play for Moseley, and it was a good stepping stone for him to go on and play for Wales.
“Unless the Premiership gets sorted out working hand in hand with the regions then this is going to happen. At that time there was a lot of non-productive players still in the Welsh Premiership. “Up to 50 per cent of this current England squad for the Six Nations have come through either the Championship or the lower leagues. It’s nowhere near as efficient a system in Wales, and it needs to be a lot better.”
There are several Welsh players currently being sent out on loan by the regions to the English Championship clubs. Turner’s Ampthill has benefitted from this with Ospreys scrum-half Harri Morgan currently in their side while previously they have had the likes of Tomi Lewis and Joe Roberts from the Scarlets, and Sam Costelow while he was at Leicester Tigers.
Turner believes the Championship is a good development tool the Welsh regions are right to exploit, but he believes an emphasis must be put on making the Welsh Premiership better.
He said: “The Championship is currently a higher standard than the Premiership, so I understand why they sent young Welsh players on loan here.
“They learn a lot of skills, get exposed to a good standard of rugby, while it is also a very physical league to play in. A lot of Welsh players have successfully used the Championship as a stepping stone to achieve their ambitions back home in Wales.”