WELSH RUGBY’S RADICAL SHAKE-UP EXPLAINED

FULL details have been revealed of one of the most radical shake-ups in the structure of Welsh rugby for a generation.

Regional U23 teams are be introduced from next season, with the Premiership to be cut from 16 to 12 teams from 2019-20.

There will also be a reduction in the level of WRU funding to the Premiership clubs in order to finance the new U23 sides.

The changes were proposed following a wide-ranging and thorough Competition Review and have been overwhelmingly approved in a vote by the WRU board.

The aim of the review was to put in place a development pathway to produce regional and international players, while also ensuring a vibrant and sustainable club system.

Independent consultants were appointed by the WRU to interview and survey all the interested parties and deliver a report.

Their findings were then finetuned by a steering group made up of representatives from the regions, Premiership clubs and the WRU executive and board.

The end result was an extensive and detailed review document which bears the title “Every Game Matters”.

One of the key findings was there was a significant gap in standard between the semi-pro 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.

That will now be addressed with the creation of the U23 teams, which will be run and staffed by the regions, with the vast majority of players being regional employees.

The new sides will play around 10-12 games a season in two blocks, against each other and Irish and Scottish opposition.

It was also decided there was a need for a simple league format in the top leagues in Wales.

So that will see both the Premiership and the Championship made up of 12 clubs, with a home and away league format, and the reintroduction of promotion and relegation after three years of ring-fencing.

The current East-West split in the Premiership will be scrapped from 2019-20. It remains to be decided what the format will be for next term, in the final year with 16 clubs.

At the end of next season, four clubs will be relegated automatically, with the likelihood being that the 12th placed team will face the Championship table toppers in a home and away play-off.

That latter option has been strongly criticised by newly crowned Championship winners Pontypool who feel there should be automatic promotion for the top team in their league at the end of next term.

Clubs from the top two flights will vote on whether five teams should be relegated automatically or whether there should be a play-off.

The Premiership and Championship clubs were informed of the full details of the changes - including the revised funding model - on Tuesday night.

The proposals are based on redistributing the current £1.8m WRU investment in the Premiership and Championship to support the implementation of the U23s competition, in collaboration with the regions.

A new criteria for Premiership funding will be introduced where there will be a focus on coaching and facilities rather than underwriting players’ wages.

In a further development, it’s likely the Anglo-Welsh Cup will join the British & Irish Cup in being scrapped. The key changes announced... Regional U23 teams to be introduced from next season;

Around 10-12 matches to be played in two blocks in September/October and April, with inter-regional fixtures, plus a cross-border competition against Irish and Scottish sides; U23 teams to have squads of around 35 predominantly Welshqualified players, with scope for some overage players to be involved; Teams to have dedicated coaching and conditioning staff from within the regions; From November to March, U23 players to stay in the regions, play for Wales U20s, Wales 7s or Premiership clubs; Selected players to have a four-week development block in December; Anglo-Welsh Cup lto be scrapped; Welsh Premiership to be reduced from 16 to 12 teams from 2019-20, with a straight home and away format followed by end of season play-offs for the top four; Four clubs to be relegated from the Premiership at the end of next season, with Clubs from the top two flights to vote on whether the Championship table-toppers should be promoted automatically or whether there should be a play-off with the 12th-placed Premiership team. Ring-fencing to be removed, with promotion and relegation between the Premiership and Championship to be reintroduced from 2019-20; Relegation based purely on league position, with no guarantee that each region will have a club from its catchment area in the Premiership; Four teams to drop down from the Championship into the WRU national leagues as part of the reorganisation; U23 teams to be financed out of money currently spent by the WRU on Premiership and Championship clubs; Funding to Premiership clubs to be cut over a four year period from £90,000 to around £50,000 from 2019; Precise funding to be based on specific criteria, such as coaching and facilities, with the current A licence being revised; Parachute payments to clubs relegated from the Premiership; Funding to Championship clubs to go up from £4,000 to £15,000 over a period of time; Alternative game times, such as Thursday or Friday evenings, to be considered for Premiership matches for broadcasting opportunities and to avoid clashes with the regions and Wales; Plans for a cross-border competition to be set up for Premiership clubs; The WRU National Cup, involving Premiership and Championship clubs, to be retained; A Commercial Manager to be appointed to service the Premiership/Championship and source sponsorship and broadcasting opportunities; North Walian side RGC to continue to compete at club level, with insufficient depth at present for them to enter into the U23 set-up.