In the north set to professional region?
year Owain Glyndwr became Prince of Wales, RGC being an acronym for Rygbi Gogledd Cymru (Rugby North Wales).
They have 15 official commercial partners, which include energy giants SP Energy Networks, while major firms Big Food Company, Money Supermarket.com, Redrow, Iceland and Airbus are major employers in north Wales.
Flintshire, along with Cardiff and Monmouthshire, is among the three most prosperous areas of Wales.
RGC’s official website is impressive and lists a staff of around 20 while it also has a thriving women’s team and a supporters club.
Average attendances this season are around 1,800 with a highest gate in excess of 3,000.
RGC WANT TO BECOME WELSH RUGBY’S EXETER CHIEFS, BRUMBIES OR CONNACHT
THEY have stated all along they don’t want a place in professional rugby at the expense of a south Wales region, but believe the potential is there to follow a similar path to Australian franchise Brumbies.
The Canberra outfit have twice been crowned Super Rugby champions since being formed.
Other examples, closer to home, are Connacht, who were shock Pro12 kings in 2015-16, and Exeter Chiefs, who have risen through the divisions to become English champions and one of their most successful clubs, on and off the field.
Coach Jones, in a previous interview, said he believes RGC could one day play in the PRO14.
“We are certainly not anywhere near that level at the moment but it’s how you grow it,” he explained.
“The good thing is they haven’t tried to grow it too fast, they’re growing it the right way, getting the local lads in there and players are developing in the right environment.
“It’s got a good set-up, the ground is good and the facilities are excellent so they are investing in the right things.
“North Wales rugby is a little bit behind south Wales in terms of grassroots, how many people are playing the game and the coaching standards but it’s improving.
“If you are talking about crowds and getting behind a region I think there’s huge potential.
“I have played at Wrexham with the Scarlets, Wales A and Wales have been there and we have seen the success of Wales Under-20 in Colwyn Bay.
“If you are talking about it becoming a fully-fledged region on a par with the Dragons, Ospreys, Blues and Scarlets, numbers-wise they could easily match the figures, I believe. There’s a million people!
“If the right players were playing, you had the household names in there, the team was supported and you were bringing through local players I really think north Wales would support it.
HOW A FULLY PROFESSIONAL RGC WOULD BE FUNDED AND THE PLAYERS THEY’D ATTRACT
IF they replaced one of the existing regions, competition money from playing in Europe and the PRO14 would go to RGC.
The regions also get additional funding from the WRU while they can bolster their income through ticket sales, merchandise sales and commercial activity.
With, as outlined earlier, a number of major firms having headquarters in north Wales, and not having any professional teams on their doorstep, they may find it easier to find backing.
However, professional rugby isn’t the most economic with hardly any teams in Britain posting annual profits.
They are largely reliant on the money generated by international rugby to prop them up so there wouldn’t be any guarantee of RGC being profitable.
Clearly, they would have to initially bolster their squad and bring in outsiders.
Persuading players to move from south Wales to north Wales may be difficult but, if they replaced an existing region, there would be a firesale like what happened when Celtic Warriors folded.
If it came to giving up a rugby career for another job or continuing to live the dream, some would head north.
There’s numerous Welsh players being paid in the English pyramid and it would be no different to players going north to rugby league as they did in the amateur days.
What RGC would eventually hope to happen is that more players come through the north Wales system and eventually make up the bulk of their squad.
But their first target for a showpiece would surely be north Wales’ most famous player and international star ... a certain George North!