Reg Clark, the 68-year-old chairman and chief executive of Rhino since 2006, has called on the Welsh Rugby Union to reconsider his Hollywood-backed consortium's bid to buy Cardiff Rugby. The consortium, which includes Hollywood producers Gareth West, Niels Juul and Mark Williams—creator of the TV series Ozark—alongside former Cardiff director Martyn Ryan, was previously rejected when the WRU favoured a rival bid from Ospreys owners Y11 Sports and Media. That Y11 takeover later collapsed, leaving Cardiff off the market.
Clark's vision for Cardiff and Welsh rugby
Clark believes the consortium remains the best option for Cardiff. "We still believe we are the best option for Cardiff and have plans to elevate Cardiff to the next level," he told WalesOnline. "We have three Hollywood producers in our consortium while Martyn Ryan is highly experienced, extremely passionate about Cardiff and heavily respected throughout the game." He added that the WRU turning them down was "the equivalent of the FAW stopping Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney from buying Wrexham."
The consortium aims to move Cardiff into the Gallagher Premiership, a goal Clark says could transform Welsh rugby. "In my view reconnecting Welsh clubs with English opposition would not only reignite supporter interest but also strengthen the commercial and competitive future of the professional game in Wales," he said. He noted that "P shares in the Prem is currently rumoured to cost £12/13 million – that could be an excellent strategic investment."
Call for WRU to change mindset
Clark argues that Welsh rugby's revival requires a fundamental shift at the WRU. "I think the WRU needs to drop any demands for complete central control of the rugby because it is not attractive to any serious investor at club level," he said. "Things need to change radically and perhaps there needs to be a change of personnel at the top." He stressed that the consortium is prepared to be patient, and noted that the group is working on a scripted TV drama series based in Cardiff in a similar vein to Ozark. "The seriousness of the Hollywood Consortium for me is demonstrated by Rothschilds taking us on as a client for this project," Clark added.
