The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) board has issued a statement on Saturday morning, rejecting calls for its 11 members to resign en masse and condemning "personal insults and attacks" directed at its members. The response follows a week of pressure from influential Welsh business leaders and Wales legend Jonathan Davies, who have called for the current regime to be ousted.
The board, which includes CEO Abi Tierney and former Wales player Jamie Roberts, insists that Welsh rugby cannot afford four professional teams beyond 2028 if it wants to achieve success. It defended the skillset and expertise of its members and stated that criticism should come with "credible alternatives."
Board Defends Strategy and Expertise
The statement reads: "Whatever your views about what is best for the future of Welsh rugby, there is no justification for the highly personal insults and attacks that have been recently directed at members of our staff and at the WRU Board."
It continues: "Everyone involved in Welsh rugby wants the same thing. A sustainable sport that works for every village, town and city in Wales and that achieves regular success at an elite level, in both the men’s and women’s game. This is exactly what our strategy for the future is designed to deliver."
The board highlighted its community investment model, investment in the Super Rygbi Cymru competition, and advancements in national squads. It noted that the current board was formed through changes voted through almost unanimously by member clubs, designed to increase diversity of thought and improve expertise.
Three-Club Model Affirmed
The statement said: "There is no realistic prospect of the game generating enough revenue to fund four professional teams competitively beyond 2028. The available finances, and the player-base needed to sustain them, are spread too thinly across four teams."
The board confirmed it has reaffirmed the decision to move to a three-club model, following consultation and consideration of factors such as population, rugby infrastructure, financial sustainability, and player pathways. It added that all involved in the leadership of the men's professional game have agreed to come together later this year to shape future licensing arrangements.
The statement concluded: "As a small rugby nation, we need to work together - continuous cycles of unwarranted and unnecessary infighting will only make us weaker."
Calls for Change Intensify
The statement follows Davies's comments on Friday, where he outlined his belief that the current regime had "failed to deliver" in three years. Former Cardiff director Hayley Parsons called for the board to resign on Thursday night, and former Principality chief operating officer Rob Regan has put himself forward as a potential board member, insisting the current regime must be toppled.
Regan said: "Of all the people I’ve met in my work on WRU Hayley Parsons OBE has by far been their strongest ally and supporter. Over the last 12 months she has been working with the WRU CEO and a number of Board members to try and help them. They have consistently over promised and under delivered and let Hayley down."
He added: "The brutal truth is we have allowed the pendulum to swing too far post the Dame Anne Rafferty review. Whilst many of the changes I still support and believe in we just got the wrong people."
Davies called on ex-players, regions, clubs, and fans to voice their opinion and support change. He said: "This board has been in place for three years and it's failed to deliver. So it's now time for them to have a look at themselves and decide whether it's time for them to step aside and leave."
The only way the board can be replaced is if its members resigned or an Extraordinary General Meeting was triggered by 10% of the WRU's 282 member clubs, followed by a vote to oust them. The union remains steadfast in its belief that it is doing the right thing for Welsh rugby.
