WRU plan new 'elite' eight-team league above Welsh Premiership as regions to nominate sides

[Malpas69]

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rug ... t-26490634

The Welsh Rugby Union has devised initial plans for an elite eight-team league to sit between the professional and community games.

A private meeting took place between senior WRU officials and club representatives at the Principality Stadium on Tuesday night where radical plans were put forward.

In a WRU Powerpoint presentation, the initial idea behind what was titled the "elite league" was explained to the clubs in attendance.

If this idea gets the go ahead the regions will nominate one semi-professional club each from their pathway, while Rygbi Gogledd Cymru will also be guaranteed a place.

The remaining clubs in the Premiership will then get the opportunity to apply to fill the remaining three places but it is unclear what the criteria for entry will be.

It appears these plans will get voted on by the Professional Rugby Board and the 21-strong Community Game Board.

There structure will stay as it is for next season with any potential changes expected to get implemented in the 2024/25 season.

Acting WRU chief executive Nigel Walker, in his previous role as performance director, attempted to cut the number of teams in the Premiership to 10 clubs, but this was rejected by the CGB who thought it would cause too much disruption for the leagues below.

Instead the semi-professional Premiership will be increased from 12 clubs to 14 for the 2023/24 season.

There will be an accompanying major change to the Championship from 2023-24. It will be split into two regional leagues of 12 teams each - East and West. As part of that re-jig, 12 clubs will be promoted from the various sections in Division One to make it 24 sides in the new two-group Championship.

It has long been argued the gap between semi-professional level and the United Rugby Championship needs to be bridged, and there's a school of thought condensing the Premiership is one way to do this.

The Premiership is expected to remain a 14-club league regardless, but one way to satisfy both the regions and the community game is to create an elite league to sit between both levels.

In theory this would significantly increase the quality and provide a better breeding ground for professional players of the future.

It's worth noting nothing is set in stone with Welsh rugby having a track record of similar deals falling through at the last minute.

Potential funding was also discussed at this meeting, with community clubs currently receiving £4,000 per club. Funding for the community game is ringfenced at £10.4m and there is no suggestion this will change.

Promotion from the Championship to the Premiership will be more important than ever next season, with each club expected to receive circa £50,000 each.

[bloodknock]

The idiots just don't let go! We can all predict the `gang of 8` can't we. Hope the clubs do not fall for this garbage - don't trust the WRU one iota.
Just kill off the game at club level.

[String]

Its Walkers idea (already rejected by clubs) resurrected yet again.
Nothing new. Certainly not radical. Just trying to force through this one thing.

They've devalued club rugby so badly already and now it looks like they're trying to kill it off totally.

They want a smaller league (can clubs survive on 7 home games a season?) with no promotion, no relegation and no incentive to win and no negative effects if you lose.

A lower quality version of the professional level they already did that to.


I really don't see what they're trying here - are they trying to remove all remaining fan interest from any tier below the top by making the entire competition pointless or is this just an accident due to incompetence?

This is effectively the "regional A teams" thing all over again.

Creating an "elite league in-between" is just another way of saying pushing the other leagues down another level.

[bloodknock]

If this is Walker`s brainchild then he needs to go, along with rest of the bad eggs at the WRU.

[Malpas69]

So, will the Elite 8 Clubs be full of Academy players, is that how it is going to work?

So, the players who have played for a particular Club for years will just be cast aside to be replaced by some Academy player who has absolutely no affinity to that Club?

Even if a particular Club is chosen or nominated to be one of the Elite 8, is that what supporters of that Club really want? ... and only 7 home games a season?

I have said all along, and still maintain that the Premiership needs more Clubs and more matches, not less! 14 (as per next season) probably feels about right... and then the WRU go and change it AGAIN!

Having more Clubs would increase the opportunity to involve/include some of the Academy players over the season.

It is ill thought through and hopefully will be voted down.