Welsh Rugby Union Unveils Five-Year Plan to Rebuild the Game
The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has unveiled its ambitious five-year plan to revitalize the sport of rugby union in Wales. Under the leadership of new chief executive Abi Tierney, who took up her post in January, the governing body has outlined a comprehensive strategy to improve the performance of the national teams, strengthen the regional clubs, increase grassroots participation, and ensure financial sustainability.
Addressing Financial Challenges
Addressing the media at a Principality Stadium briefing, Tierney and WRU chair Richard Collier-Keywood acknowledged the union’s current financial difficulties, with an annual deficit of £15 million and £24 million in debt, largely due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The previous administration’s decision to sell off some of the WRU’s media rights shares was also cited as a contributing factor.
Key Objectives of the Five-Year Plan
The five-year plan sets out several key objectives, including:
- Consistently ranking the men’s and women’s national teams in the world’s top five.
- Ensuring the club teams are challenging for play-off positions in the United Rugby Championship (URC) and Celtic Challenge.
- Retaining and growing the number of active participants in the sport.
- Achieving financial sustainability at all levels of the game.
- Increasing the percentage of the Welsh public with a positive perception of Welsh rugby.
Restructuring the Regional Teams
Tierney emphasized the need for hard decisions to be made in order to establish sound financial foundations, which could involve restructuring the regional teams and their funding models. The £35 million funding gap over the next five years for the four regions has put their future in doubt, with the WRU acknowledging the need for a significant investment to make them competitive.
“The level of investment required to make four regions competitive is significant, and we have a significant gap to close,” Tierney stated. “There are ways to address that, by growing income and restructuring the debt because the interest is expensive. But if we can’t do that, then perhaps we need to look at the regional structure.”
Rebuilding Performance and Reigniting Passion
The new strategy comes at a time when Welsh rugby has endured a difficult period, with both the men’s and women’s national teams struggling in the Six Nations and the regions failing to make an impact in the URC. The recent 41-13 defeat against South Africa was the seventh successive loss for Warren Gatland’s men’s team, marking his worst run as Wales head coach.
“At the heart of this strategy is success on the field,” Tierney emphasized. “That drives ticket sales, brings sponsorships and that money funds the rest of the game, which provides the foundation for the professional game. Every element of this strategy needs to work for success on the pitch.”
The WRU’s five-year plan aims to address the union’s financial challenges, rebuild the performance of the national and regional teams, and reignite the passion of the Welsh public for the sport of rugby union. The full details of the strategy are expected to be unveiled in October, as the governing body embarks on a crucial period in the history of the game in Wales.
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