SAM BACKS PLANS TO AXE ONE TEAM

FORMER Wales captain Sam Warburton has backed the Welsh Rugby Union's plans to cut the number of professional teams from four to three.

- JOHN JONES Sports writer

The futures of the Ospreys and Scarlets have been plunged into doubt. (Below) Sam Warburton

He believes scrapping one side is the correct call, while also identifying the “glaring problem” with last week’s announcement.

Having previously favoured a reduction to two teams, the WRU has announced after a lengthy consultation process that it now proposes to initially keep all four regions in the short term but cut one as soon as possible - potentially by next season.

Under the plans, which were unveiled on Friday, there will be three equally-funded teams from that point onwards, with one side based in the east, one in the west and another in Cardiff.

The WRU hopes a consensus can be reached between the current regions on how this will look, but it has said it will open a tender process for the three available licences if that fails to happen.