Welsh rugby firmly at a crossroads... so just consultation period?

THE CONCLUSION of the British & Irish Lions tour seems like a natural time to switch off from the game but Welsh rugby's future will be decided over the next couple of months.

- STEFFAN THOMAS

A consultation process aimed to restructure the professional game along with its supporting pathways will begin this month with the aim of creating a radical new structure for the professional game by the 2027/28 season at the latest.

Last month the Welsh Rugby Union announced the consultation period would take place in August and September with the four professional clubs - Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets - along with the players and the key stakeholders consulted.

The WRU's plan is to announce a new structure for the professional game in October.

But what are the WRU’s aims? What are the biggest problems it needs to overcome and what is the optimum structure for Welsh rugby?

BACKGROUND

THE WRU have already admitted the current structure isn’t delivering sustained success at both national and regional levels as well as not being financially sustainable given the investment which is required.

This is quite the U-turn given the WRU's CEO Abi Tierney said only a few months ago there would be enough money to pay for four successful professional clubs.

But the reality is there was never enough money or high-end talent in Wales to make four teams successful.

What constitutes success is down to interpretation but what Welsh rugby needs is for the majority of its teams to be competing for silverware on annual basis, not merely getting one team scraping into the playoffs.

The reality is the men’s national team national team is the main driver of revenue which essentially pays for the rest of the game and its recent poor run of form has hit the WRU so hard it has needed to revisit its financial projections.

Lower attendance, less prize money and reducing TV income have all contributed to the WRU’s financial problems alongside increasing staffing and energy costs.

HOW DOES IT EVEN START TO GET THE NATIONAL SIDE WINNING SIX NATIONS TITLES AGAIN?