How restructured Welsh rugby could look with just two teams

THE structure of the game in Wales could look very different this time next year, with the Welsh Rugby Union publicly considering a reduction in the number of professional clubs from four to two.

- By STEFFAN THOMAS

After years of under-investment into the professional game by the governing body, the men's national team is in the doldrums while the four professional clubs Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets struggle for competitiveness because of the funding gap between themselves and their rivals in the United Rugby Championship. Welsh rugby has finally hit rock bottom and radical changes are on the way.

If Welsh rugby reduces to two professional teams, which is the likeliest outcome, there would be one based in the east and one in the west.

That's not to say they will be called 'East' and 'West' because the branding of a couple of the existing clubs will likely remain at the request of the funding directors who the WRU will need.

The idea will be to have two clubs with playing budgets in the £9m mark with an increased spend on coaching, S&C and the academies.

This should in theory lead to more jeopardy along with competition for contracts and starting places which will drive standards up. It's called elitism.

If we end up with just two professional sides in a couple of years' time what would squads actually look like on paper?

East Wales

The minimum squad size needed to seriously compete is around 45, with between 10-15 senior academy players. This is what, for example, Champions Cup finalists Northampton Saints operated with last season.

But there needs to be as much of an emphasis on the quality of player as there is on quantity which is partly why a reduction of professional clubs is being mooted.

The reality is if Wales wants teams that can compete and win regularly in the knockout stages of the Champions Cup it needs playing budgets of between £8m-£9m.

Even with a reduction down to two teams, Wales' talent pool is currently not as strong as it once was and certainly not at the same level as other nations, but that could change over time.