Town leaders say loss of Scarlets would be 'travesty'

LLANELLI town councillors say the loss of the Scarlets, its stadium and jobs would be a 'travesty'.

- IAN LEWIS Reporter

Councillors will table a motion at a meeting of Llanelli Town Council tomorrow and argue the regional rugby side's multi-million pound contribution to the local economy and cultural significance, means the Scarlets must survive the Welsh Rugby Union's (WRU) restructuring plans.

The proposed first-choice plan to halve the number of professional teams from four to two. As a result the Scarlets, Ospreys, Cardiff and Dragons, all face an anxious wait.

This week saw the start of a consultation by the game’s key stake holders, with a final decision due in October. The WRU’s optimal solution to Welsh rugby’s issues will see two teams with 50 players each going forward - a huge cut in players at the top end of the game.

It would be underpinned with a much-improved and financed Super Rygbi Cymru competition involving Welsh club sides, with further details of that element set to emerge.

As well as players, coaches, backroom staff, operations and administration staff at the Parc y Scarlets stadium in Trostre, are all potentially affected by the shakeup, with uncertainty over jobs. The Scarlets has 164 employees, but Llanelli Town Council claims there are over 400 jobs connected to the club.