'We've dug in and fought our corner'

THE Scarlets are confident they have made a strong case to be a central part of the new three-club structure and believe it is possible to reach consensus over the next few weeks.

- STEFFAN THOMAS

In a meeting at Parc y Scarlets on Wednesday night the Scarlets management team addressed the club's supporters.

This is a turbulent time for Welsh rugby with the Welsh Rugby Union looking to reduce the number of professional clubs from four to three, while it has also proposed a model of central control.

The Scarlets have been working hard behind the scenes to fight their corner and decided to update their key stakeholders before going public.

“The reality is this is where we are today,” said Scarlets executive chairman Simon Muderack.

“I do think it is the right decision at this point in time to go down from four to three from a financial perspective but also the player resources that we have. What we've done is kept our council externally. We aren't taking anything for granted.

“We have certainly dug in and fought our corner using facts, figures, the rich history of the club and everything we have produced and contributed to Welsh rugby. We presented those facts very factually and very positively to the union.

“It is my belief that if those facts are looked upon honestly in any assessment then nobody could countenance a future for Welsh rugby without the Scarlets at the heart of it.”

The WRU wants one team based in Cardiff, one in the east and only one in the west, which leaves both the Ospreys and the Scarlets in a vulnerable position.

WRU chairman Richard Collier-Keywood has said he is confident they can reach consensus on the three teams by the end of the year but if they cannot, a long and drawn out tender process will begin in the new year. Predictably this question was put to the Scarlets management.