'I stand by decision to cut regions. A key point got lost' - legend Jamie

WELSH Rugby Union board member Jamie Roberts says the right decision has been made to cut the number of regions to three.

- DYLAN JAMES

After a long consultation process between stakeholders in the game, a decision was announced one week ago that there will be three teams in Wales going forward.

‘The WRU’s initial plan was to cut to two teams but this was met with a fiercely negative response from fans, players and clubs, with some supporters even staging protests.

Within the next few years, there are plans to have a team based in Cardiff, one in the east and one in the west - the biggest change in the Welsh game since the inception of the regions in 2003.

Welsh legend Roberts, who was part of the iconic golden generation under Warren Gatland, is now a non-executive board member at the Union alongside his commitments as a doctor and pundit.

He was part of the 12-strong WRU board who unanimously passed through the plan and insists it had to be done, no matter how difficult the fallout.

He also believes one of the key changes, in terms of the investment going into younger players, understandably got a little lost amid the headline act of a side being cut.

“The last couple of months has been very busy,” Roberts told the Western Mail in an exclusive interview.

“A lot of information has been coming in to the Welsh Rugby Union board from the consultation process, which is a whole bible of information from all the stakeholders in the game in Wales.