Regions agreement key next step for WRU in 2025

According to Chief Executive Abi Tierney, reaching a new agreement with all four of Wales’ professional regions is the top priority for the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) in 2025.

Tierney added that the Union was “hugely optimistic about forging a new way ahead” in the community game in a New Year’s message.

She spoke about the challenges facing the men’s side under Warren Gatland and the prospect of hiring a new women’s coach.

Tierney, speaking exactly a year since taking the role, said all elements of the WRU’s ‘ One Wales ‘ strategy are agreed and being executed, while a deal with Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets “one final and vital piece of the jigsaw”.

The Union CEO stated that “we need to ensure we have our new Professional Rugby Agreement (PRA) before we can move on to some crucial points because our professional game is such a crucial component of our strategic plan.”

In recent years, Wales’ four professional regions have struggled to compete in European and URC competitions.

Squad sizes have decreased as a result of the budget’s reduction for the 2024-2020 season, which was £5.22 million to £4.5 million.

Some pundits, including former Wales centre Jonathan Davies, advocated for the number of regions to be reduced while the national team is currently suffering from their worst ever run of defeats.

Tierney insists that the WRU will continue to support the four professional teams.

She acknowledged that Wales’ opinion is divided over whether to support four regional clubs or reduce in number.

“Many of the people I’ve spoken to have a positive opinion of Welsh rugby and are excited to see what increased investment and collaboration will bring. There are equally those who say that either, objectively, the right decision has not been made or that we have lacked decisiveness in general.

In addition to these challenging times, the WRU has been the victim of concerns about the community game, sexism, strike threats, contract disputes, and poor performances from the national teams.

Tierney promised to put the focus on a new Welsh rugby strategy by the end of the first half of 2024 at the time of her appointment 12 months ago.

A bullet-point wishlist was what came after, with specific details expected to be released at some point in 2025.

Tierney anticipates that progress will take another four years, but he has already cited the success of the National Leagues, the Women’s Celtic Challenge, and the new second-tier Super Rygbi Cymru as areas of success in the current season, as well as a desire to increase the number of girls playing the game.

The men’s national team suffered a record 12 successive Test defeats, which was statistically the worst year in its 143-year international rugby history.

Warren Gatland will continue to lead the Six Nations after the series’ review of the fall.

However, after a dispute over contracts and a year in which they lost just four of their 11 Tests, they were able to win the World Cup with a play-off victory against Spain, along with the WRU’s executive director of rugby Nigel Walker, who resigned.

A first-ever head of women’s rugby has been promised, while Gloucester-Hartpury’s Sean Lynn is among the favourites for an imminent head coach announcement.

Tierney claimed that the WRU was aiming for a record-setting crowd for their March home-based women’s international against England.

She also mentioned Warren Gatland and his team, who were “decisive and galvanized.”