Wales's four regions are writing to local MPs and Welsh assembly members to get political backing as their dispute with the Welsh Rugby Union heads to the courts.

The regions have said they will not continue a participation agreement with the WRU for another four seasons because they have not been offered an increase in funding at a time when their wage costs are rising, and no meeting is planned with the union before the 31 December deadline to commit. They are writing to politicians pointing out that the future of organisations with a combined turnover of £30m plus who swell their local economies by £50m annually is at stake, along with more than 1,000 jobs.

"The next couple of weeks will be pivotal in terms of planning our future," said the Scarlets' head coach, Simon Easterby at a media conference on Wednesday to promote the Welsh derbies over the festive period. "There are a number of people involved in the regional game: players, coaches, support staff and those who work at the grounds.

"There is more to this than the political side and perhaps that has been forgotten. So there is a lot riding on the next couple of weeks and it is important that the time is used to resolve matters." Phil Davies, the Cardiff Blues' director of rugby, has seen a few disputes in his time in Welsh rugby as a player and a coach, but he feels that the current one is the most serious.

"This is the biggest issue since the game went professional, there is no getting away from that," he said. "There is a solution out there, one which would benefit the national side, the four regions and the Welsh Premiership underneath us. We are not a big country and we need to work together.

"Other countries, like England, have envied the fact that we are a rugby nation. The people of Wales are the custodians with the support they give to local teams, the regions and the national side. Everyone is in this together and there is enough rugby and commercial ability in both the WRU and the regions to sort this out."

Six Wales internationals are out of contract with their regions at the end of the season, including the Wales captain, Sam Warburton, and Leigh Halfpenny at the Blues. The latter has been linked with Toulon, while Warburton has stated publicly he wants to remain with the Blues, but the regions have been able to make only conditional offers because of the uncertainty surrounding their future.

Warburton has told the Blues that any decision he makes will be announced through them. Ospreys have the second-row Alun Wyn Jones coming out of contract, along with the prop Adam Jones, who is believed to be close to agreeing a new deal with the region.

Talks have been held with Premiership Rugby about setting up an Anglo-Welsh league from next season and the regions are prepared to go to court to win the right to organise their own fixtures. The plan was on Wednesday endorsed by Dean Richards, the Newcastle director of rugby. It would mean they would not be part of a European club competition next season and neither organisation will be in Dublin on Friday for another attempt to save the Heineken Cup.

The Rugby Football Union's chief executive, Ian Ritchie, has been trying to secure a six-nation tournament from next season after the other five unions on European Rugby Cup Ltd agreed to set up a tournament next season without the English, but as the Dublin meeting is being conducted under the auspices of the mediator hired by ERC to resolve the impasse, Graeme Mew, the English and Welsh sides are staying at home.

Premiership Rugby has fined Northampton £60,000 for breaking one of its regulations by releasing the Wales wing George North outside the International Rugby Board's official window. The Saints will not appeal but Premiership Rugby has not said whether the sanction will apply every time there is a rule breach.

Wales will want North, who has a release clause in his contract, for the Six Nations campaign next year and for two weeks before it starts.