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There is to be a massive shake-up at the Arms Park with Cardiff Blues taking over the running of the Cardiff RFC Premiership team and a new coaching group being installed.

Up to now, the club side has been run by a rugby section of Cardiff Athletic Club, who own the Arms Park and lease it out to the region.

That is all to change with the Blues assuming direct responsibility for the semi-pro team, who currently lie down in ninth place in the Premiership table.

Director of rugby Simon King will be moving on when his contract comes to an end later this season, with former Wales captain Matthew Rees among the candidates to take over on the coaching front.

The plan is for the club side to provide a playing opportunity for the large number of talented youngsters who are coming up through the Blues Academy system.

And the idea is that it will act as a second team for the Blues, in the same way as The Rags (Cardiff Athletic) did for Cardiff RFC in the old pre-regional days.

Chairman Peter Thomas admitted the club side has been somewhat neglected in the past and can no longer be allowed to languish down near the bottom of the Premiership table.

He is determined to see their fortunes turned around in a mirror image of the “massive changes for the better” which Danny Wilson has brought to the Blues.

“The Cardiff RFC Ltd company owns both the Blues and the Premiership side,” explained Thomas.

“Cardiff Athletic Club do not have a rugby team. They haven’t had one for the last 18 years.

“But we have allowed a section, their rugby committee to take responsibility for running the match day requirement for Premiership games.

“But it hasn’t worked out. Cardiff RFC is languishing towards the bottom of the table. This is unacceptable to the company.

“We have somewhat neglected the Premiership side for numerous reasons.

“The time has come that we have to take control of that asset and develop it under the umbrella of the Cardiff Blues structure.

“We can’t afford Cardiff RFC, the capital city club, to languish in the bottom four.”

New coaching team to be installed

As part of that shake-up, there will be changes on the coaching front.

“Simon King has done a job to the very best of his ability and is a person I hold in the highest regard,” said Thomas.

“As a rugby person and a man he is a top, top guy.

“But we are now setting up a new coaching team to run the Premiership side.

“Simon is coming towards the end of his contract and will be leaving us. He knows that.

“We have got to use our own coaching resources.

“We are talking to people like Matthew Rees and Duane Goodfield about possibly becoming involved, while we have the experience of the likes of Richard Hodges, Gafyn Cooper and Billy Millard to draw on too, as well as Danny himself.

(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency)

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“The reasons these changes are coming about is having reflected on the positive changes at the Blues this season we have decided to take the Premiership side back under the company wing , with our sincere thanks to the people at CAC for the work they have done.”

Expanding on this point, Thomas said: “We have had a look at the Cardiff Blues situation and for the last few years we have been doomed with wrong coaches in our set-up and as a result we have languished in the bottom half of the table.

“With Danny Wilson coming in, we are beginning to see the benefits of what is being done under him.

“You can see the team is playing a better style of rugby and competing for 80 minutes. There is so much enthusiasm there now and we are in the process of significantly strengthening the squad for next season.

“What Danny has brought is a massive change for the better in terms of the culture.

“We want to replicate that with the Premiership side now.”

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Cardiff RFC to draw on Blues academy players

There will also be changes to the make-up of the semi-pro team, with a heavy focus on youth.

“A lot of our Academy players will be part of Cardiff RFC, supplemented by other players,” said Thomas.

“This year we have seen Academy products like Dillon Lewis, Brad Thyer, Ethan Lewis, Jarrod Evans and Aled Summerhill all come through to play for the Blues, while we have got a number of Academy members in the highly successful current Wales U20s team.

“There are amazing Academy players coming through.

“We have to utilise the experience of Danny’s coaching team with the Premiership side so we can grow our talent.”

Changes 'not linked to Athletic Club negotiations'

Thomas rejected any suggestion that the changes are linked in any way to the ongoing negotiations between Cardiff RFC Ltd and the Athletic Club over agreeing a long-term lease for the Arms Park, which would enable the Blues to go ahead with a major ground and commercial redevelopment.

“This is nothing at all to do with any discussion that is taking place with CAC about the lease,” he insisted.

“This is purely a rugby decision.

“We have seen the benefit of what Danny Wilson has done with the Blues and we want to replicate that with the Premiership side.

“We see it becoming a Cardiff Blues second team, in the same way as we had the Rags in the old club days.”

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