Welsh will be safe from Aviva Premiership relegation

The Welsh regions have struck a deal guaranteeing three of their four teams immunity from relegation as a condition of joining the English Premiership.

The protective clause reveals how far Anglo-Welsh negotiations have gone towards the disaffected regional quartet making the cross-border move in defiance of their Union. It will ensure that at least three of the Cardiff Blues, Newport Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets will stay in the top flight even if they finish bottom.

Under the five-year proposal, the first Welsh team to finish bottom would be relegated to the Championship. Should another Welsh team finish bottom the following season and the relegated fail to gain promotion, the lowest-ranked English club would go down instead.

The combined fight by the Welsh quartet for their very existence will intensify when Tuesday’s deadline set by the Welsh Rugby Union passes with the regions cutting the umbilical Union cord rather than be browbeaten into renewing their participation agreement.

Months of demoralising hostility will come to a head on New Year’s Eve, the zero-hour set by the WRU for the regions to sign up to the Union for five more years or face liquidation. With the rival factions as far apart as ever and no meetings due to take place, the regions stood united as one last night in refusing to renew the Union’s participation agreement.

“It is impossible for the Regions to commit to a rolling five-year plan when we don’t even know what will happen in six months when the current participation agreement expires,” say Regional Rugby Wales, the umbrella body representing the four teams.

“This is despite the WRU knowing of the uncertainty around European competition for almost two years and the PRO12 for approaching one year. There is currently no sponsor for the PRO12 next season and no TV deals are confirmed.

“We would ask whether Warren Gatland has extended his contract as national coach on the same terms as he had in 2008?

“In addition to being unable to confirm the structure of their European competition, the WRU are unable to confirm fully the number of teams competing in the PRO12 between 2014-5 and 2018-9, the revenue from the league and its distribution in that period.

“We are fighting to bring new revenues into the game in Wales, something which will benefit everyone involved in rugby, from the community game through to the national team and would enable us to ensure a vibrant Welsh game for everybody to enjoy for many years to come.

“The ongoing player drain could bring about the end of professional rugby in Wales, unless something is done to stop it now. As a sport we are already facing increased pressure from the globalisation of football and Welsh clubs in the Premier League. We all need to pull together to be able to compete for young talent in Wales.”

As well as joining the Aviva Premiership, the four Welsh teams want to play in the Rugby Champions’ Cup, the new streamlined European competition proposed by the 12 English clubs but torpedoed more by Union refusal to let the clubs run the competition than by the French volte face which has left the English on their own.

From a 16-club Aviva backed by the Champions’ Cup, the four Welsh teams claim they will generate between £2m and £2.5m per region from increased television, sponsorship and gate revenue. “We have never been more unified with the English clubs,” a leading Welsh source told The Rugby Paper.

A draft fixture list of the 30-match competition is understood to have been drawn up.

The WRU board meet on Thursday to consider the escalating crisis. Chief executive Roger Lewis has made it clear that failure to sign the agreement will mean the end of the regions.

Whether the Union press ahead with plans to create three new teams built on centrally-contracted players remains to be seen. They will be expected to seek IRB backing to block any cross-border initiative which will force the regions to decide whether to take legal action.

There are other implications, not least for the PRO12 whose title sponsors, the Dutch bank RaboDirect, finish at the end of the season. Sky are understood to be paying £5.5m per season to televise the competition next season, a deal done on the understanding the four Welsh regions would be part of the twelve.

English power-brokers say “the next ten days will be critical.” Regional Rugby Wales say: “PRL are fighting to bring new revenues into the game in Wales, which will benefit everyone involved in rugby, from the community game through to the national team and would ensure a vibrant Welsh game for everybody to enjoy for years to come.”

PETER JACKSON

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Tagged Aviva Premiership, Wales