Civil war looming once again (From Campaign Series)

Civil war looming once again

11:50am Tuesday 7th July 2009

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WELSH rugby stands on the brink of civil war again as the four regions threaten the Welsh Rugby Union with High Court action over player availability.

Regional Rugby Wales claim the WRU don’t have permission for players to be released for the nation’s big clash with New Zealand on Saturday, November 7.

The showdown with the All Blacks is Wales’ first autumn international and outside the International Rugby Board’s window. The regions’ representatives, RRW were granted an emergency hearing last week.

The WRU won a similar legal battle over the regions last year.

The regions have made their court threat because they say they are no nearer finalising the participation agreement with the WRU and claim they are being treated as ‘servant’ to the WRU’s ‘master’.

Last night the WRU released a statement expressing their “surprise” over the regions’ decision to issue a press release early yesterday afternoon.

The WRU said: “In particular the WRU is very surprised at the suggestion that the negotiations between the WRU and the four regional organisations have, ‘in reality, not only stalled, but failed,’ since negotiations have proceeded in good faith since the four regional organisations elected to renew the existing participation agreement for a further five years from June 1.

“Indeed at the last meeting on June 12, a further meeting was arranged for July 17 to discuss the very topics which the regions refer to in their press statement.”

RRW’s statement said: “Despite months of protracted talks, at which very little has been achieved, a revised participation agreement has yet to emerge advancing the relationship between the WRU and the professional game in Wales.

“In fact, it would be fair to say that negotiations between the WRU and RRW have, in reality, not only stalled but failed. During the intervening months the WRU's executive has made clear that it does not wish to entertain a formalised partnership between the governing body and the professional game in Wales. It has gone so far as to state that it will not enjoin in any structured and binding partnership with RRW. At a time when other rugby nations have embraced the benefits of partnership working for the betterment of the game, the WRU's executive continues to treat the relationship with the professional tier in Wales as one of master and servant.

“Despite at the WRU's request RRW providing comprehensive amendments to the current participation agreement to the current one the WRU failed to present any form of revised draft for months, the last of which bore an almost identical resemblance to the one dismissed by the regions last year.

The WRU added: “It is also of interest the regions have all taken up their full ticket allocation for the New Zealand game.

“The WRU has invested heavily in all aspects of the game, in particular, the regions.

“The WRU does not recognise the so-called ‘master and slave’ relationship.”

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