WELSH rugby's Professional Rugby Board have appointed Amanda Blanc as their new independent chairperson.

Blanc, from Treherbert, is a former chief executive at Zurich Insurance, Blanc also becomes the third woman to join the Welsh Rugby Union board.

She succeeds David Lovett at the helm of the PRB, which features representatives from the governing body and the regions.

It is responsible for running the professional game in Wales and decided the distribution of funding to the Dragons, Scarlets, Cardiff Blues and Ospreys.

"A passion for Wales, for Welsh rugby and the communities that the game serves around the country has brought me to this role and I am relishing the challenge ahead," said Blanc.

"The PRB obviously has a vital and integral role to play, not only in safeguarding the future of our national game, but also ensuring that it thrives at a time of huge potential change and it will be a great pleasure to do all that I can to help facilitate its aims and ambitions.

"I am looking forward to bringing my corporate board experience to the WRU and PRB; having been used to the complexities involved in running large organisations I know that this will be invaluable in helping Welsh rugby strive towards achieving greater success."

The PRB features the four regional chairmen - Alun Jones (Cardiff Blues), David Buttress (Dragons), Rob Davies (Ospreys) and Nigel Short (Scarlets) – along with WRU chief executive Martyn Phillips and finance director Steve Phillips.

There are two independent members with chairperson Blanc to be joined by another person in the coming months.

"Chairing PRB meetings is not an easy task, with five separate entities determined to pull in the same direction and speak with one voice off the pitch, but with necessarily conflicting agendas on it," said WRU chairman Gareth Davies.

"I would like to take this opportunity to offer the sincere gratitude of Welsh rugby to David Lovett who has been chair since its inception and without whom the PRB would not be the dynamic, forward thinking and progressive body it is today.