Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
Ben James

Carwyn Jones' controversial views on Welsh rugby and the regional 'cartel' amid reported WRU job interview

Former First Minister Carwyn Jones has reportedly been interviewed to take up the role as chair of the Welsh Rugby Union.

The selection of a new independent chair has been described as a "keystone appointment", given they will play an integral role in the process to find a new CEO.

The role is equally important given the context, as the WRU looks to rebuild following allegations of sexism and misogyny within Welsh rugby's governing body. As such, every appointment by the WRU will receive extra scrutiny.

POLL: How far will Wales go at the World Cup? Have your say here or below

Beyond the damning allegations, Welsh rugby finds itself in a worrying position - with financial uncertainty crippling the professional game. Moving into next season, it's questionable how competitive the four regions will be given the reduced budgets and shrinking squad sizes.

Jones has previously expressed left-field views on the future of club rugby in Wales, having called for Welsh Premiership clubs to have the chance to break up the regional 'cartel' and compete in the United Rugby Championship back in 2021.

In an opinion piece he wrote for the National at the time, he questioned why the current professional sides should be "part of a closed shop that nobody else can join". However, there was no plan outlined on how making Welsh rugby 'more competitive' would feasibly work.

The idea, which was met with incredulity by some regional supporters at the time, was effectively a non-starter - given the lack of an explanation of how a Welsh Premiership side could match one of the regions financially to merit a URC place.

"There is now nothing for Premiership clubs to aspire to outside their own league," he wrote.

"The regions haven’t been a great success. They’ve struggled to inspire fans and they haven’t been particularly successful on the pitch.

"No Welsh region has won the European Cup. We don’t have a regional tradition like Ireland or Scotland. Munster is an ancient province; Ospreylia is not.

"Don’t get me wrong, I’m not arguing that we can go backwards to the way things were, but there’s a real question as to how rugby is structured in Wales

"I have no problem with having four fully professional clubs in what was the Pro14, now the United Rugby Championship (URC). By all means call them Llanelli, Swansea, Cardiff and Newport.

"What I object to is these clubs being part of a closed shop that nobody else can join. Why should Cardiff have a permanent position in the URC but not Pontypridd? Why should Llanelli but not Bridgend?

"In order to give the Welsh Premiership some momentum there should be a chance for one of its clubs to displace the established four in the URC.

"If a Premiership club can meet the criteria for facilities that the URC requires then why shouldn’t they be able to compete for a place?

"If they do so then why shouldn’t the bottom-placed club in the URC play off against the Premiership champions?

"It would lift the ceiling off the Premiership and add a competitive element to the end of the season. It would also break what looks like a cartel."

The WRU had recently finalised the shortlist of candidates for the role of independent chair, with Mr Jones understood to have been interviewed.

An appointment of a new independent chair is part of a major overhaul at the WRU, with two independent non-executive roles and the vacant chief executive post also to be filled following Steve Phillips' resignation earlier this year.

As part of the report on Mr Jones' interview, one unnamed source built up Wales' First Minister between 2009 and 2018 as the best possible candidate.

The source told Nation.Cymru: “As the former First Minister, no one is better qualified for such a role than Carwyn Jones. He ran a country for nearly a decade and who can doubt that he is up to the task of running Welsh rugby?

“The WRU should move ahead and appoint him as soon as possible.”

READ NEXT:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.