The two other clubs in the Scarlets region have delivered their verdicts on Llanelli RFC’s decision to withdraw from next term’s Principality Premiership.
Llanelli say they have made the call on the basis of potential fixture overload coupled with pressures on player availability during the World Cup and what they call once-in-a-generation cost pressures.
They plan to play games outside the Premiership calendar as a development team in 2023-24 and also contend withdrawal from the competition for next term “should not in its view preclude Llanelli RFC from being part of any proposed new development competition in 2024/25, which could come under the remit of Welsh Rugby’s Pro Rugby Board (PRB) and Rugby Management Board (RMB) to underpin the professional game”.
Read more: Famous Llanelli RFC club announces it will withdraw from Welsh Premiership next season
The competition in question is the elite league that’s set to take to be wedged in above the Welsh Premiership, starting the season after next.
There could be a scramble for places, but Carmarthen Quins and Llandovery, Llanelli’s neighbouring semi-pro clubs, are not kicking up a fuss over the Llanelli statement.
“I think the first thing to say is it’s sad that one of the semi-pro clubs have had to take this action,” said Quins team manager Steff Thomas.
“My thoughts are with the players, staff and officials and anyone at Llanelli who might be adversely affected.
“Academy players will be coming across to Carmarthen Quins and Llandovery next year, as we’ve been asked to service Llanelli RFC players in the Principality Premiership. We’ll take around seven players each and we, as a club, are happy to do so because we want to help the region.
“We are proud of the role we’ve played in the Scarlets’ development pathway over the years and I’m sure Llandovery are as well.
“For us, it’s a positive to have good quality players come into our environment for a year or two while they continue their journeys. If we can help out that way, it’s something our club is keen on.
“As regards wider issues, there’s more consultation to take place in respect of the proposed new set-up. There’s been no official statement from the Welsh Rugby Union, so we’d only be commenting on speculation and we don’t want to put ourselves in that position.
“I think we’d best wait and see what the union’s firm plans are before thinking and worrying about what Llanelli are doing in a year’s time.
“It’s breaking ground in that the new competition will apparently be in the professional side of the game as opposed to the community game. We’ll just have to trust the process and see what happens.”
Llandovery, who stand top of Welsh rugby’s semi-pro tier amid an excellent season that has seen them win 15 of their 18 league games played to date, take a similar view, believing there are so many blanks to be filled in over the suggested competition that it’s not worth fretting over at this stage.
“Exact details are not available at this point, so we can’t be sure what’s happening,” said Llandovery head coach Euros Evans.
“I have read certain suggestions about numbers in the new competition and how it could be made up but have also heard it could be some sort of franchise process with those interested in taking part needing to apply.
“There’s just a lack of clarity out there right now.” (You can read how a famous face tried to help the rebuilding process at Llanelli RFC here.)
How does one of the most respected developers of talent in Welsh rugby, who has been shining up gems as director or rugby at Coleg Sir Gar for close on two decades, feel about Llanelli potentially taking a place in the elite division after taking a year out from the Welsh Premiership? “The league’s potentially going to move to the professional end of the game and leave the community part, which changes things," said Evans.
"Until the detail is out there and we know what the application process is going to look like, it’s hard to have an opinion on whether a particular club should be allowed to apply or not.
“But, yes, Llandovery would hope to be involved. The club have worked hard over the years to get where they are and with the facilities they have, they are probably ready to go. So we’d hope to be part of it, but I’m sure there are 13 or so other clubs who feel exactly the same. It’s going to be survival of the fittest in many ways.”
Evans continued: “We’ve had initial discussions with the region about the players we are expected to service. We are more than happy to do that because we want the region to be as strong as possible and bringing through as many quality players as possible.
“Llandovery want to help that process.”
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