Championship club Tata Steel RFC have endured a tumultuous start to the season and face the threat of relegation to the 'lowest Division' if they are unable to fulfill their matches.
They have been a fixture in the league for the past decade and challenged at the top half of it during that stretch, but the club are experiencing more turbulent times at present. A week before the season started, they put out a notice on social media indicating that they needed new players.
Tata were then unable to field a side against Beddau and Maesteg Harlequins on the first two weekends of the season.
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At the end of last term, it is thought that the club had received assurances from players they were committed to returning for the 2022/23 campaign but, 'for a variety of reasons', numbers quickly became an issue.
The club has indicated to WalesOnline that some players wanted to move to clubs closer to where they live, some have taken up coaching roles and others simply didn't want to commit to playing rugby in the Championship, which is a notoriously tough league.
Some clubs in the division possess the license required to pay their players whilst still receiving funding from the Welsh Rugby Union - they are Bargoed, Bedwas, Cross Keys and Pontypool - and some do not, which creates a bit of an imbalance.
Tata Steel, however, did not receive payments from the WRU last season because they opted out of signing the 'Statement of Truth', which meant they were free to pay their players but did not have access to any Union funding to do it. They also decided against signing it for the two years that preceded the Covid-19 pandemic but it is not known what the situation is this term.
Happily, they have managed to get a side together and were able to fulfil their last two fixtures. Players have been drafted in by coaches, current players have brought in their mates, lower league clubs have helped out and they've taken advantage of the permit system.
They've managed to take the field but lost 48-7 against Ystalyfera, who later tweeted: "Great 48-7 win for us but yesterday was more about Tata rugby fielding a team and trying to play the whole game fully contested scrums. Hats off to them and good luck for the remainder of the season."
Last weekend they faced Cross Keys and suffered a bruising 100-6 defeat.
The good news for Tata is that no Championship club will be relegated this season provided they fulfil all of their fixtures.
However, the situation could soon become perilous because the league's rules and regulations state that Tata - and any other club for that matter - could be relegated to the 'lowest Division' if they are not able to play all of their matches this season and another team will be promoted to fill the space.
The WRU's rules and regulations read: "In the event that a Club fails to complete its League programme, the Competitions Management Committee shall have the discretion to deal with that Club, as well as any consequential changes to the National League, as it deems appropriate.
"Such discretion shall include, but is not limited to, relegating the Club concerned to the lowest Division and promoting such other Club(s) as it deems appropriate in the circumstances."
Therefore it becomes crucial that Tata scrape together a group of players to simply fulfil fixtures regardless of what the result is as that will, at least, keep them in the league.
Any players who wish to help out are asked to contact club secretary Mark Williams on 07768 530569.
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