Welsh rugby needs a unity of purpose with the game at a critical crossroad

The Welsh Rugby Union will next week publish a new strategy (supported by Portas Consulting) on the future of the game in Wales.

I sincerely hope that everyone in Welsh rugby will get behind the union’s new chief executive Abi Tierney and engage positively and constructively with what is being considered.

I urge that a full and proper debate ensues, both earnestly and honestly over the coming months, and in good spirit, with a real desire for positive, lasting, and sustainable change for the benefit of all the game in Wales, recognising that change will continue to develop and evolve.

Moreover, I sincerely hope that the debate is as radical and as wide ranging as people will allow, directly involving all of those who are now responsible for the day to day management and governance of Welsh rugby at all levels of the game.

The challenges facing the game are known to many, but that does not make them any easier to fix.

The context of the debate revolves around fundamental sporting and business questions, agreeing upon what the rugby priorities for the game in Wales are and for world rugby going forward, from participation levels in schools and clubs, for both boys and girls, to the question of how many players are needed to compete and succeed professionally today at club and international level.

And alongside this sits the question of how the game creates compelling and engaging rugby events which reach out and attract and sustain players and crowds week in, week out, attractive at the professional level to media and sponsors.

Most importantly these questions are underscored by the imperative to confront the reality of how much money can Wales and for that matter UK, European and World rugby generate and sustain to fund the ambitions of all of the game, recognising that rugby is not a fully professional sport beyond ten countries around the world, which are competing against a myriad of alternative activities.

The answer to these questions will inevitably impact on the short, mid and long term rugby priorities, whilst addressing what are the most appropriate managerial systems and game structures required to maximise opportunity, and what rugby and business staff and skills are required to take the game forward.

It’s not rocket science, but Wales has not yet landed anyone on the moon.

Wales must operate within a rugby and sporting world which is inevitably unbalanced, driven by vastly different demography and national, sporting and business cultures, which creates unequal opportunities for revenue, media and sponsorship growth. This is the brutal environment in which Welsh rugby operates. The need for rugby to work together now at local, national and world level for the survival of the game has never been greater. Find out more about Roger Lewis Wales here. 

This is why I passionately believe that we must alert those in Wales who have the responsibility and ability to address these critical matters, know, that they have our support, confidence, and encouragement to do the right thing.