Wales Rugby

Neil Treacy is joined by Bernard Jackman and Ian Keatley as we break down the major talking points heading into Round 3 of the Guinness Six Nations.

Please review their details and accept them to load the content. And we look at to continued inconsistencies in the game's disciplinary systems, after Manu Tuilagi's red card and suspension for Sale Sharks at the weekend. We discuss the threat of the Wales squad going on strike unless a financial deal can be reached with their governing body, with a major recession on the way in Welsh rugby.

Welsh stars had demanded the 60-cap law be scrapped, a place for a Welsh Rugby Players' Association representative on the Professional Rugby Board and for the ...

Well, there appears to be a difference of opinion over the cap rule between the WRU, Rugby Management Board and the PRB. One party wanted it scrapped entirely, another wanted it at 20, while the regions preferred 40 caps but in the end, they appear to have agreed on a 25 cap limit. English Championship side Ealing Trailfinders have been exploring the possibility of leaving the Rugby Football Union and joining the WRU in order to enter the URC, which could be a way around this given they would allegedly receive far less money than the remaining three regions. It’s not a great reflection on Welsh rugby and the WRU and they have had a disastrous last couple of months. "The players will be provided the options of having the fixed variable element to their contract or a fixed contract with a guaranteed salary. "There is also an argument surrounding the soon-to-be defunct National Squad 38, which sees the WRU providing a payment to cover 80% of a player's wages if they are in Wales' elite 38-player cohort. "Couple this with the fact benefactors will have to underwrite any losses and you can understand why they are annoyed. And Ken and I and some of the senior players will be meeting more regularly than perhaps we have been in the past." In simple terms, a player could get the choice between signing a contract of £80,000 with no bonuses, or a contract of £70,000 which could potentially rise to £90,000 if he meets certain appearance or performance markers. "We have had significant contractual concerns and have compromised on all the points raised. "As the WRPA we are representing all Welsh rugby players and what’s going on at regional level is, in some ways, different to what’s been going on with the Wales boys. Confirming that the Wales Rugby Players Association would have representation at Professional Rugby Board meetings, he added: "Gareth Lewis, Chief Executive of WRPA attended his first PRB meeting earlier today.

Welsh players are set to decide whether or not to go on strike and impact the upcoming Wales v England match on Saturday. | ITV News Wales.

This afternoon, they will meet with every professional rugby player in Wales to deliver that offer. There are reports of players taking antidepressants to deal with the anxiety being caused. Again it sounds like the 60-cap threshold is going to be reduced, possibly by half. Under new proposals, players would only be guaranteed 80% of their salaries. Because the regions are unable to offer players new contracts. On Saturday night, he picked up what appeared to be a serious ankle injury.

Welsh rugby union chiefs and players' union bosses are set to meet on Wednesday in a last ditch attempt to thrash out a deal to make sure head coach Warren ...

Ireland beat them 34-10 on 4 February in Cardiff and Scotland romped past them 35-7 at Murrayfield in Edinburgh on 11 February. [ rugby World Cup](https://www.rugbyworldcup.com/) in the autumn in [France.](https://www.rfi.fr/en/sports/20210507-france-rugby-union-team-to-play-three-tests-in-australia) [ Wales ](https://www.rfi.fr/en/sports/20191020-wales-beat-france-reach-rugby-world-cup-semi-finals)after Wayne Pivac's departure in December 2022. [ Six Nations tournament.](https://www.sixnationsrugby.com/2023-fixtures/) [Wales](https://www.wru.wales/) have been pummelled in their matches in the campaign. They propose executives from the Wales Rugby Players Association (WRPA) sitting in on PRB meetings. On Wednesday, the Professional Rugby Board (PRB) – which runs the professional game in Wales – will meet before further talks in the afternoon with players' representatives.

The Six Nations match between Wales and England in Cardiff this Saturday could be cancelled if a satisfactory agreement is not sought.

"To fathom the fact we might not do that because of the severity of the situation is very real, but it's the last thing we want to do. "We're very respectful to society as a whole. It's hard to deny, but it's the very last option. "Ultimately, if you treat people badly for long enough, you get to where we find ourselves. Wales have started their Six Nations campaign poorly under returning head coach Warren Gatland, with heavy defeats to Ireland and Scotland to underline the issues faced at present and a strike would trigger an all out crisis in the union. This will be attended by players representing the four Welsh regions, as well as those who play for the national team, with those who represent Wales being centrally contracted the the Welsh Rugby Union.

In this week's edition of Loose Pass, we will mostly be concerning ourselves with the ongoing problems in the Wesh rugby game.

But the most important aspect for all concerned right now is to get it sorted fast, not for the sake of the England game, but for the sake of the players whose futures are most threatened and for the future of one of the game’s most storied nations. If the union does not have the money, it does not have the money. The attempts to tailor the contracts were mostly clumsy and ill-advised, but the reality behind it will not change. On a basic level, the contracts offered to the players in monetary terms – across the regions, it should be noted, not just to the international squad members – reflect the financial situation of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), rather than merely some form of shoddy penny-pinching. And all this against the background of Gatland’s expensive recruitment, not to mention the ugly revelations surrounding the WRU’s locker-room in the boardroom culture – something which put the brakes on the whole process. The whole process should quite clearly have been addressed months ago; it should not be beyond the wit of the WRU to know how its finances stand ahead of next year. How does the union, with responsibilities to both camps, sort that one out to the satisfaction of all? Or break the bank to keep them, but risk the financial security of the domestic game as a whole? The biggest problem being faced by all here seems mostly to be that the last two aspects and the first one are governed by different economics; indeed, the current dispute focuses directly on the mutual exclusivity of some of the regulations the union has put in place. The rule ensures that seasoned, peak-career internationals players do stay in Wales, but the money required to keep them there is no longer competitive, relative to what is on offer in France especially. It would, in a normal year, be one of the most-anticipated clashes in the Six Nations. The players have gone, are still going, to great lengths to portray their masters at the WRU as such.

Wales players will not take strike action after reaching an agreement with the Welsh Rugby Union amid their dispute over contracts, with Saturday's Six ...

Rhys Webb gave a little bit away by saying "I've got my gum shields ready, read into that what you want", which was when we started to think that maybe the game was on. He said "no decision as yet" and we were confused as to what was happening. Then arrived the WRU representatives and the representatives from those regions to meet with those players. "The fact we had to make a stand, the collaboration and conversations that have taken place over the last 10 days or so, have shown that some positive resolutions can be found. Any doubt over Wales' meeting with England on Saturday has now been removed and the game is definitively on. Everybody in Welsh Rugby, we need to pull together now and find the best way forward.

Wales' Six Nations match against England in Cardiff on Saturday will go ahead after potential strike action from Welsh players over a contract dispute was ...

But the number of caps has been reduced to 25." Please review their details and accept them to load the content. There has been huge frustration over the last number of months that it got to this stage. We felt we had to make a stand, but the conversations that have taken place over the last 10 days or so have shown that some positive resolutions can be found. It has been a difficult period, but we have fronted up in training and prepared as we would for any Test match and we are looking forward to getting out there and going toe-to-toe with England. It has been very tough, hugely frustrating.

Wales' players have withdrawn their strike threat for Saturday's Six Nations clash with England after reaching a comprise with their Welsh rugby bosses on ...

'I was not aware of any of the issues at all, no,' said Gatland. 'It finally came to a head so I think we have all been asking for things to get sorted. The key sticking point is that the contract structure would incorporate both fixed and variable elements. Sportsmail understands Wales' players were furious at being put under pressure to withdraw their strike threat and agree to the terms proposed by the WRU Sportsmail understands Wales' players were furious at being put under pressure to withdraw their strike threat and agree to the terms proposed by the WRU. Players set a deadline for Wednesday for their three main demands to be met the WRU - or else they would strike - and they have now come to a compromise.

Wales rugby union head coach Warren Gatland had previously cancelled training and delayed naming his squad to face England. That was to allow players to ...

But the number of caps has been reduced to 25.” Get up to £40 in free bets on selected events. £20) on selected events at odds of 2.00+, in 7 days. It has been a difficult period, but we have fronted up in training and prepared as we would for any Test match and we are looking forward to getting out there and going toe-to-toe with England. It has been very tough, hugely frustrating. The players were negotiating for the 60-cap law be scrapped, a place for a Welsh Rugby Players’ Association representative on the Professional Rugby Board and for the fixed-variable element of new contracts to be binned.

On Wednesday's Rugby Daily, Richie McCormack brings you the very latest on the Wales - England situation.We hear from stand-in captain James Ryan and Mack ...

Every professional player in Wales rugby was invited to the summit gathering, which also included Welsh Rugby Players Association representation.

“The regions (Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets) agreed to do that with the PRB today. “We are going to make sure we don’t get into this position again. “Ken has used that phrase ‘laughing stock’. If need be, the boys were prepared to do what we needed to do. “When we have crossed that white line at training, we’ve prepared well and done our work as professional players. “I can tell you, he (Welsh Rugby Union acting chief executive Nigel Walker) understood where the camp was coming from.

Wales' Six Nations match against England will go ahead on Saturday after the Welsh players decide against strike action.

"If we can continue to do that in the future, we don't end up in a position like this. "There has been huge frustration over the last number of months and it is disappointing that it got to this stage. We are going to make sure we don't get into this position again. Walker and Wall attended a virtual WRU board meeting before a further meeting with Wales captain Ken Owens. "It has been a distraction with everything that has been going on, but I have got to commend the players' professionalism in this," added Owens. "I understand the position the players were in and we at the PRB shouldn't have put them in that position.