Shane Williams’ column: Wales can’t ignore the threat of soccer

Can football overtake rugby union as the national game of Wales? It’s a question I am asking myself more and more these days. I asked my five-year-old son whether he want to play rugby or football on a Sunday morning. His answer summed up what is happening right now.
Even with a dad who played for Wales a fair few times, he wants to be the next Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo or Gareth Bale.
When I was a youngster growing up in Amman, almost everyone in – and outside – the country would agree there was absolutely no chance of rugby being demoted to second place in the hearts and minds of the Welsh.
It was about as likely as Neath and Swansea forgetting a century of bitter rivalry and joining forces to form one super-club.
Oh, hang on…
Even at the turn of the Millennium, Welsh football could not compete at the very top level of the sport in the way the likes of Llanelli, Cardiff and Wales were doing in rugby. But how times have changed.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy football and I was delighted to see the Millennium Stadium named as host venue for the 2017 Champions League final this week.
After the World Cup, it’s probably the biggest football match on the planet and up there with the Super Bowl and Olympic 100 metres final as one of those iconic sporting moments. That it will be staged right at the heart of the Welsh capital, is truly amazing.
It is a sign of how football in Wales is sky-rocketing right now. In the last seven years alone we have seen Swansea City establish themselves as a Premier League side, Cardiff City briefly joined them as well as reaching the finals of both the FA Cup and League Cup.
And now Wales look odds-on to reach the European Championships.
Not only that, but the sport has genuine world stars for the youngsters to follow.
Growing up, my heroes were Ieuan Evans, Jonathan Davies and Scott Quinnell. Nowadays the kids idolise Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Ashley Williams.
But while it is great for Wales to have this football success and these Welshmen doing so well, it is a worry for rugby union and a warning for the future.
I witnessed first-hand the balance of power shift in Swansea while I was at the Ospreys.
Regional rugby has struggled to engage with the fans in the way in which they followed the likes of Neath, Llanelli and Pontypridd for one reason or another.
At the same time, Swansea City reached the Premier League and instantly became the biggest show in town.
The shop at the Liberty Stadium is shared by both the Swans and Ospreys. And I can tell you, honestly, whenever I’ve been down there, almost everyone is shopping on the Swans side of the store. Even with my son.
Some still believe there is a divide between rugby fans and football fans in Wales but there is not.
We’re such a small country, but one that loves its sport, that most people follow both. It’s a simple case of picking which is the best game to go to and let’s face it, right now it is football…and by some margin.
The money in the game, the exposure of its stars on TV and the level of excitement about the product mean people are flocking to the Liberty Stadium not just to watch the Swans.
They are going to see Wayne Rooney, Eden Hazard and Yaya Toure.
In contrast, the regions are playing half a season without their star players, in competitions that are struggling to grab the imagination, a confused fixture list and little or no travelling support.
I regularly go to watch both the Ospreys and Swans and I can easily see why people are choosing football.
The atmosphere is great, there’s great banter between the sets of fans now that the game has cleaned up the crowd trouble of the past.
In rugby, you can almost count the number of followers that come from Glasgow, Connacht or Treviso on one hand.
The games fluctuate from Friday night to Saturday evening and even Sunday evening. In the end, it just seems easier to stay at home and watch it on TV. Sadly many others are doing the same.
European rugby is a different kettle of fish and the chance to watch Bryan Habana, Matt Giteau or Leigh Halfpenny is a real draw.
So c’mon Welsh rugby, let’s try and produce a product (below that of Wales) that people want to watch and enjoy.
Rugby can’t match the money of football but Rugby League has found a way of surviving in a part of the world dominated by the round ball.
So we just have to do the same in Wales.