Anglo-Welsh league ‘depends on money’
CARDIFF, WALES - DECEMBER 16: Miles Reid of Bath Rugby with the ball during the Investec Champions Cup match between Cardiff Rugby and Bath Rugby at Cardiff Arms Park on December 16, 2023 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Patrick Khachfe/Getty Images)
Premiership coaches have given their backing to Warren Gatland's call for an Anglo-Welsh league – as long as the finances add up.
Wales head coach Gatland said last month he would like to see the Gallagher Premiership clubs and the four Welsh regions combine forces and renew a rivalry that was a big feature of the game until the RFU introduced leagues in 1987.
The Welsh regions are struggling financially with their budgets for next season cut at a time when they are having to repay a Covid loan. It has led to an exodus of players.
Three Premiership clubs folded last season after piling up debts and the top flight has been reduced to 10. Losses are still being accumulated with Sale, Exeter and Bristol recently reporting a combined deficit of £14m.
“It is an interesting concept and one I would not be against,” said Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter, below, whose side played the Scarlets yesterday in a friendly.
“It would depend on how much money there is.
That is what drives league structures, television and sponsorship deals and opportunities for big gates.
“The approach we must have is what makes us most viable as clubs and the question is the same for the Welsh regions. Revenue is the key. I have no problem with the idea of it – it would be fantastic going to games in Wales and it would cut down our travel costs.
“If there is a taste for it and a willingness from backers I would say it is likely to happen. If not, then it would be unlikely but if enough people want it, I do not think there would be much of a debate.”
The Premiership is currently having its first mid-season break with the league suspended for the duration of the Six Nations, although the Premiership Rugby Cup will be played to its conclusion.
Owners have welcomed the ending of fixture clashes when the championship was held because it means their clubs are able to pick from strength for the vast majority of the Premiership rounds.
“We are on the cusp in the Premiership of saying we have not got enough games,” said Baxter. “There has been a big drive from owners and investors not to have clashes with the Six Nations but it is a long time to go without games.
“Where is the fine line between too many and too few? I always thought 12 clubs was pretty good, but what would be the level of fixtures before there was a clash with the Six Nations, something the regions would want to avoid because of the number of players they supply to the national side?”
A current debate in English rugby is the future of the Championship with the RFU wanting the second tier made up of clubs who all have the ambition of getting promoted. If the regions were added to the mix and Worcester, Wasps and London Irish were reformed, three more clubs would allow for two conferences of 10.
“I think that is the way it would go,” said Baxter. “You would be able to work out your fixtures and there would be enough progression games to ensure viability throughout the season.
“What I liked about the Champions Cup format this season was that it stayed alive at the group stage to the final round of fixtures when all except one team had something to play for. It showed there is merit in extended formats.”
Another idea that has long been floated is for a club competition that involves teams from the two hemispheres. Bristol played the Crusaders in a friendly at Ashton Gate last night but what is the prospect of a repeat happening in a tournament?
“If there is enough groundswell and propulsion, people can make it happen,” said Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam, below. “It should definitely be considered, but it would be the biggest challenge on the rugby calendar. Some things take longer than others to happen and it is a question of willingness.
“A current debate is how to stop prolonged kicking exchanges that see players standing around in the middle of the field. Super Rugby are changing the law so that they will have to make an effort to put themselves onside, not loiter. If you talk about something there is a good chance it will happen. I would be behind an Anglo-Welsh league 100 per cent.
“I think the regions would add value and it would have to work commercially. We are looking to play the Scarlets and Cardiff in pre-season and they are easy trips for us. You always have to look at the future of the game and explore ways of making it more attractive.”
Lam used the match against the Crusaders to exchange ideas with their head coach Rob Penney, an old friend, and the two coaching teams had a few hours together. “We had a couple of hours one morning and then had lunch together,” said Lam. “Rob and I go back a long way and we had a great discussion about trends in the game and the way we feel it is going.
“We agreed that rugby is an entertainment business and we have a responsibility to ensure that the next generation want to play the game.
“No one wants to watch a 6-3 slog apart from the purists. That is why something has to be done about 15-20 kicks in a row with players standing in the middle. It was the week Barry John died and it was a reminder of the attitude he had, not a free-for-all but the mindset to play the game and what is on.”
