Jonathan Davies heavily criticised the Welsh Rugby Union’s handling of players’ contracts following the threat to strike ahead of Wales’ crucial Six Nations clash with England.
“I’m 100% with the players where they are, there’s no way you can live your life not knowing where you are going to be in May,” the ex-cross code Welsh international said on Monday’s The Rugby Paper Podcast.
“It’s mindboggling to come to this situation where these players don’t know where they are going to be in May and don’t know where their money is coming from.
“Why haven’t they got a business plan? It should be a five or six year plan but I just can’t believe how we’ve got to this situation, and I do feel for the players.”
Regional players have been left in contractual limbo with many not knowing whether they will still be employed at the end of the domestic season, a situation that leaves Wales ‘looking like a laughing stock’ according to captain Ken Owens.
The players’ move to take strike action became a genuine threat early in the week with the contractual issues finally coming to a head, leaving the future of Welsh Rugby in a precarious spot.
However, Wales withdrew their threat to strike for their Six Nations clash with England, Welsh Rugby’s biggest revenue-generating fixture of the year, following a string of meetings with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) and the Professional Rugby Board (PRB) surrounding the security of players’ contracts on Wednesday.
Positivity arose following these lengthy meetings as it was announced that the fixed variable element of players’ contracts, which previously only saw 80% of wages guaranteed, will be removed.
Also among the changes, the 60-cap rule, which prevented players contracted outside of Wales with fewer than 60 international caps to play for the national side, has now been dropped to 25 caps.
The meetings further established that moving forward, players will have a stronger voice as the Wales Rugby Players Association was guaranteed representation in all future negotiations with the PRB, a move that Davies described as long overdue.
“That should’ve happened when the game went professional so you can get a player’s perspective on the board,” he said.
“They haven’t really grasped professionalism since it’s come in.”
However, Davies believes that overpaying players has been a longstanding issue in Welsh Rugby and still needs solving.
He said: “The bigger problem now is getting the players to understand that it’s not sustainable with the current salaries.
“I think the regions know themselves that they’ve overspent on players and realistically I also think that a lot of players would know that they are massively overpaid.”
The focus now shifts to Saturday’s grudge match and Davies believes the off-field situation can galvanise a struggling Wales this weekend and has backed them to beat England for their first win of the tournament.
He said: “I just feel Wales will dog it out on Saturday, but we have to show some creativity against England.”
Warren Gatland‘s second stint as head coach has begun miserably with Wales comprehensively beaten against Ireland and Scotland in their opening two fixtures.
However, with England also under a new regime and still searching for form, this weekend is a chance for Wales to make their first big statement since Gatland‘s return.
Written by Cameron Stephens
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