Welsh in revolt at League changes

The Welsh Rugby Union are facing a revolt by more than 100 clubs in protest over the restructuring of their National League.
Their anger exposes the Union to a rebellion, coinciding with David Moffett’s call for the clubs to demand an Extraordinary General Meeting.
Almost 150 are affected by the changes. They claim they have not been consulted over a reorganisation which raises safety issues over mis-matches.
The WRU is to scrap four Divisions and convert them into 13 regional sub-Divisions.
John Manders, driving force behind the famous Cardiff club Old Illtydians, sums up their mood: “The WRU are put- ting something in place which will not work. Worse still, they are putting it in place without any consultation with the clubs.
“We don’t understand what’s happening or why it’s happening because nobody will tell us. The mood is one of anger and despair. These clubs are the very bedrock of Welsh rugby. Without us there is no Welsh rugby.
“As a club-led organisation, the WRU cannot impose some- thing on us without discussing it with us at the very least. They cannot run roughshod over us.
“We feel we have been left out of the loop. We are not averse to change but we have a right to be informed.
“There’s hardly a week goes by in Wales without a club being lost. They are closing on an almost weekly basis.
“The change to the League structure is massive and it will have massive consequences.
“Who has come up with this plan and why? We don’t get to know anything. I have spoken to a large number of chairmen and secretaries of clubs who are in sheer panic at what could happen in terms of not being able to field a team.
“We’re now into May and we don’t have a clue what League we will be in next Sep- tember and who we will be playing. Someone said the Union is doing this to cut travel costs but that doesn’t stack up. In south Wales you don’t have to travel much more than 50 miles at most.
“This has nothing to do with the Moffett Manifesto but it is another sign of the problems which he has highlighted. All the clubs affected by this change are meeting next week and the general mood can be summed up in one sentence: ‘We will not let you do this’.
“Action will be taken, whether it’s a formal letter saying this cannot happen to the possibility of an Extraordinary General Meeting. That, at least, might make them correspond with us.
“I sent my last email to the Union on April 1 and I haven’t had the courtesy of a reply.”
Moffett has warned of the damaging effects of Divisions 4 to 7 being condensed into 13 sub-Divisions compiled on a geographical basis.
Moffett says: “Not only will it mean mismatches with some Division 6-7 clubs playing those currently in Division 3 but there also potentially mas- sive safety risks.”
PETER JACKSON