WRU intends to cut a region by 2028

[pompey-zebra]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cyv8ql9p108t

[Son of Mathonwy]

WRU decide to lop off one limb. Further decline for Welsh rugby is now locked in as fans and player development opportunities are reduced. And setting the Ospreys against the Scarlets is mental.

Dave Reddin will fuck off after a few years and we're left with a permanently diminished set-up. Brilliant. Hope they pay themselves some nice bonuses for this Brexit-level catastrophe.

[Son of Mathonwy]

Who the hell will sign a new contract with the Ospreys or Scarlets now?

The Welsh team should go on strike. It's the only thing that they'd pay attention to.

[Son of Mathonwy]

Have to say, a player strike is the only hope now.

What the WRU are planning is far more serious than what was going on before the last threatened strike. And both Morgan and Lake are in the Ospreys, one of the two teams on the chopping block, so the main leadership in the squad are well motivated to do something.

Being just before the AIs gives the players a lot of power, especially with the world cup pools being decided straight after that. They should use it. See what the WRU think of having to refund tickets for the next four matches.

[UKHamlet]

The question is, how do you square the financial circle? The WRU has a bank debt (2022-23) of about £20-25 million, which is increasing by £3-5 million annually, despite revenues of £101.3 million. The 2024 year-end accounts showed increased losses and debt. 2025 *may* show a turnaround.

We have debenture repayment liabilities of £50.9 million, with £8.9 million of that repayable in 2026, but a fuck-off bomb repayment waiting in 2050 of nearly £30 million.

This is quite apart from the £40 odd million mortgage for the hotel, and the debt to the Welsh Government.

The finances are in a fucking state. Adding to problems by going on strike will not help the situation one jot.

[UKHamlet]

East and West regions was always a stupid idea. Cardiff Central, Cardiff East, and Cardiff West is much better, although not ideal. We need to start planning a Cardiff North region ASAP.

[Son of Mathonwy]

The question is, how do you square the financial circle? The WRU has a bank debt (2022-23) of about £20-25 million, which is increasing by £3-5 million annually, despite revenues of £101.3 million. The 2024 year-end accounts showed increased losses and debt. 2025 *may* show a turnaround.

We have debenture repayment liabilities of £50.9 million, with £8.9 million of that repayable in 2026, but a fuck-off bomb repayment waiting in 2050 of nearly £30 million.

This is quite apart from the £40 odd million mortgage for the hotel, and the debt to the Welsh Government.

The finances are in a fucking state. Adding to problems by going on strike will not help the situation one jot.

Exactly, and that's why they should go on strike. Do the WRU want financial ruin or not? They backed down before.

You square the financial circle by funding 2 of the teams much lower than the others. The WRU's plan will destroy 25% of the player development and between 25 and 50% of the fanbase (depending on how bloodily the Ospreys/Scarlets rats-in-a-sack situation resolves itself). We will be left with the survivor of the two or a Frankenstein's monster in the West, an East Wales team that has forgotten how to win, and the recently bankrupt but never allowed to die Cardiff. We will be permanently diminished.

[UKHamlet]

The question is, how do you square the financial circle? The WRU has a bank debt (2022-23) of about £20-25 million, which is increasing by £3-5 million annually, despite revenues of £101.3 million. The 2024 year-end accounts showed increased losses and debt. 2025 *may* show a turnaround.

We have debenture repayment liabilities of £50.9 million, with £8.9 million of that repayable in 2026, but a fuck-off bomb repayment waiting in 2050 of nearly £30 million.

This is quite apart from the £40 odd million mortgage for the hotel, and the debt to the Welsh Government.

The finances are in a fucking state. Adding to problems by going on strike will not help the situation one jot.

Exactly, and that's why they should go on strike. Do the WRU want financial ruin or not? They backed down before.

You square the financial circle by funding 2 of the teams much lower than the others. The WRU's plan will destroy 25% of the player development and between 25 and 50% of the fanbase (depending on how bloodily the Ospreys/Scarlets rats-in-a-sack situation resolves itself). We will be left with the survivor of the two or a Frankenstein's monster in the West, an East Wales team that has forgotten how to win, and the recently bankrupt but never allowed to die Cardiff. We will be permanently diminished.

On your last point, it's worth noting that Cardiff only went into admin because they were conned. Trying to portray it as some inherent failure that's specific to the Cardiff condition is as childish as it's inaccurate. Put any other region in a similar situation and they'd be worse off, because Cardiff has more revenue from ticket sales than any other region.

I'd prefer seeing two teams on lower funding and two elite teams. Simple turnstile arithmetic says the elite teams should be Cardiff and Swansea. For whatever reason, the WRU thinks dropping the Scarlets (and it will be the Scarlets who get shafted) is a good idea. I don't think they could be more wrong.

Strike action will make the situation worse and could result in both West Wales teams being culled and a new franchise being set up. Dire warnings about the fans not turning up are probably wide of thr mark. Especially if that franchise played in white and called themselves Swansea. Anyway, it wouldn't matter because the important revenue comes from TV and the Union.

[UKHamlet]

The question is, how do you square the financial circle? The WRU has a bank debt (2022-23) of about £20-25 million, which is increasing by £3-5 million annually, despite revenues of £101.3 million. The 2024 year-end accounts showed increased losses and debt. 2025 *may* show a turnaround.

We have debenture repayment liabilities of £50.9 million, with £8.9 million of that repayable in 2026, but a fuck-off bomb repayment waiting in 2050 of nearly £30 million.

This is quite apart from the £40 odd million mortgage for the hotel, and the debt to the Welsh Government.

The finances are in a fucking state. Adding to problems by going on strike will not help the situation one jot.

Exactly, and that's why they should go on strike. Do the WRU want financial ruin or not? They backed down before.

You square the financial circle by funding 2 of the teams much lower than the others. The WRU's plan will destroy 25% of the player development and between 25 and 50% of the fanbase (depending on how bloodily the Ospreys/Scarlets rats-in-a-sack situation resolves itself). We will be left with the survivor of the two or a Frankenstein's monster in the West, an East Wales team that has forgotten how to win, and the recently bankrupt but never allowed to die Cardiff. We will be permanently diminished.

On your last point, it's worth noting that Cardiff only went into admin because they were conned. Trying to portray it as some inherent failure that's specific to the Cardiff condition is as childish as it's inaccurate. Put any other region in a similar situation and they'd be worse off, because Cardiff has more revenue from ticket sales than any other region.

I'd prefer seeing two teams on lower funding and two elite teams. Simple turnstile arithmetic says the elite teams should be Cardiff and Swansea. For whatever reason, the WRU thinks dropping the Scarlets (and it will be the Scarlets who get shafted) is a good idea. I don't think they could be more wrong.

Strike action will make the situation worse and could result in both West Wales teams being culled and a new franchise being set up. Dire warnings about the fans not turning up are probably wide of thr mark. Especially if that franchise played in white and called themselves Swansea. Anyway, it wouldn't matter because the important revenue comes from TV and the Union.

[Son of Mathonwy]

The question is, how do you square the financial circle? The WRU has a bank debt (2022-23) of about £20-25 million, which is increasing by £3-5 million annually, despite revenues of £101.3 million. The 2024 year-end accounts showed increased losses and debt. 2025 *may* show a turnaround.

We have debenture repayment liabilities of £50.9 million, with £8.9 million of that repayable in 2026, but a fuck-off bomb repayment waiting in 2050 of nearly £30 million.

This is quite apart from the £40 odd million mortgage for the hotel, and the debt to the Welsh Government.

The finances are in a fucking state. Adding to problems by going on strike will not help the situation one jot.

Exactly, and that's why they should go on strike. Do the WRU want financial ruin or not? They backed down before.

You square the financial circle by funding 2 of the teams much lower than the others. The WRU's plan will destroy 25% of the player development and between 25 and 50% of the fanbase (depending on how bloodily the Ospreys/Scarlets rats-in-a-sack situation resolves itself). We will be left with the survivor of the two or a Frankenstein's monster in the West, an East Wales team that has forgotten how to win, and the recently bankrupt but never allowed to die Cardiff. We will be permanently diminished.

On your last point, it's worth noting that Cardiff only went into admin because they were conned. Trying to portray it as some inherent failure that's specific to the Cardiff condition is as childish as it's inaccurate. Put any other region in a similar situation and they'd be worse off, because Cardiff has more revenue from ticket sales than any other region.

I'd prefer seeing two teams on lower funding and two elite teams. Simple turnstile arithmetic says the elite teams should be Cardiff and Swansea. For whatever reason, the WRU thinks dropping the Scarlets (and it will be the Scarlets who get shafted) is a good idea. I don't think they could be more wrong.

Strike action will make the situation worse and could result in both West Wales teams being culled and a new franchise being set up. Dire warnings about the fans not turning up are probably wide of thr mark. Especially if that franchise played in white and called themselves Swansea. Anyway, it wouldn't matter because the important revenue comes from TV and the Union.

We agree on the 2+2 solution (funny that the consultation didn't even ask about that). Maybe the Scarlets are being lined up for the chop but as things stand the WRU are just dropping both West teams into a sack and saying it's nothing to do with us who comes out alive. The uncertainty will seriously hit the ability of both teams to hire gong forward and to just let that happen is destructive and cowardly.

Strike action would be extremely harmful if the WRU fought it, which they didn't do last time. It's the only lever the players have to save their base being reduced by 25%. They probably won't do it but I think it would be a reasonable thing to do in these desperate times.

It depends what you mean by 'dire' re fans not showing up. Agreed, if the Scarlets and Ospreys disappear and Swansea shows up there will be fans. But all Scarlets fans will be gone and as will Neath, Port Talbot, Bridgend. At least 25% of all Welsh fans will be gone, and probably a few more. I am thinking worst case would be if they try to make a new super-region identity to encompass the whole area and botch it, they could lose most of the current fans for the 2 regions.