RugbyRebels

Do you think this board should start a campaign for the Wales government to award honorary Wales citizenship to Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards for the work with national team over the last 12 years.

It would be a fitting tribute to such a dedicated pair of coaches.

Does anyone have contacts with media in Wales to start the ball rolling?

Whatever you night say about his gameplan, Gatland has been brilliant for Wales and given me some of the most joyous, satisfying moments of my life. He's already an honoury welshman in my book. He's always understood us and what it means to us. Genuinely sad to see the end of an era.

Freedom of Cardiff or
Something like that? Both deserve recognition.

Hooky wrote:Whatever you night say about his gameplan, Gatland has been brilliant for Wales and given me some of the most joyous, satisfying moments of my life. He's already an honoury welshman in my book. He's always understood us and what it means to us. Genuinely sad to see the end of an era.

...and if that gameplan goes against how many Welsh supporters feel their national team should play...as it has no doubt has just judging by this forum???

Has he still understood you and what it means to you?

What if he'd have given many Welsh fans their ideal of Welsh rugby? Free-flowing rugby, offloads, audacious tries, but less success in terms of 6Ns etc. Would he still have got you?

Can't deny he hasn't been successful for Wales if 6Ns, GS and semi finals are what counts, but Wales have had those before Gatland.

Not a wum but feel free to delete...not intended to cause an argument.

WaspInWales wrote:

Hooky wrote:Whatever you night say about his gameplan, Gatland has been brilliant for Wales and given me some of the most joyous, satisfying moments of my life. He's already an honoury welshman in my book. He's always understood us and what it means to us. Genuinely sad to see the end of an era.

...and if that gameplan goes against how many Welsh supporters feel their national team should play...as it has no doubt has just judging by this forum???

Has he still understood you and what it means to you?

What if he'd have given many Welsh fans their ideal of Welsh rugby? Free-flowing rugby, offloads, audacious tries, but less success in terms of 6Ns etc. Would he still have got you?

Can't deny he hasn't been successful for Wales if 6Ns, GS and semi finals are what counts, but Wales have had those before Gatland.

We played some brilliant rugby under gatland. I'm not sure this forum is a yardstick to be honest. He gave us four championships, three grand slams. That's priceless.

And we didnt really have those before gatland, not consistently. 2005 was brilliant but unsustainable. The 90s were utterly barren. Gatland brought us right back into the big time. He brought us respect.

Hooky wrote:

WaspInWales wrote:

Hooky wrote:Whatever you night say about his gameplan, Gatland has been brilliant for Wales and given me some of the most joyous, satisfying moments of my life. He's already an honoury welshman in my book. He's always understood us and what it means to us. Genuinely sad to see the end of an era.

...and if that gameplan goes against how many Welsh supporters feel their national team should play...as it has no doubt has just judging by this forum???

Has he still understood you and what it means to you?

What if he'd have given many Welsh fans their ideal of Welsh rugby? Free-flowing rugby, offloads, audacious tries, but less success in terms of 6Ns etc. Would he still have got you?

Can't deny he hasn't been successful for Wales if 6Ns, GS and semi finals are what counts, but Wales have had those before Gatland.

We played some brilliant rugby under gatland. I'm not sure this forum is a yardstick to be honest. He gave us four championships, three grand slams. That's priceless.

But my point was that the style of his play didn't fit with that of many Welsh fans, so is the success more important than the original 'ethos'?

No doubt Wales are a far tougher team to play against these days, your defence has been immense at its peak under Gatland...although it has seemed to be on the wane this rwc and in the build up to it.

Still, he has given Wales respect and a more than decent record along the way so does style really matter overall?

WaspInWales wrote:

Hooky wrote:

WaspInWales wrote:
...and if that gameplan goes against how many Welsh supporters feel their national team should play...as it has no doubt has just judging by this forum???

Has he still understood you and what it means to you?

What if he'd have given many Welsh fans their ideal of Welsh rugby? Free-flowing rugby, offloads, audacious tries, but less success in terms of 6Ns etc. Would he still have got you?

Can't deny he hasn't been successful for Wales if 6Ns, GS and semi finals are what counts, but Wales have had those before Gatland.

We played some brilliant rugby under gatland. I'm not sure this forum is a yardstick to be honest. He gave us four championships, three grand slams. That's priceless.

But my point was that the style of his play didn't fit with that of many Welsh fans, so is the success more important than the original 'ethos'?

No doubt Wales are a far tougher team to play against these days, your defence has been immense at its peak under Gatland...although it has seemed to be on the wane this rwc and in the build up to it.

Still, he has given Wales respect and a more than decent record along the way so does style really matter overall?

I'm not sure your point has been tested. Most welsh fans I know want to win. I feel like "the welsh way" was a desperate attempt to validate our lack of success. We've played some great rugby under gatland too. Ireland away in 2012 sticks out.

Weirdly I thought defensively we were quite poor this world cup.

To answer your question, it's all about success, but I'm not sure that welsh fans agree on how the team should play.

Fair enough

Pontypool were one of the most famous Welsh teams with good support but they didn’t play exciting rugby.

Winning is probably the most important attribute for a sports team. The style has been painful at times, but I won’t swap the results for a harum scarum approach just because it looks better.

Many supprters hark back to the 70s, not realising that a lot of grunt work went into scoring the tries and the amateur game was fundamentally different. I think there are improvements to our game to be sure, but the increased defence and physicality were always a must.

Underlying all of this is the professionalism that has finally emerged in the Welsh team. For that alone he deserves a knighthood.

normanski wrote:Do you think this board should start a campaign for the Wales government to award honorary Wales citizenship to Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards for the work with national team over the last 12 years.

It would be a fitting tribute to such a dedicated pair of coaches.

Does anyone have contacts with media in Wales to start the ball rolling?

Wales citizenship? How does that work when Wales isn’t even a country?

*Lights fuse, ducks for cover*

Lizard wrote:

normanski wrote:Do you think this board should start a campaign for the Wales government to award honorary Wales citizenship to Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards for the work with national team over the last 12 years.

It would be a fitting tribute to such a dedicated pair of coaches.

Does anyone have contacts with media in Wales to start the ball rolling?

Wales citizenship? How does that work when Wales isn’t even a country?

*Lights fuse, ducks for cover*

We are a country within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

We have a Wales government, language and culture.

The Welsh Assembly would have it within their power to offer and confer this.

He's done something a lot more valuable than the GSs, trophies and RWC runs in my view. He's instilled a culture of hard work, humility, decency, team work and respect for your team mates, your opponents and people in general that I think has transformed our team - hopefully for good. And that's what i think has underpinned our success. V similar to Antron Oliver's advice to my (then) v young son - if you want to play rugby, don't be a dick.