Compensation row hits Welsh rugby
24/08/2007 |
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Welsh rugby has been rocked by a region v country row just two weeks before Gareth Jenkins' team kick off their World Cup campaign.
Talks between the Welsh Rugby Union and the four regions over compensation for players taking part in the tournament broke down on Thursday.
The regions are seeking £30,000 per man but the Union say under international rules they do not have to pay a penny.
The regions are set for an emergency meeting to discuss a response.
The ultimate response from the regions - who hold the players' contracts - could be to withdraw their men from international duty, but such a move seems unlikely so close to the World Cup.
The players selected for the World Cup will definitely be unavailable to the regions for at least two months, possibly increasing to three months if Wales make it through the group stages and into the knock-out rounds.
The Ospreys, Blues, Dragons and Scarlets are also seeking recompense for all the preparation time their star players have spent with the Wales squad.
English clubs have agreed a £30,000 per man compensation deal with the Rugby Football Union for the loss of their players during the World Cup.
A similar agreement in Wales could leave the WRU with a potential bill of almost £900,000, and their stance seems set against such a move.
"The incredible disappointment we feel over the attitude and actions of the four regions is tempered by our determination to stand firm on this issue for the sake of Welsh rugby," said WRU group chief executive Roger Lewis.
"The four regions have been demanding nearly £1m in compensation for releasing their players to pull on the red jersey of Wales in the greatest rugby tournament in the world.
"The WRU is saying a firm and decisive 'no' to this demand because it would not be fair to the rest of Welsh rugby."
The Union increased funding to the regions last year, a deal they say was to cover all player releases.
The agreement runs until 2009, but the WRU want to extend that to 2012.
The regions fear falling behind the English and French clubs as they seek to compete on the European stage.
(Source: BBC.co.uk)
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