"Welsh rugby can support five fully professional teams" insists former WRU ...

David Moffett has emphasised his belief that Welsh rugby could fund five full-time professional teams.

The former chief executive of the Welsh Rugby Union organised a question and answer session at Cardiff’s St David’s Hall, at which he had hoped to be able to debate with WRU chairman David Pickering in front of an audience of supporters and other interested parties.

But no WRU representatives were present at an event which was styled on the BBC Question Time programme and designed to debate critical issues in the game.

Click here: David Moffett outlines his vision for the future of Welsh rugby

Moffett hopes to gather enough support from clubs to force the WRU to hold an extraordinary general meeting. His aim is to succeed Pickering as WRU chairman.

Alongside a panel which included former Dragons coach Paul Turner, ex-Sport Wales chief executive Huw Jones, Welsh women’s rugby international Non Evans and former Wales wing Nigel Walker, who chaired the debate, Moffett told the gathering of around 60 that he believed there was room for another professional outfit.

Admitting that he had made some mistakes in driving through the move to regional rugby in 2003, Moffett said, given the power to do so, he would make it possible for clubs like Pontypridd to become full-time professional entities if they could show they had the necessary conditions in place.

“You could have two professional clubs in one region,” he said. “In my manifesto, Ponty, for example, by 2020, could make an application to become a professional club.

“There is no way Wales could ever have 12 professional teams again, but it could have five.

“If we all work together and get everything in the right order then I believe we could have another team. I want to see method in everything we do.

“I keep hearing about tribalism in Wales but that is everywhere.

“I want to turn it into a positive in Wales.”

Moffett also expressed his belief that central contracts will eventually die out all over the rugby world. He insisted that even New Zealand, who do not allow overseas-based players to wear the All Blacks jersey, will not be able to compete with English and French money.

Article source: http://www.espnscrum.com/wales/rugby/story/222633.html

"Welsh rugby can support five fully professional teams" insists former WRU ...