Wales star Ryan Jones backs British League with Champions League style ...
Ryan Jones has issued a stark message to Welsh rugby’s power brokers to sort out the civil war that is threatening to scar the domestic game.
As the Welsh Rugby Union and four regions prepare for showdown talks on Wednesday in a desperate last-ditch bid to solve the latest crisis to engulf our game, the former national team skipper says he backs the idea of a British league with a “Champions League†style European competition playing out around it.
But, seemingly still in limbo amid the wreckage of the Heineken Cup saga, the Welsh game is still suffering from the continued player drain and increasingly strained relations between the governing body and four regions.
The WRU have given the regions until the end of the calendar year to sign a new participation agreement with the current deal expiring at the end of this season.
But that has not come close to happening with the regions facing so much uncertainty around what competitions they will actually be playing in.
The regions had pledged their support for the proposed Rugby Champions Cup but the WRU has steadfastly backed the continuation of the ERC-run Heineken Cup, meaning the Welsh regions must continue to play in that competition and the RaboDirect Pro 12 unless they take the risk of breaking away from union control.
With the Rugby Champions Cup now dead, but English clubs confirming they will play no part in the Heineken Cup, the possibility of the Welsh regions being invited to join the Aviva Premiership is one option on the table, with Wales’ four franchises understood to have shown significant interest.
All this disharmony is filtering through to the players who are leaving regions to pursue more lucrative careers in England and France.
Wales skipper Sam Warburton has given Union and Blues bosses a deadline of Wednesday to issue him with a new contract.
Meanwhile Jones admits being heartbroken by being forced to watch more of his Ospreys colleagues like Richard Hibbard and Ian Evans joining the player drain with the likes of Lee Byrne, James Hook, Mike Phillips and Paul James having left the Liberty Stadium in recent years.
The former Wales captain insists a resolution must be reached before the regional and domestic game is irreparably damaged.
“Let’s cut to the nuts and bolts of it,†said Jones, who has won Wales 75 caps and led his country on a record 33 occasions.
“As players it is hugely frustrating. We have a relatively small player base in Wales and collectively we need to be pulling in the same direction.
“I am tired of it and I know the other players are tired of it and so are the Welsh public.
“The sooner it is resolved the better but my worry is that it is going to put a scar on the domestic game that will take a while to heal.
“The clock is ticking and my fear is we won’t have a genuine competitive domestic competition with competitive regions which would possibly mean we don’t have a competitive national team.
The Ospreys taking on Northampton Saints at Franklins Gardens
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“Those are the two things we want to see as a proud Welshman and Welsh rugby supporter.
“It is heartbreaking to see players leave because I have a lot of friends who have gone and they have done the right thing for them.
“We have to create a domestic environment from the national team down where players don’t want to leave.
“We’ve got to be competitive financially and we’ve got to offer above and beyond to keep our best players.
“I have said it before but the stars of tomorrow need to be watching the stars of today.
“They need to be watching and playing with the likes of George North, Sam Warburton, Leigh Halfpenny, Justin Tipuric and Alun Wyn Jones.
“These sort of characters were brought up watching and brought on by players of that ilk and were inspired by that. Without those we don’t know what the future will be.”
One solution being proposed is an Anglo/Welsh league. When Jones was asked about the concept of a cross-border competition he replied he would like to have a British League.
“I am a big fan and I have always said for years some sort of British league would be fantastic,†said the Triple Grand Slam winner.
“Having Champions League European type battles around it would be wonderful.
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“I don’t understand the nuts and bolts of it or the or all the intricacies but if I had my way that would be it.â€
But the former Celtic Warriors star also warned his fellow professionals they can’t let their on field performances be affected by the off-the-field politics.
“We have to be more professional than that,†added the 32-year-old Ospreys star.
“Each individual is going to make their own decision and choose their own path.
“Whatever that decision is they will have the support of the team around them.
“But come game time there is one common goal and that is to win the game.
“We are winners and that is why we are here.”
Ospreys forwards coach Chris Gibbes also stated off-the-field speculation about players’ future should not affect his players.
“You
read it in the papers and it’s obviously not ideal,†said the New Zealander. “But the reality is it hasn’t filtered in to what we are about.
“Credit to the boys involved, they haven’t made a big song and dance about it in front of the others.
“When
they pull the Ospreys jersey on, those boys give it everything they’ve got and we expect nothing less. That’s professional rugby nowadays.
“The key thing is we keep focused on what we’re about and what we want to achieve this season.
“We just have to make sure we are focusing on the team and it’s all about Ospreys rugby and what we are going to do in the next six months.â€
But
Gibbes has admitted it is vital captain Alun Wyn Jones signs a new contract after losing Ian Evans to Toulon and the impending departure of
Hibbard to Gloucester waiting to be officially confirmed.
“It’s hugely important, not only from the point of view of Ospreys rugby but from the Welsh perspective as well,†he said.
“We just need to work together to make sure we can get an outcome that keeps Alun in Wales.â€
Gibbes
admitted Hibbard would be a loss after the hooker proved the stand-out Welsh player during last month’s autumn internationals.
“He was massively combative offering himself everywhere,†he said.
“It was awesome to see him doing what he was doing physically.
“He’s a big man, with his physical presence, energy and experience around the group.
“But it’s about opportunities. There’s a choice for him and it might create an opportunity for others.â€
Hibbard
is expected to start in Friday night’s Heineken Cup clash at home to Castres after coming on as a replacement in the defeat in France last weekend.
The region are considering resting captain Jones after being eliminated from the competition with three straight defeats. Wales prop Adam Jones will still be missing with a calf problem although the Lions star has returned to training this week.
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