Another blow for Wales rugby as Gerald Davies stands down from Welsh Rugby ...

“I do not wish to sever my ties completely with rugby and will constantly look

for opportunities to encourage and support the game that is so dear to my

heart.

“I will watch with interest how the WRU meets the many challenges ahead.

“As the custodian of this wonderful game in Wales, it has a huge task and I

wish those who follow me onto the union every success in the future.”

Davies, who also sat on the International Rugby Board, was seen as the voice

of reason in the ever-complex politics of Welsh rugby and it seems highly

probable that he has decided to step down through frustration with the way

the game in Wales is currently being run under chief executive Roger Lewis

and chairman David Pickering.

This much was obvious when Davies, who won 46 caps for Wales and five for the

Lions, as well as being team manager of the Lions in South Africa in 2009,

made an unexpected but impassioned speech at last month’s Extraordinary

General Meeting in Port Talbot.

“Ours is not a good image,” 69-year-old Davies said. “We need to restore our

dignity and it is depressing that we have such a reputation. We need to have

a strong identity and we need cohesion, collaboration and cooperation. We

need to restore Welsh rugby and not through self-interest.

“We cannot carry on with having more of the same. We need the right rugby

governance Welsh rugby can be proud of. We cannot come back here in five

years’ time for another EGM, as has become the pattern. If we do, we have

failed. We cannot leave here without believing we need to change.”

The WRU overwhelmingly survived a vote of no confidence at that EGM, but there

is still considerable disquiet at the state of the game in Wales, with clubs

at the lower levels struggling, so many top players now playing outside the

country and the regions generally battling to cope on and off the field.

As it stands at the moment, there is no agreement between the WRU and the

regions, with the last participation agreement having run out on June 30.

Negotiations have been taking place, however, and a new offer, now called a

‘Rugby Services Agreement’ has been made by the WRU. Previously the regions

received around £6.7m from the union, and they have asked for that to be

increased to about £10.7m.

But it seems the figure is likely to be somewhere between those two, with £2m

of it going to a series of new dual contracts (probably including the

already centrally contracted Sam Warburton) for national squad players. It

is hoped that an agreement will be announced next week.

Responding to Davies’ announcement, the WRU said today: “The Welsh Rugby Union

would like to express its gratitude to Gerald Davies for his great

contribution to the union and rugby during his nine years on the board of

directors.

“We are sure you would all join the board of directors in wishing Mr Davies

its sincerest best wishes for the future.”

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Another blow for Wales rugby as Gerald Davies stands down from Welsh Rugby ...