Wru To Set Up New Club Franchise

The Welsh Rugby Union has announced plans to set up a new regional team in north Wales as it looks to increase the number of competitive club franchises in the country.

A working party has been set up to see how the new team – Gogledd Cymru – can best be established within two years.

One idea is to play against development sides set up by the four regions and another is to play in the Premiership.

These options are just two of a number of ideas being considered and discussions will take place with all the rugby stakeholders in Wales.

The working party will report back in six months on how and when to introduce the new representative team to competition.

It will also look at the funding of the new side and the structure needed to make it successful.

WRU group chief executive Roger Lewis said: ‘Wales is a small nation, needs every potential international player to be recognised and fully developed.

‘We want to label north Wales as a development region to ensure everyone understands our total commitment to nurturing all available talent there in the most appropriate and meaningful way.’
 
The WRU’s decision to cull the Celtic Warriors in 2004 remains hugely controversial in Wales.

The WRU claimed at the time that Wales could not support five teams, neither financially nor with playing talent.