New to URC, why are the Welsh teams struggling?

[ManxMan]

Hi All, I am new to Rugby Union + the URC. I am a NFL fan, however I am struggling with the time zones and after watching the games for years into the early hours of Monday morning it is killing me, also after watching the rugby World Cup I am hooked. I am from the Isle of Man, so I can basically I can support any team, however following a team I can one day go and watch is appealing. The Welsh provinces make sense. However my question is why are they struggling so much. Rugby Union is the National sport of Wales and with so much history I would expect them to be good year on year. So my question why are they seemingly so poor.

 

[AWJ5GOAT]

Hi All, I am new to Rugby Union + the URC. I am a NFL fan, however I am struggling with the time zones and after watching the games for years into the early hours of Monday morning it is killing me, also after watching the rugby World Cup I am hooked. I am from the Isle of Man, so I can basically I can support any team, however following a team I can one day go and watch is appealing. The Welsh provinces make sense. However my question is why are they struggling so much. Rugby Union is the National sport of Wales and with so much history I would expect them to be good year on year. So my question why are they seemingly so poor.

Yeah unfortunately everything with the regions and the WRU have just been chaos for a while for a whole lot of different reasons (Feel free to fill me in WelshExile and Dullonien )… and I think that to say that the mismanagement have almost been ridiculous could even be said as a bit of an understatement (unfortunately for all us Wales supporters).. Lot of Welsh stars leaving for France and Japan (or are rumoured to be on the move to said countries atm) because of the wages at the regions amongst other things and players plying their trade in Wales are obviously tempted to go overseas for more favorable conditions than what the regions can offer domestically atm

I know I might not have answered the initial question but hey ho I gave it a go

 

[dirty harry]

It's quite simple, once upon a time a man picked up a football and started running with it. At the same time 2 welshmen were punching each other in the face over 1 looking at anothers hill, or sheep or something...

Anyway, when that ball started to change shape and reach the Land of our fathers the 2 welshman picked up the ball, looked longingly in each others eyes, and one (in the finding Nemo seagull voice) said 'mine'. They then punched each other in the face, until 2 Welsh men became 4, then 8, then 16, then 32...

This carried on for a few hundred years until one day one of those men said 'this isnt working, let's try regionalisation'. To which everyone in the room started punching each other in the face. Eventually there were 4 men left, each had a region, but no fans. They then said, who needs fans, we'll focus on kids, the next generation...

Then 10 years later one man asked why the kids werent turning up to matches or buying merch. So everyone started punching each other in the face...

Then Warren arrived, we all gawped, couldnt believe our luck before holding our hands together and wishing for a RWC win... that never came.

So here we are, no fans, no money, no success, no history in the club game, and playing in a 2 hemisphere league noone really cares about...

punching each other in the face!

Hope this history of Welsh club rugby helps

 

[saulan]

So here we are, no fans, no money, no success, no history in the club game, and playing in a 2 hemisphere league no Welshman really cares about...

Fixed that for you. Apart from Wales, the URC has been getting a lot of support. Definitely has picked up club rugby interest in SA after the decline of Super Rugby, while the sense from Ireland and Scotland seems to be increased engagement and interest given the greater level of competitiveness.

 

[Welsh Exile]

If it was viable I would be more than happy to bin off the URC and bring back Neath,Ponty etc etc.

 

[ShropshireAllBlack]

Unlike the Irish provinces, which have an identity and pedigree, the Welsh regions are a recent confection, made in the main by merging local rivals into teams that nobody supports.
The Welsh, like the failing Gallagher Premiership, are competing against the 600lb gorilla that is English club football.
The WRU has become a byword for incompetence. However, in my experience, the community game in Wales is in good shape, and I occasionally play against them, they are always strong, organised and abrasive teams.

 

[dirty harry]

Fixed that for you. Apart from Wales, the URC has been getting a lot of support. Definitely has picked up club rugby interest in SA after the decline of Super Rugby, while the sense from Ireland and Scotland seems to be increased engagement and interest given the greater level of competitiveness.

Very true...

Infact it makes it all the worse that Welsh rugby kept the league alive in the early days, Welsh TV audience was the largest etc...

It's like professionalism and progress always bypasses us lol

 

[dirty harry]

Unlike the Irish provinces, which have an identity and pedigree, the Welsh regions are a recent confection, made in the main by merging local rivals into teams that nobody supports.
The Welsh, like the failing Gallagher Premiership, are competing against the 600lb gorilla that is English club football.
The WRU has become a byword for incompetence. However, in my experience, the community game in Wales is in good shape, and I occasionally play against them, they are always strong, organised and abrasive teams.

The community game is on its knees, kept alive by the exceptional work of key people donating their time and effort.

These are the very same people who regionalisarion has alienated.

But your right, the community game still has a heart beat, so what should the WRU do? Literally turn off the life support by making the game brand as sexist, racist etc, then impliment tackle height laws to stop it being fun.

There is also a study in the works to propose eliminating contact until 18 years old...

RIP rugby in Wales

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

The community game is on its knees, kept alive by the exceptional work of key people donating their time and effort.

These are the very same people who regionalisarion has alienated.

But your right, the community game still has a heart beat, so what should the WRU do? Literally turn off the life support by making the game brand as sexist, racist etc, then impliment tackle height laws to stop it being fun.

There is also a study in the works to propose eliminating contact until 18 years old...

RIP rugby in Wales

I wouldn't know what a viable solution would look like but I can say with certainty that eliminating age grade contact is a sure fire way to have 18+ year olds write themselves off with tackling essentially grown men without any tackle experience.

 

[dirty harry]

I wouldn't know what a viable solution would look like but I can say with certainty that eliminating age grade contact is a sure fire way to have 18+ year olds write themselves off with tackling essentially grown men without any tackle experience.

It's crazy. Theres always been a Scottish professor, Mary someone who has ties to Westminster who has promoted non contact until 18, but shes mostly been laughed at...

Step in the WRU.

I'm sure the WRU are the best promoter of football in Wales, football participation has outgrown rugby in Wales, and the WRUs response to it has been to make rugby less fun!

 

[Tooting Carmen]

Mismanagement and underinvestment.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Wales. I expect this of you. South Africa, I'm disappointed.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Wales playing South Africa on Twickenham on the same day as the URC final as the opener for Barbarians vs Fiji

Madlibs ass event

 

[dirty harry]

Wales. I expect this of you. South Africa, I'm disappointed.

What's the issue with this, is it because Wales have a tendency to play games at neutral venues lol

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

What's the issue with this, is it because Wales have a tendency to play games at neutral venues lol

Same day at the URC final. I don't think it's great setting up clashes with regular season matches but this is ridiculous really.

 

[dirty harry]

Same day at the URC final. I don't think it's great setting up clashes with regular season matches but this is ridiculous really.

I get it but I mean SA, NZ and Ireland all have form for the money spinning neutral venue, I'm not sure Wales do.
We do have form for out of window games tbf, that's the real issue here. But if the WRU get a cash reward, and the 20 odd players under 24 who desperately need game time get some more minutes under their belt who does it harm?

I might even take the kids for a day out, nothing nicer than standing in a 2 hour queue to get to twickers and a 4 hour queue to get out lol

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I get it but I mean SA, NZ and Ireland all have form for the money spinning neutral venue, I'm not sure Wales do.
We do have form for out of window games tbf, that's the real issue here. But if the WRU get a cash reward, and the 20 odd players under 24 who desperately need game time get some more minutes under their belt who does it harm?

I might even take the kids for a day out, nothing nicer than standing in a 2 hour queue to get to twickers and a 4 hour queue to get out lol

No beef with the money spinner but could they have chosen a worse date? Like with the URC final and top 14 semis on the same day it'll realistically be the 4th most important match of the day.

 

[dirty harry]

No beef with the money spinner but could they have chosen a worse date? Like with the URC final and top 14 semis on the same day it'll realistically be the 4th most important match of the day.

Noone in Wales has had any interest in the URC final for years lol, why do we care hahaha

And SA need to start increasing their European identity and brand of they want to present a case to join, but definately not join, the 6N

 

[Bluemoon]

Hi All, I am new to Rugby Union + the URC. I am a NFL fan, however I am struggling with the time zones and after watching the games for years into the early hours of Monday morning it is killing me, also after watching the rugby World Cup I am hooked. I am from the Isle of Man, so I can basically I can support any team, however following a team I can one day go and watch is appealing. The Welsh provinces make sense. However my question is why are they struggling so much. Rugby Union is the National sport of Wales and with so much history I would expect them to be good year on year. So my question why are they seemingly so poor.

I think you'll find you've answered your own question by accident. Loads of reasons but the big one:

They are indeed poor, in a financial sense. That impacts facilities, coaching, player retention, youth pathways etc. it impacts on competitiveness and the product, possibility competition winnings, access to top flight euro competition etc.

I don't buy into there isnt sufficient interest in Wales in rugby anymore. That's what I hear from those outside of Wales and it's wrong. Or perhaps from the 150 Ospreys fans who are left

Cardiff are an example of this - we've had great attendances and interest all year, despite having a team that can't compete in the Champ Cup yet, but we believe in the youth and what the coaches are trying to achieve. Excellent young players have come through, despite having their first team facilities operating in a local public leisure centre that's falling apart.

 

[Mallow]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/68370440

Didn't want to start another thread on this, so I figured this is the best place.

I agree with Gatland on this. We all know changes are needed, but it's pretty clear it's not really happening.