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  • "
    Charles Street wrote:
    An Anglo-Welsh league is clearly the preferred option of the vast majority of supporters I know, as is a long overdue return to Black and Amber and Newport back where it should be as the pro side at Rodney Parade. The irony of being regionallly 'inclusive' is that we include less people and have lost more support than we gained. Chris Kirwan recently described the Dragons idea as a 'mishmash' and he's right. If the WRU come out on top in this battle it won't matter anyway, as there will soon be no professional rugby left here.
    Would not disagree with your sentiments at all. The regional experiment has been a mitigating disaster and no more has this been true than at Newport in terms of name, etc., with the exception of finances which compared to the rest are relatively good because of economic prudence. It was in my view always doomed to collapse, which is the reason I refused to wander over to RP since 2005. With Cardiff essentially putting two fingers up to regionalism, with a return to their traditional colours and openly called Cardiff, there is on principle alone no option other than Newport to follow suit. The current CEO once spoke of finding the right 'brand' at RP. I prefer to use the word 'identity', based on history and culture and not 'brand' with a nod to commercialisation alone. Although I do favour the clubs having more control over their own affiars, and hence a degree of free market practice over the 'statism' of the WRU (and the Irish) this does not mean that the clubs should not act responsibly to maintain what has almost been relegated to a meaningless concept in sport and that is 'tradition'. This can be achieved.
    I notice that the Ospreys have played twice now in a 'white' kit. I could be reading more into this than is warranted, but ....?"
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Dragons chief confirms Aviva Premiership is an option for regions

7:45pm Sunday 19th January 2014 in Sport

Free Press Series: TV DEBATE: Newport Gwent Dragons chief executive Gareth Davies TV DEBATE: Newport Gwent Dragons chief executive Gareth Davies

NEWPORT Gwent Dragons chief executive Gareth Davies has admitted that playing in an Anglo-Welsh League is an option if no agreement is reached in the dispute between the four regions and the Welsh Rugby Union.

The possibility of participation in such a competition has been rumoured but when pushed during a BBC Wales debate on the crisis in Welsh rugby he confirmed that it was a course of action being considered.

WRU chief executive Roger Lewis, however, told the audience: “The Union will not allow the regions to play in the Aviva Premiership.”

The regions, Dragons, Scarlets, Ospreys and Blues, want to play in a new European competition next season, the Rugby Champions Cup, rather than the Heineken Cup – an initiative being driven by the top English clubs. And they are unhappy with the commercial benefits of staying in the RaboDirect Pro12, unsure of who will sponsor it in the future.

The Union, however, is committed to both the Heineken Cup and the Pro 12.

In a lively debate, in which Davies was also representing the other regions, there appeared to be little sign of the warring parties coming together. Although there are more talks planned for tomorrow.

Both sides agreed that there was a crisis in European rugby with Davies stressing that in terms of finance the French were sprinting ahead with huge commercial deals.

He also stressed that there had to be “collaboration” between the parties for a solution to be found, not the “master and servant relationship.”

On the subject of central contracts, Lewis told the audience that the WRU could find extra money to keep the remaining top talent in Wales, if agreement could be reached. He said the money would come from “our relationship with key partners.”

Former WRU chief executive David Moffett was in the audience and said he could sort out the problem because of his greater knowledge of central contracting.

“You either have everyone on a central contract or no one,” he said.

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