WRU announces changes to Premiership and reveals plans for new under-23 regional competition

Regional under-23 teams will be introduced from next season, with the Premiership to be cut from 16 to 12 teams from 2019-20.

There will also be a reduction in the level of WRU funding to the Premiership clubs in order to finance the new under-23 sides.

The changes were proposed following a Competition Review and have been approved in a vote by the WRU board.

The aim of the review was to put in place a development pathway to produce regional and international players, while also ensuring a vibrant and sustainable club system.

Independent consultants were appointed by the WRU to interview and survey all the interested parties and deliver a report.

Their findings were then fine-tuned by a steering group made up of representatives from the regions, Premiership clubs and the WRU executive and board.

The end result was a review document entitled ‘Every Game Matters’.

One of the key findings was there was a significant gap in standard between the semi-pro Premiership and regional rugby.

Training levels and game intensity in the Premiership were deemed to be not at the level required to prepare players for the regions, with players aged 18-23 not getting enough quality game-time.

That will now be addressed with the creation of the under-23 teams, which will be run and staffed by the regions, with the vast majority of players being regional employees.

The new sides will play around 10 to 12 games a season in two blocks, against each other and Irish and Scottish opposition.

It was also decided there was a need for a simple league format in the top leagues in Wales.

That will see both the Premiership and the Championship made up of 12 clubs, with a home and away league format, and the reintroduction of promotion and relegation after three years of ring-fencing.

The current East-West split in the Premiership will be scrapped from 2019-20. It remains to be decided what the format will be for next term, in the final year with 16 clubs.

At the end of next season, four clubs will be relegated automatically, with the likelihood being that the 12th placed team will face the Championship table toppers in a home and away play-off.

That latter option has been strongly criticised by newly crowned Championship winners Pontypool (above) who feel there should be automatic promotion for the top team in their league at the end of next term.

Pontypool chief executive Ben Jeffreys said on Saturday: “Sadly it seems the WRU has been too gutless to allow promotion outright next season, but this team belongs in the Premiership.”

Although he has since modified his opinion after last night’s presentation.

He added: “[On] Saturday I remarked that the play-off for promotion to the Premiership was set in stone.

“It’s clear from tonight’s WRU consultation that the process is yet to be finalised.

“I was wrong. For that, I apologise.

“I’m hugely encouraged by the proposals outlined regarding the Premiership and National Championship restructure.

“The plans present a golden opportunity to revitalise Welsh club rugby and Pontypool RFC wholly support their implementation.”

Clubs from the top two flights will vote on whether five teams should be relegated automatically or whether there should be a play-off.

The Premiership and Championship clubs were informed of the full details of the changes – including the revised funding model – last night.

WRU funding for Premiership clubs will drop from the current level of £93,000 to £75,000, then £60,000 and then to £50,000 by 2022.

The proposals are based on redistributing the current £1.8m WRU investment in the Premiership and Championship to support the implementation of the under-23s competition, in collaboration with the regions.

A new criteria for Premiership funding will be introduced where there will be a focus on coaching and facilities rather than underwriting players’ wages.

It’s likely that the Anglo-Welsh Cup will join the British & Irish Cup in being scrapped.