WRU, PRGB, CAC and all that
Roger Lewis
By cardiffsteve
December 11 2012
Last week Roger Lewis announced the formation of the PRGB – Professional Rugby Game Board. Its easy to see PRGB as a typically Welsh non solution to a complicated problem – “No money? Players leaving? Lack of public interest? Lets form another committee boys!”But in fact, a body like PRGB is exactly what the Welsh game needed for a long time.
Indulge me for a moment – imagine an ostrich. Here is a visual aid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8QHw9lrMao Now imagine twenty of them, in a room. All wearing blazers. Twenty ostriches, in blazers, in a room, sat around a table. Some sipping pints, some smoking pipes, maybe a few nibbling sandwiches or checking the racing results – all with their heads stuck firmly in the ground completely ignoring whats going on around them. Managed that? Good. You now have in your head a fair representation of the WRU when rugby first went professional. It went on like that for most of a decade. Strangely enough, that wasn't a particularly glorious period in Welsh rugby history. Eventually in 2003, the organisation charged with running professional rugby in Wales took the radical step of appointing a professional Chief Executive. Hero of Ponty fans everywhere - David Moffett was made to look like Bill Gates in comparison to the old order by taking the innovative approach of sacking people and slashing costs to try and get the finances under control. That period from 1995 to 2003 was immensely damaging. Quite apart from the WRU getting itself into financial doodoo, one consequence of the chaos was that interest in Welsh domestic rugby nosedived. Arguably, interest in the game below international level has never recovered. As for the proposals for cross border competitions which were turned down in 1998 – well, now imagine a bloke shooting himself in the foot. I mention all this ancient history because last week Roger Lewis announced the formation of the PRGB – Professional Rugby Game Board. Its easy to see PRGB as a typically Welsh non solution to a complicated problem – “No money? Players leaving? Lack of public interest? Lets form another committee boys!” But in fact, a body like PRGB is exactly what the Welsh game needed for a long time. An organisation where the WRU and clubs/regions have equal representation, with an independent chairman. We should have had it years ago. Things might have worked out differently. And, on the subject of changes that should have been made years ago.... Cardiff rugby is still bound by a strange decision made when the game first went pro. Roughly 25% of it is still owned by Cardiff Athletic Club. And, noone is allowed to own more than the Athletic Club. It was an unusual situation back then and its an even odder situation in 2012. The irony is that in the early days of professional rugby, it was Cardiff who were in the forefront, trying to force change on an intransigent, inward looking union who unable to acknowledge that change was needed. Maybe its hight time Cardiff rugby's own archaic structure was sorted out?
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On to the PRGB will it work? who knows.The petty politics that bedevils Wales and Welsh rugby in particular is a big obstacle to overcome. What is certain is this: we are getting very close to, if we are not already drinking in it, the "last chance saloon". This HAS TO WORK! if not Welsh rugby could well go the way of Welsh football. With any player worth his salt playing in England or even further away.
which brings us neatly to why the system is as it is.
there was no one who was willing (or able?) to persaude the then Management Committee to do just that. So without the where withall to buy CAP as it stood and buy out the other sections - despite the fact that rugby has always been the biggest membership section - usually about 66% of CAC and also the major contributor of funds for CAC the status quo has remained. If anyone wants to change things, they will need 2 things:
A] Lots & lots of cash (To buy out say PT & his loans plus then enough to support a move like buying CAP & buying out the other sections interest in it all)
B] Lots of support from within CAC (OH, and a dollop of support from the WRU, now strictly speaking under the current PA this isn't strictly necessary but you can bet it would be a factor)
As things stand at present NOT ONE of those things is in place
PT may well be ready to stand aside but there are other bits of politics going to happen before ANY new start may be possible. I suggest everyone enjoy Christmas (even ATTR oy vaye
) & the new year and then springtime cause I'm not sure anything could happen before then anyhow...
Still we ahve a hammering to in France first to worry about !!!! and probably on the hallowed Arms Park earlier in the day when ulster come calling. I suggest Phil swaps squads for this one as then we may well get a win and the players can then get ready for those one eyed baby eating turks coming to try and spoil Chrimble....
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Soldier: This is the worst part. The calm before the battle
Fry: And then the battle is not so bad?
Soldier: Oh, right. I forgot about the battle
Better to understand a little than to misunderstand a lot
No point in "waiting to see". Once the button is pressed the bomb is on its way.