Why the United Rugby Championship only has one chance of making its American dreams come true
URC bosses are reportedly considering a major expansion of the competition that could see two of the Welsh regions replaced by two teams on the east coast of the United States of America.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
11 minutes ago
- Wales Online
Inside the Scarlets' meeting with fans as one defiant statement sparks raucous response
Inside the Scarlets' meeting with fans as one defiant statement sparks raucous response The Scarlets management fielded questions from concerned fans on Tuesday night The Scarlets management face the fans on Tuesday night (Image: Riley Sports Photography) When 200 Scarlets fans packed into the Quinnell lounge at Parc y Scarlets, new investor Kirsi Jane Baker was asked whether the Llanelli-based club would consider a merger with arch rivals the Ospreys. "We are only focused on Scarlets playing at Parc y Scarlets, playing in red and being called the Scarlets," exclaimed the House of Luxury CEO in response to a question surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union's preference of halving the number of professional clubs in Wales. It was met by a raucous round of applause by a room full of die hard Scarlets fans. Baker's response evoked memories of former Scarlets CEO Stuart Gallacher who fought tooth and nail to ensure professional rugby remained in Llanelli 22 years ago when former Welsh Rugby Union CEO David Moffett - who is now involved with HOL - attempted to push through regionalisation in 2003 with a reduction to five teams. One plan mooted was a potential merger between Llanelli and Swansea - the bitterest of rivals on and off the field - which allegedly prompted Gallacher to say in a meeting with the WRU they would consider it as long as the team was based in Llanelli, was called Llanelli and played in red. Those running the Scarlets in this day and age have an even bigger fight on their hands. To be clear, the forum was held a day before the WRU officially announced its optimal solution including a reduction to two teams, but WalesOnline's exclusive story had dropped an hour before the meeting began. Article continues below There was a nervous but defiant feel in the air at Parc y Scarlets. Fans who have followed the Scarlets and Llanelli RFC previously - some for over 50 years - are genuinely concerned the biggest passion in their lives is about to be extinguished for good. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. No surprise then the majority of questions centred around whether the Scarlets would survive the upcoming structural change. Chairman Simon Muderack and managing director Jon Daniels were both optimistic about the Scarlets' chances. HOL CEO Kirsti Jane Baker addresses Scarlets fans (Image: Riley Sports Photography) Muderack was adamant the Scarlets "are up for a fight" while Daniels emphasised his confidence that the investment from HOL would help the club enjoy a prosperous future. But Muderack was clear that structural change in Welsh rugby is necessary, but the Scarlets would score favourably if there was a reduction in teams and decisions had to be made on who stays. "What I would say is if you look at the past five, six or seven years when we were trying to run the game with four clubs, two clubs went bankrupt," he said. "So, that tells you finances do not support four teams. "So, it is highly unlikely the answer going forward is going to be four teams. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free "Is it going to be one? No, it's not going to be one. "Is it going to be two or is it going to be three? That is going to be worked through. "What I would say is I'll come back to the strengths of this club. As we go through this process those will be the things that we talk about. "Those underpin why you would consider this club to be part of a potential two-club solution if that is where we end up going. "All of us want successful clubs and a successful team Wales. None of us want to watch a Lions series on TV again with only one Welsh player. "We have to accept the economic society and reality about what we are trying to achieve from a performance perspective." Muderack was confident the Scarlets could thrive if they could survive the structural changes. "The union needs to show leadership but some of that leadership needs to be driven by the supporters," he said. "Your voice and how you represent that over the next few months is critical. "I do believe if we get through this successfully, which we will, we can position ourselves favourably. "We need change, investment and support." There have been many questions asked of the credibility of HOL since getting on board and assuming the Scarlets' liabilities. One thing which has been queried is the fact HOL are based out of Montana, with very little information available available online. You can read about what is known here. Scarlets chair Simon Muderack fields questions (Image: Riley Sports Photography) This was put to Baker on the night by one supporter. "The Montana side of things is purely because there's things we can do in Montana from a privacy aspect that is very important to our clients," she explained. "There's nothing more to it and there's nothing interesting in it. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. "That's why it's there. "We don't have an issue with showing anything. "As a company we do our due diligence about 10 times a day. "We can't do anything without due diligence. It's part of our everyday life. "As a company we have closed just shy of £6bn in deals in the quarter one and quarter 2 of 2025. We are one of the fastest growing companies in the United States of America. "We have to provide audited accounts, we have to provide tax records and everything in between. "In a nutshell we sell very expensive things to people who have lots of money and we are not shy of business." Muderack fielded a question about rugby's new rebel league, R360, and was of the opinion it could be a catalyst for positive change in the game. Baker touched on the branding of Welsh rugby and emphasised her admiration for the FAW with regards the way it has embraced Wales' culture and language. When asked again about a potential merger with Ospreys she was of the opinion mergers rarely work, although there were a few examples in US sport. A handful of fans expressed their disdain for the way the WRU have treated the four professional clubs over a number of years, while Muderack confirmed Dave Reddin has been invited down to Parc y Scarlets for discussions. While the club is determined to win its upcoming fight Daniels was quick to stress the part supporters could play in determining the outcome. Article continues below As the Q&A section drew to a close a section of the room burst into song with Sospan Fach reverberating around the room. The future of the Scarlets is on the line once again but judging by Tuesday night's performance those running the club and its fans will not give up without an almighty fight.
Wales Online
2 hours ago
- Wales Online
WRU two-team plan splits fans, sparks anger but 'change must happen'
WRU two-team plan splits fans, sparks anger but 'change must happen' The WRU's plan to cut the number of professional teams in Wales from four to two has been met with a mixed reaction from fans Welsh rugby is set to cut to either three or two teams going forward (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd) Wales Online readers have been voicing their opinions on the Welsh Rugby Union's (WRU) proposal to reduce the professional game to two teams. Some believe that fewer, stronger teams are the only sustainable option; others caution against potential long-term harm to identity, crowds and pathways. The WRU has now formally unveiled its favoured plan to decrease the number of professional teams in Wales from four to two, taking significant control of the remaining sides in the process. Dave Reddin, WRU director of rugby and elite performance, is the main architect of what the WRU sees as the best structure for Welsh rugby. This includes a reduction to two teams, marking a major shift in the Welsh rugby landscape. The WRU has committed to honouring all existing player contracts for Welsh-qualified players until 20 May 2025. Each club will consist of a men's team and a women's team. Additionally, as exclusively revealed by WalesOnline last month, a new centre of excellence is being planned. One reader, Ambivalentwelshman writes: "I understand the argument for wanting 4 teams and/or by limiting to 2 teams, as people are concerned it will reduce player pool size. However, we must accept that in Wales (currently), we simply do not have the quantity or quality of players at professional level or below to sustain as is (coupled with poor player budgets for each team). By reducing the numbers you increase competition for places, which in turn will increase standards. Simples. The knock on effect will be that those players that can't make the top will drop down into the lower leagues and that increases the standard in those respective leagues and so on." Article continues below While Daimachno feels: "This proposal diminishes Welsh rugby. In the amateur era we had Newport, Cardiff, Swansea and Llanelli developing world class stars and beating international teams. I know this is a different era but reducing the pool is not going to improve things. The only thing we know for certain is that Cardiff, who are bankrupt and 9 million in debt will continue. As a Newport boy now living in Swansea and an Osprey season ticket holder, who also sees the Dragons when possible, will I go and support Cardiff when Dragons and Ospreys are gone? What do you think? This will decimate Welsh rugby and destroy its supporters. We are not Italy or Scotland. We are Wales and can and should support more than 2 teams." PembsScarlet says: "The simple fact is that we now have to get together and support what is decided. The previous regimes have put us in this position, and we are now having some forward thinking. There are regional players that are stealing a living and they should be in the SRC. The 25 cap rule should also go to ensure we have the opportunity for our boys to play wherever. I'd be very happy that Bath, Bristol etc. Continue to develop our players. Build two strong teams and this will help Wales, and will ensure young players are inspired to play for Wales." Geronimo46 comments: "I would fight tooth and nail to keep four teams, but if it's genuinely impossible for this to work, the East and West teams have to finally be real regions and ground share from one home game to the next. On top of this Reddin has to be fully committed to the positive part of this plan, and create a state of the art player pathway and boost SRC so it's standard is raised to be a breeding ground for talent to take the step up. If this can be achieved, along with some victories for East and West, maybe younger fans will engage. As for a good deal of the older, like most of those on here, I'm guessing it may be the end of the road." Aberflyarf is all for it: "This decision might just save Welsh rugby, and it should have been made 23 years ago. Unfortunately, at that stage, the WRU were weak and sold out to a few affluent clubs who only had self interest in mind. This is a clear and appropriate path for future proofing the professional game in Wales. I'm sure the WRU is hoping that the existing clubs will merge. I hope they fight this decision so that two newly formed entities take the reins, with no affiliation to current clubs. This will also be a boost the the club game in Wales with greater emphasis given to the SRC league." BusterBloodvessel adds: "Disappointing it's not 3 brand new franchises aligned with historical Welsh Counties so as to generate fan interest. But either way the 25 cap rule has to go with this direction of travel to allow us to select Welsh players who will play outside of Wales. There will still be bigger money offers for our top talent and they will get top level coaching and competitions in England and France etc. We need to embrace that and not shoot ourselves in the foot. Like the Aussies who scrapped Giteau's law. We need to do the same." Wales to win believes: "Our game is in deep, deep trouble isn't it? Those of us who do not support Cardiff may not like the way their supporters are on here, knowing they are bomb proof from any chop, gloat, but the majority will concede we need a team based in the capital. For the rest of us there will be pain. Dragons are gone, without doubt. Then we have the West dilemma. Whatever happens to promote inclusively, the team will be renamed. I just do not see any interest from fans that will be disadvantaged by losing their 'home' side. We live in a small principality but our already disillusioned fans will become less engaged. Most of us are old enough to know rivalries make us tick. What we have done is hand over our decision-making in relation to the survival of our game to people who at the highest level do not understand the game. They are not Welsh. They do not know the first thing about us. Like I said we are in deep deep trouble. How on earth did we get to this position?" Llywelyn comments: "I think this is the only way it will work . Even at £7.8m we are hardly going to be flush. A development team on top would be nice to have - maybe a pan-Wales team that plays across various stadia, if its affordable - which it probably isn't. We have to scrap the 25 cap rule as well, and accept that part of player development needs to be done elsewhere. "The only viable locations are Cardiff and Swansea being our largest cities . Anywhere else would be stupid . The new entities need to divorce themselves from the existing regions, and be a completely WRU-owned set up. If it's done any other way then it will see lots of toys and prams! The idea of retaining 2 would create such enmity that it would hold us back." Rjanders says: "That's excellent news. Sense prevails after 25 years. With Cardiff in their situation that takes them out of the running for the east Wales team. Hopefully their dinosaur board will allow the east team to play at CAP. Stronger SRC with Merthyr and ponty in there to up the numbers." BlueBuoy agrees: "Absolute right move, two regions - one in Swansea and one in Cardiff. But this must be underpinned by a well funded Premiership with caveats attached so youngsters are given a chance over old-headed journeymen, anyone not in the squads and any academy players must play in the Premiership if not picked, it's no good having youngsters sat on the backside every weekend, they must be playing on a regular basis." RhysRees says: "The model isn't working and hasn't been for ages. 34 paid overseas players in the 4 squads draining the cash and offering nothing to the national team. Crowds were low and getting lower, even for Welsh derbies. Change has to happen. I'm backing it. Let's be positive. I hope too, it's East and West. Fresh start." Article continues below Jackieboy writes: "At last a difficult decision which had to be taken. The population of Wales cannot justify 4 top class regional sides .Unless we go back to those wonderful days of a number of first class clubs such as Pontypool providing a core of talented players worthy of international selection on a regular basis this very tough decision was needed." Are you for the new plans of two professional teams here in Wales, rather than the current four? Comment below or HERE to have your say.
Wales Online
3 hours ago
- Wales Online
Lee Tomlin lands first senior coaching job and immediately brings in ex-Cardiff City player
Lee Tomlin lands first senior coaching job and immediately brings in ex-Cardiff City player The former Bluebirds star is making his way in coaching after hanging up his boots following a successful playing career Bluebirds favourite Lee Tomlin (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency) Morecambe have appointed former Cardiff City playmaker Lee Tomlin as assistant to new boss Ashvir Singh Johal. The 36-year-old, who also had spells at Nottingham Forest and Peterborough during his playing career, arrives at the League Two club having previously coached in the youth setups at Leicester City and Sheffield United. Tomlin is remembered incredibly fondly by Bluebirds supporters for almost single-handedly spearheading the club's charge into the play-offs during that Covid-hit season under Neil Harris. But after leaving the Welsh capital in 2021, Tomlin found it difficult to get back to top fitness and struggled at clubs Walsall and Doncaster, before hanging his boots up for good and pursuing a career in coaching. Join the Cardiff City breaking news and top stories WhatsApp community. And recent crisis-hit club Morecambe have brought him on board after new owners Panjab Warriors usurped control of the Shrimpers, stamping their authority by sacking popular manager Derek Adams in their first move. Johal is now in charge of the National League side and, speaking to the club's website about Tomlin, said: "Lee is someone I have known for a very long time. I knew that when I became a manager Lee was the person I wanted to be my assistant manager. "He is someone that I can trust to take us to the next level, so I'm really looking forward to working with him and I think he will add real value to our team." Article continues below And Tomlin has tapped into his old club's intel, signing former Cardiff youngster Raheem Conte following his departure from the Bluebirds this summer. The 20-year-old defender, who has been handed the No.3 shirt, spent some time in Cardiff's academy after joining in 2022 and made his senior debut in a Championship win over Southampton under Erol Bulut. He also featured in the Carabao Cup before enduring a tough loan spell at National League side Woking in the first half of the 2024/25 campaign. Mateus Fernandes of Southampton runs with the ball whilst under pressure from Raheem Conte of Cardiff City (Image: Getty Images) New Morecambe boss Johal said he was thrilled to secure Conte's signature. Sign up to our daily Cardiff City newsletter here. 'I'm delighted that Raheem has joined us at Morecambe,' Johal said. 'He has had good exposure to Cardiff's first team, playing in the Championship and the EFL Cup. 'Raheem is a versatile player. He's a midfielder but can also play at full-back — and we see him as a left-back. He's athletic, quick, intelligent, and has the football brain to really help us on the pitch. 'We think he will enjoy our training methods, and we believe we can take him to the next level as a player while he helps us in our push to get back into the EFL.' Earlier on Wednesday, Morecambe confirmed their weekend fixture against Altrincham will go ahead as planned following the recent takeover by Panjab Warriors. The club have also strengthened their squad ahead of the new season with the signings of former Barrow striker Harrison Panayiotou and ex-Accrington Stanley midfielder Mo Sangare. --- *Follow all of our social channels to ensure you stay up to date with the latest Bluebirds news. Sign up to our daily newsletter here and our WhatsApp channel here . Article continues below You can also follow us on social media on our X account and Facebook .
