Nigel Owens: The jewel in the crown that Welsh rugby simply has to get right

Wales Online

12-07-2025

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England have gone out to Argentina, one of the top sides in the world right now, and with a squad decimated by Lions inclusions and have gone to their back yard and beaten them quite comfortably.
It shows the strength in depth England have, and it's sadly in stark contrast to what's going on here in Wales. We've gone to Japan, pretty much full strength really barring two Lions players.
Obviously Tomos Williams is out for the Lions now, and was very unfortunate. Had he been fit, I think it was probably his position to lose, the way he started the tour out there.
Then there's Jac Morgan, who was outstanding in his last game. If you're picking a Test side on the basis of that performance, he'd be the first name on the teamsheet. Given he's starting on Saturday, let's hope hope he puts in a top performance and nails himself down as a Lions starter. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack for the exclusive five-week tour diary from Japan and Australia.
He obviously didn't play on Wednesday, which is very sad as it's the first time in many years we've had a Lions matchday squad without a single Welshman.
But that just highlights where we are I suppose.
I went out to referee in Japan before the World Cup and they were a good side then. They'd obviously beaten South Africa in 2015 and then reached the quarter-finals in the World Cup in Japan itself. They were a good side. A lot of sides going to Japan would have found it difficult to beat them.
But they're not the side they once were. This was probably a mediocre Japan team in comparison and it really puts into perspective just how profoundly we've fallen.
There were probably quite a few reasons for the defeat itself. We haven't got a permanent coach yet, and aside from the Ospreys getting to the semi-final of the Challenge Cup and Scarlets doing reasonably well in the URC this year, losing to the eventual winners Leinster in the play-offs, our regions are involved in a URC that's been pretty poor overall for us.
That's not just results, but also the occasions themselves. Crowds have been down and it just feels like even the derbies don't capture the imagination anymore. Not so long ago when I was still refereeing them, the derby matches would be full on, on and off the field. Judgement Day would reach more than 60,000 supporters in our iconic stadium.
The number of huge players, big household names, who have left the Welsh game or retired too is another factor.
If you look at the Welsh side now, apart from two or three players, you haven't really got any world-class players unfortunately, and there doesn't seem to be much more coming through. Our U20s have always been strong, but apart from a great win against England in this year's Six Nations it's been pretty poor for them for a while now.
There are potentially a few reasons for that. We have to look at our structure and our academy set-ups. How many players we're losing to outside of Wales, how many players aren't playing the game. That all needs to be looked at and addressed.
It's not as simple as getting a top-class coach in, there has to be a change in a lot of other things too really.
You look at New Zealand, they haven't been the same side as they were about 10 years ago. They're rebuilding, but when they're rebuilding they still have a core of world-class players to pull them through.
Wales have a couple of those players but there's not enough of them, and when confidence is low it has a knock-on effect.
The structure needs to change and I think they really need to look at the pathways.
Morgan, who you could arguably say could be one of the first names on the Lions teamsheet if he plays well again on Saturday, he's one who didn't come through that academy pathway. Played for Aberavon, and look at him now.
The same for Leigh Halfpenny. He was let go by the academy at the Ospreys who decided he wasn't good enough and was picked up by Cardiff.
If I wasn't refereeing in the URC or Pro 14 or whatever, I'd referee in the Welsh Premiership back in the day. Whether it be Aberavon v Neath or Pontypridd v Newport, they were good quality games with some big names playing for them. They were full-on occasions.
I think the Premiership now could really be the jewel in the crown.
Whether they have four, three or two regions, they have to make sure the Premiership below is a strong 12-club competition. That then creates a strong line of feeder clubs for the regions.
That's where I think they've gone wrong over the years. They keep messing around with the Premiership. Taking it up to 16 teams, then down again. It feels like they don't really know what to do with it.
But the Premiership could be like the Championship is in England. Top-quality rugby with traditional rivalries. Let's be honest, supporters of Pontypridd aren't going to go watch Cardiff, and supporters in Ebbw Vale aren't going to watch Newport. They're going to watch their club. But if they get a successful region above them where their players feed into it then maybe they would go along to support that too.
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So we need to get that right. Get those strong clubs in a strong competition again with players who have perhaps not quite broken through yet or can't quite get a game for their regional sides involved like they used to.
Regional rugby or reduction in clubs was needed, don't get me wrong. We couldn't carry on as things were because the money wasn't there for 10 pro clubs. We haven't got it now as evidenced by the fact we're still struggling with four.
So something had to change. But we neglected those rugby strongholds with those changes.
We need to get it right at that level. Then you'll get the supporters of those teams potentially taking an interest.
If a supporter sees three or four of their players going off to play for the regions above packed full of top-quality players bringing success in results and feeling they are part of it, they might be more inclined to go and support them.
But maybe I could be wrong. Maybe the tribalism is too deep for them to go and support a region or super club, whatever they may be called.
But at the moment, there seems to be a complete disconnect between what is needed to make Welsh rugby strong and successful again. From the schools, to the community clubs, to the Premiership and the regions.
It needs to be all part of one pyramid, with the national team at the top, but supported by good foundations below.
You can't build a skyscraper on the foundations of a bungalow, remember.