Latest news with #SamWarburton
Wales Online
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Sam Warburton says 'cut-throat' decision needed over regions and reveals his 'preference'
Sam Warburton says 'cut-throat' decision needed over regions and reveals his 'preference' Welsh rugby faces the possibility of cutting a professional club and Warburton is on board with that Warburton believes the WRU needs to cut a region (Image: Bob Bradford - CameraSport via Getty Images ) Sam Warburton has urged the Welsh Rugby Union to cut one of its four professional clubs for the greater good of the game in Wales. Welsh rugby is currently in limbo after the Ospreys and Scarlets both declined to follow Cardiff and the Dragons in signing the new Professional Rugby Agreement with the WRU. As a result the WRU have served a two-year notice to both the Ospreys and Scarlets on the old PRA, meaning there will be a tiered funding model next season. Going down to three professional clubs is a very real possibility and Warburton insists it needs to happen if Welsh rugby is to drag itself out of the abyss. "I've said they need to be cut, I don't want them to," Warburton told Mirror Sport. "I would love us to keep four teams and add a north Wales region and have players pouring out of that pathway but that's not happening and it's not happening down south either. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. "All the reviews that have come about have all concluded for the last 10 years that you need to go down to three. "We've fought to keep four from a good place to keep them alive, but the reality is we just can't and we have to drop to three. "I don't want it, but if we're looking at it subjectively it has to happen. "My preference would be a merger, but if no one is willing to merge then unfortunately there has to be a cut throat decision. "Is it perfect? No. "Whether it is right or wrong, nobody has the right answer. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free "But one answer we do know is we've had four teams for 20 years and it's bought no success. "The daft thing is to keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result. "I fully support going down to three, from a player quality perspective, we can't support four teams nor do we have the funding." Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. Article continues below Reducing to three professional clubs would concentrate both money and playing talent, which in theory should drive up standards on the field.
Daily Mirror
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Warburton "fully supports" cutting Welsh region - "it has to happen"
Sam Warburton admits Wales needs to cut one of its regions and go down from four teams to three with their player pool and funding unable to maintain its current structure Sam Warburton confessed with a heavy heart that Welsh Rugby has to cut one of its four regions with the former captain admitting the "daft thing is to keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result". With the country's player pool drying up and funding becoming an issue with each passing year the expectation is that one of the Ospreys, Scarlets, Dragons or Cardiff Blues is set for the chop. Warburton himself came through the ranks at the Cardiff Blues, playing his whole career in the capital, but is a believer that going down to three teams is ultimately in the nation's best interest. Especially as they look to rebuild and snap a winless run that now stands at 17 games - the most for a tier-one nation in the professional era. The WRU announced earlier this month that its four regions will no longer be equally funded as reports continue to swirl over a team being cut. Warburton claimed keeping four for so long came from "a good place" but the time had come to either merge a region or be ruthless. He told Mirror Sport: "I've said they need to be cut, I don't want them to. I would love us to keep four teams and add a north Wales region and had players pouring out of that pathway but thats not happening and it's not happening down south either. All the reviews that have come about have all concluded for the last ten years that you need to go down to three. "We've fought to keep four from a good place to keep them alive, but the reality is we just can't and we have to drop to three. I don't want it, but if we're looking at it subjectively it has to happen. My preference would be merger, but if no one is willing to merge then unfortunately there has to be a cut throat decision. Is it perfect? No. Whether it is right or wrong, nobody has the right answer. "But one answer we do know is we've had four teams for 20 years and it's bought no success. The daft thing is to keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result. I fully support going down to three, from a player quality perspective, we can't support four teams nor do we have the funding." Welsh rugby bosses intend to implement a new two-tier funding system and have served a two-year notice on the current agreement that had remained the central cog of the domestic game. That current Professional Rugby Agreement (PRA) deal runs out in 2027 and was due to be superseded by a new five-year deal that Ospreys and Scarlets have not signed. Only Cardiff, who are owned by the WRU, and privately-backed Dragons have put pen to paper. The four sides are expected to exist in their current form until at least June 2027, but beyond that it remains unclear what direction the Welsh game will go in. The governing body says it has an "open mind to all constructive and realistic proposals on the way forward".
BBC News
27-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Lions consider golden point extra time proposal
The British and Irish Lions board is considering a proposal for sudden-death extra time if a deciding third Test this summer against Australia finishes in a Australia chief Phil Waugh revealed he suggested at meetings in London that 'golden point' extra time - which means the first team to score wins - should be played in such 2017, the Lions and New Zealand shared the series after the deciding third Test finished 15-15, with captain Sam Warburton saying it was "a bit of an anticlimax for the players".Former New Zealand head coach Steve Hansen said the draw was "a bit like kissing your sister and no-one wants that"."We've had some really constructive conversations. That's got to go to the Lions board around whether it's a drawn series, or you decide it through golden point or extra time," Waugh told the Sydney Morning Herald., external"Our preference, if we put the fans at the centre of everything we're doing, I think that the familiarity that everyone has with 'golden point' and the interest for that in our market is a good guide."Obviously, we will be making sure both parties agree. But I think that if you're thinking about some fan engagement, that's certainly very appealing."For regular season games this year, Super Rugby Pacific brought in 'golden point',, external where if the teams are level at full-time then an 10 minutes of extra time is played, with a draw then declared if there is no winning April, Australian side Western Force and New Zealand's Hurricanes played out a thrilling 17-17 draw, with no score in extra Super Rugby Pacific knockout games, two 10-minute periods of standard extra time are the teams are still level, up to 10 minutes of golden point extra time are played, followed by a kicking competition if necessary. Confirmation of 20-minute red card Waugh confirmed both sides had agreed that the 20-minute red card will be used during the rule means the offending team can replace the red-carded player 20 minutes after being reduced to 14 year's Six Nations used 20-minute red cards for the first time after a trial at the Autumn Nations Cup in centre Garry Ringrose, who will tour Australia this summer with the Lions, was given a first-half 20-minute red card against the 20 minutes passed, Bundee Aki replaced Ringrose and played a key role in seeing the game home for Ireland."We've been very vocal in our support for the 20-minute red card," Waugh Lions will play a warm-up match against Argentina in Dublin on 20 June before leaving for Australia, with the three-match Test series against the Wallabies starting in Brisbane on 19 July.
Wales Online
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Lions considering new proposal for Australia tour after breakthrough Cardiff talks
Lions considering new proposal for Australia tour after breakthrough Cardiff talks The Lions and Australia are keen to avoid a repeat of the anticlimactic end to the 2017 tour in New Zealand British and Irish Lions' Sam Warburton and New Zealand's Kieran Read lift the trophy after the series is drawn (Image: PA ) The British and Irish Lions are considering a proposal for sudden-death extra time should a deciding third Test in the upcoming tour of Australia finish in a draw. It comes after the 2017 tour saw the Lions share the series with New Zealand, after the third Test in Auckland ended in a 15-15 draw. At the time, many felt the end of the shared series - which culminated in captains Sam Warburton and Kieran Read lifting the trophy together - was seen as anticlimactic. Rugby Australia chief Phil Waugh has now confirmed that the Lions' board are now looking at ways to avoid another shared series, following talks in Cardiff last week ahead of the European finals at the Principality Stadium. Waugh had been involved in meetings in the Welsh capital with World Rugby members, as well as Lions management, last week ahead of this summer's tour. It had already been confirmed that the 20-minute red card would be used during the Lions tour. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. And now it appears that a golden point extra-time could also feature in this summer's tour should the final Test finish level. Article continues below 'We've had some really constructive conversations,' Waugh told the Sydney Morning Herald. 'That's got to go to the Lions board around whether it's a drawn series, or you decide it through Golden Point or extra time.' This year has seen Super Rugby introduce 'Superpoint', where teams play an extra 10 minutes of golden point time to find a winner before a draw is declared. 'Our preference, if we put the fans at the centre of everything we're doing, I think that the familiarity that everyone has with 'Superpoint' and the interest for that in our market is a good guide," added Waugh. "Obviously, we will be making sure both parties agree. "But I think that if you're thinking about some fan engagement, that's certainly very appealing.' Article continues below This Lions tour will also see the 20-minute red card used, with the Wallabies supportive of the experiment. '[Wallabies coach] Joe [Schmidt] has been quite overt around the fact that one of the roles of this tour is based around entertainment and fan engagement, and he has been a big advocate for some time around the benefits of the 20-minute red card,' Waugh added. 'We've been supporting that and advocating for that, and being very vocal in our support for the 20-minute red card.'
Wales Online
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Sam Warburton says 'Welsh rugby needs the Premiership' and poses million dollar question
Sam Warburton says 'Welsh rugby needs the Premiership' and poses million dollar question The former Wales captain admits he's envious of what's on offer across the Severn Bridge Warburton believes Welsh rugby 'needs the Premiership' (Image: Bob Bradford - CameraSport via Getty Images ) Wales legend Sam Warburton says Welsh rugby "needs the Premiership" after Bristol Bears and Bath played out an enthralling league derby at the Principality Stadium. The two English sides took their clash over the border on Saturday for the Bears' 'Big Day Out', their first attempt at hosting a Gallagher Premiership match at the home of Welsh rugby. There are hopes that it will become an annual occurrence and the event certainly got off to a promising start, with 51,095 fans piling into the stadium to watch Bristol run out as 36-14 winners. That attendance is in stark contrast to the number of supporters sat in the stadium for Judgement Day three weeks ago, with just 28,328 people coming to watch the four Welsh regions in action in the annual United Rugby Championship double-header. The contrasting interest in the two events has seen the idea of an Anglo-Welsh league explored again, with several senior figures in the game - including Bristol head coach Pat Lam - talking up the benefits of such a move. Up until recently, there had been talks of the Premiership and the URC merging with an Anglo-Welsh conference to be included in that competition, but they fell through. However, Warburton admits he is "envious" of what's on offer in England's top competition and believes that Welsh rugby needs to be a part of it to help the state of the game on this side of the border. Article continues below On punditry duty for TNT Sports for the Principality Stadium clash, the former Wales skipper said: 'It's lovely being a neutral (at the Principality) for a change, I can enjoy the rugby no matter what happens. 'When this game was announced a while ago I thought it was a really nice idea. Now it is justified, it seems there is going to be a minimum 50,000 here." 'I have been doing the Premiership all season," he added. "I can't help but envy every ground I go to, whether it is Kingsholm, even AJ Bell, great stadiums. Exeter, you do down there, Bath is always rocking, Bristol. 'I'm thinking personally Welsh rugby needs this, [it] needs the Premiership." However, Warburton went on to pose the million-dollar question, the answer to which will decide the fate of any potential future Anglo-Welsh league proposals. "The big question I guess, is whether the Premiership needs us," he added. "I don't know but I do feel that the Welsh, I look across the Bridge and look at what product you have got (in England) and what gates you get in, the jeopardy you have in the competition, Welsh rugby needs this.' It comes after Lam told WalesOnline's Welsh Rugby Podcast that he believes an Anglo-Welsh league "makes sense" for English clubs. "I'm probably neutral because I loved it when I was at Connacht playing against Cardiff, Scarlets, Ospreys and Dragons," the Bristol boss said. Article continues below "For us it makes sense if we've got 10 teams and there's four over there. I don't want to be controversial but I can see an Anglo-Welsh league would be huge as well. That's up for other people to decide but it's on the same island. "There's the history as well. People tell me back in the day Bristol used to play Cardiff in midweek and there used to be sellouts here and over there," he added. "One of the reasons is there's a close affinity between the Welsh and the Bristolians as well. I'm not the guy who decides all these things but if it ever went down to an Anglo-Welsh I could see it being successful."
