Big Spending WRU Link included

The WRU are set to invest 3.5 million big ones into Welsh rugby, this will all go to the grass roots and improving the training facilities at the Millennium stadium and trying to make rugby union more attractive in Wales. Surely most of this should be spent in North Wales, this is an awful lot of money to spend, would people have preferred to see an A side introduced with this money ? Or even another region ? Either way the WRU are splashing the cash and we have not even seen the results of this report about the regions yet. What do people think about this ?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-18351251

mods can we please move this to the international section.

Well to be honest A Side Rugby would only be a development tool. I think before we bring that back we should probably look at the North situation first as the fans up there would bring revenue to the game and have been overlooked.

Im interested, do you have a link?

I only ask as I know the WRU have been locked in meetings with the Regions since March and are spending a lot of time on hammering out some proposals and I would imagine any extra cash is probably going towards keeping the best players in Wales.

Also is this part of the money which went on new staff and upgrades on Stadium maintenance? As I understand they brought in a lot of development officers to work with Schools around the country. Its School Rugby they need to tap into in order for Club Rugby to start getting the playing numbers again.

Anyway if you have a link please post

LINK : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-18351251

Stadium debt is down to £26 Mil and should be paid off by the end of the decade.

When the stadium debt is paid off the WRU are going to have a lot of money around.

I have it on good authority that a major announcement will be made soon regarding North Wales.
Well that is if the bloke dishing out free appletiser’s in Cardiff last weekend can be regarded as a reliable source.

Here you go my good friend:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-18351251

I'd love to see North Wales get a proper regional side - they deserve it - but the most sensible approach would be to ensure that there'd be a place for this fifth region in the Rabo before deciding anything else. And looking at things more widely, surely Scotland and Italy should have a third side in the Rabo before we get a fifth?

Is there anymore news on this report about the regions ? Or is it as I suspect, that it will all just fade into the background and we are all going to have to expect nothing of it. Especially now that the Blues have come out and declared their losses of over 2 million big ones.

For me get our A Side up and running would be a huge bonus

how much is the WRU paying off on it's debts each year? curious as if the WRU are adding those extra games each year to quicken the pay-off.

QuickBall wrote:how much is the WRU paying off on it's debts each year? curious as if the WRU are adding those extra games each year to quicken the pay-off.

As much as I do not trust the hierachy at the WRU you cannot fault their accounting abilities, they have turned the organisation around from a union lossing money hand over fist to a union that is now making money hand over fist. Perhaps they could give our regions some tips on how to run a business.

Ice......................... more ice is the answer

We knew about this money and several sections in Welsh rugby have made a grab for it.

I'm glad the WRU has decided to invest in grass roots. the regions and Peter Thomas has been angling for this money for a while, and I'm glad they didn't get it, all it would of done is push up wages in Wales and of been wasted.

The Valleys have also been trying to get a portion of it, but their business plan looks like it was written by 5 drunk semi literate Rhonnda men on the back of a stamp with an orange crayon, so thankfully the Union hasn't used the money there either.

Personally I'd of liked to see this money invested in areas of Wales were investment has been scarce through our history. Money never goes in Mid Wales, North Wales or Pembrokeshire. Why not help the forgotten clubs in those areas with investment in facilities and infrastructure? Welsh rugby is all about the M4 corridor and I think that is sad and very wasteful.