The Beginning of the End for Welsh Rugby?

[grandstand boy]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyu ... -flat.html

By Mick Cleary
6:00AM GMT 11 Dec 2012
48 Comments
The most significant result for European rugby at the weekend? Blackburn Rovers 1 Cardiff City 4.

The win puts the Bluebirds three points clear at the top of the Championship and on course to join Welsh compatriots, Swansea, in football’s Premier League.

Welsh rugby inhabits a nether-world of bleakness and angst. The national side is ensnared in its worst losing streak (seven Tests) in many a year, while the regions are on their uppers, spiritually as much as financially.

If two Welsh football clubs end up in the promised land, there will be even more pressure put on rugby attendances. The pound in the sporting pocket only stretches so far. Premier League football or faltering regional rugby? It’s a no-brainer. There’s trouble ahead.

[Forever Blue]

If two Welsh football clubs end up in the promised land, there will be even more pressure put on rugby attendances. The pound in the sporting pocket only stretches so far. Premier League football or faltering regional rugby? It’s a no-brainer. There’s trouble ahead.
The crisis in Wales, with chief executive Roger Lewis lambasting the French raiders on its playing pool as 'vultures’, is just the starkest contributing factor to what has been the flattest Heineken Cup competition many can remember.



Ive always said the worst thing to ever happen to Welsh Rugby is if Cardiff went up to the Premier League,then every kid will want to watch us and play football
Its being dying for years, but we could be the nail in their coffin.
In the 70's & 80's Rugby fans laughed at Cardiff City and belittled us.

[kenbarlow]

club rugby's been dead for years. internationals now are more about 'welshness' rather than the sport itself...just look at the crowds half of them dont actually understand whats going on, just use it as an excuse to get pissed...

i just cant really watch rugby anymore. its painfully dull

[CantonJack]

Good, footie is on the up (22k and 20k attendances for top two clubs) and rugby is going straight down the shitter (Average of around 4k for European matches, worse than we got for Huddersfield in the cup last year). International football attendances raising slightly as well, we have seen an increase to around 20,000 regularly in the last year, and international egg dropping to around 40,000 on several occasions.

Just a shame we have a clueless manager, if only Speedo was still about

[mr'mogreenz]

Welsh rugby has been doomed for a long time now. You only have to look at the crowds at the regional games to see just how much of a shit state its in. With the regions seriously struggling, and the exsidus of our international players to france and england, it will soon start seriously effecting the international team...judging by recent results it looks like it is already effecting the national team. The game in wales just can't compete with the likes of england, ireland, france etc, because the setup is all wrong, yet the powers that be don't seem to want to do anything about it.

[spike ferndale]

An observation . I went and watched the Wales v Australia match. first time I have attended for about 5 years. It cost me £140 for 2 tickets. Roughly around 15,000 empty seats. What was noticeable was the people sitting around me had little knowledge or understanding of the game. The atmosphere was non existent. Nevertheless I enjoyed the day and the company. Tickets went on sale yesterday for Wales and Ireland, 6 nations opener. Tickets priced at £80 each, in all four stands. I think they have lost the plot. Half their first choice players will not be match fit in time for this game.

[soylent blue]

I have always believed that 2 Welsh teams in the Premiership would signal the extinction of the dinosaur that is the Welsh Rugby Committee member ......

..... rugby as a game has a place in Wales just as squash, badminton and a myriad other sports.

It's the welsh sports committee member that I want to see extinct whether it be rugby, the FAW or any other welsh sport quango.

Premiership Football ..... 100% International .... could be 10% Welsh.

Bring it on.

[ninianblue]

you only have to look at the cardiff blues, moving in to a 27.000 seater stadium. they soon packed there bags internationals are like the liberty, full of plastics. daytrippers, theres only 1 team in wales

[Blue_Lloyd]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/wales/9735565/The-future-of-Welsh-rugby-union-is-at-stake-as-the-Heineken-Cup-falls-flat.html

By Mick Cleary
6:00AM GMT 11 Dec 2012
48 Comments
The most significant result for European rugby at the weekend? Blackburn Rovers 1 Cardiff City 4.

The win puts the Bluebirds three points clear at the top of the Championship and on course to join Welsh compatriots, Swansea, in football’s Premier League.

Welsh rugby inhabits a nether-world of bleakness and angst. The national side is ensnared in its worst losing streak (seven Tests) in many a year, while the regions are on their uppers, spiritually as much as financially.

If two Welsh football clubs end up in the promised land, there will be even more pressure put on rugby attendances. The pound in the sporting pocket only stretches so far. Premier League football or faltering regional rugby? It’s a no-brainer. There’s trouble ahead.

Let's Hope

[Willy the Wombat]

If two Welsh football clubs end up in the promised land, there will be even more pressure put on rugby attendances. The pound in the sporting pocket only stretches so far. Premier League football or faltering regional rugby? It’s a no-brainer. There’s trouble ahead.
The crisis in Wales, with chief executive Roger Lewis lambasting the French raiders on its playing pool as 'vultures’, is just the starkest contributing factor to what has been the flattest Heineken Cup competition many can remember.



Ive always said the worst thing to ever happen to Welsh Rugby is if Cardiff went up to the Premier League,then every kid will want to watch us and play football
Its being dying for years, but we could be the nail in their coffin.
In the 70's & 80's Rugby fans laughed at Cardiff City and belittled us.

Posh game for Tory public school boys. Showers, naked male bodies, deep heat, aww f**k its CCMB for me tonight

[BluebirdJoe]

Unfortunately the Welsh part of my family has always been in the "clueless yet passionate" bracket of rugby fandom, going as far as to try to stop me going to watch Cardiff games because Wales are playing on the same day. Luckily, my English father and especially my Northern grandfather were always there to help me out, both being rugby-haters and football lovers. Even if I wasn't going to Cardiff I'd always be going to watch Rochdale home or away and that saved me from 80 minutes of pissed up idiots squealing Hymns and Arias. The sooner Welsh rugby dies the better.

[Siadwell]

None to soon for me in it's present guise'

Pre regionalisation i used to take a bit more than a passing interest in the game. i probally attended 10-15 games a season at Pontypridd when there was no city.

The Regions alienated a lot of rugby fans gave up watching because of this.

Internationals have been a social event rather than a sporting event for years even before the spangly cowboy hats took hold (I personally cringe every time I see muppet vision from the Millstad being beamed across the world)

The Fallacy of Welsh rugby was even worse this week with the national team being voted Team of the year on BBC Egg sport personality.Come on I Know we hate to admit it the Jacks deserved that and us second, i'd even put Cewnty and Merthyr's achievement above them.

I'm no Egg hater but the pro-egggness of the media has always grated with me.

"Nail In the Coffin " pass me the hammer please

[Angry Man]

But you can see the Welsh media are trying their best to generate interest in rugby all the time. A few weeks ago when Warburton was droppedit was actually on the main headlines of the BBC Welsh news!!! Of all the things happening in Wales that is on the main headlines ffs!!!!

Also that Claire Summers may as well get on her knees and start sucking every player off the way shesso biased towards rugby

[Siadwell]

But you can see the Welsh media are trying their best to generate interest in rugby all the time. A few weeks ago when Warburton was droppedit was actually on the main headlines of the BBC Welsh news!!! Of all the things happening in Wales that is on the main headlines ffs!!!!

Also that Claire Summers may as well get on her knees and start sucking every player off the way shesso biased towards rugby

Time to get my boots out of the cupbooard then

[JONNY012697]

Whats happening to rugby on a domestic level is no different to when the best football was in Italy and anyone who was anyone would sell their soul to play in Serie A, now the same is said for England in the Premiership.
Regional Rugby has been a spectacular failure in Wales and something needs to be done about it. To have all 4 'regions'who collectively represent the whole of Wales, for all 4 to be south of the M4 is a disgrace because it alienates about 3/4 of the country.
At the moment the big money for rugby players is in France, so real surprise where the players are heading to.

I dont think this will effect the national squad much, because wherever our players play they are still Welsh, though Rugby does have to consider proper international breaks and stop running domestic competitions alongside international games.

As for people wishing the sport to die altogether PATHETIC, dont like rugby dont watch it, simples.

As for the media being all about rugby, well they did finish 4th in a world cup, our football team cant qualify for one.

As for the Welsh Rugby team winning the team of the year,its not a bad shout as the team does represent the whole country and has performed rather well winning the six nations. What has the Welsh football team won? What has Cardiff won? What has Swansea won? Blues? Ospreys? Scarlets? Dragons? Newport County? Wrexham? Merthyr? Colwyn Bay?

I enjoy Rugby, I enjoy Football. I like football more than I like Rugby. I wouldnt wish for the end of rugby. Though I do recognise the WRU has a lot of work to do to win back its fans.

[subbuteoman]

Club rugby has been dead for a longtime the swans and bluebirds home attendences are smashing the rugby crowds.

However I dont think things will ever change internationally its a day on the lash, part of welsh mentality, 50,000 odd for aussies,samoa,argies and full house for all blacks thats over 220,000 people. Welsh football will never achieve that in the immediate future.

The only thing I can see happening is the regions crowds diminishing then it wont be financially viable as they wont have the income to compete with English and French clubs , then as they dont win anything more fans will walk away. The knock on effect is that the Welsh league clubs like Cross Keys, Ponty etc will pick up the fallout and the regions will collapse within 5 years we will be back to a merit league system and regions abandoned.

[Bluebird_in_Barry]

Whats happening to rugby on a domestic level is no different to when the best football was in Italy and anyone who was anyone would sell their soul to play in Serie A, now the same is said for England in the Premiership.
Regional Rugby has been a spectacular failure in Wales and something needs to be done about it. To have all 4 'regions'who collectively represent the whole of Wales, for all 4 to be south of the M4 is a disgrace because it alienates about 3/4 of the country.
At the moment the big money for rugby players is in France, so real surprise where the players are heading to.

I dont think this will effect the national squad much, because wherever our players play they are still Welsh, though Rugby does have to consider proper international breaks and stop running domestic competitions alongside international games.

As for people wishing the sport to die altogether PATHETIC, dont like rugby dont watch it, simples.

As for the media being all about rugby, well they did finish 4th in a world cup, our football team cant qualify for one.

As for the Welsh Rugby team winning the team of the year,its not a bad shout as the team does represent the whole country and has performed rather well winning the six nations. What has the Welsh football team won? What has Cardiff won? What has Swansea won? Blues? Ospreys? Scarlets? Dragons? Newport County? Wrexham? Merthyr? Colwyn Bay?

I enjoy Rugby, I enjoy Football. I like football more than I like Rugby. I wouldnt wish for the end of rugby. Though I do recognise the WRU has a lot of work to do to win back its fans.

Well said Johnny, there's some small minded bitterness on this board toward rugby which is pathetic!

Why it is beyond the mental capacity of some people on here to support football AND rugby is beyond me. The stronger our football and rugby teams in Wales, the better.

[Bluebird_in_Barry]

Club rugby has been dead for a longtime the swans and bluebirds home attendences are smashing the rugby crowds.

However I dont think things will ever change internationally its a day on the lash, part of welsh mentality, 50,000 odd for aussies,samoa,argies and full house for all blacks thats over 220,000 people. Welsh football will never achieve that in the immediate future.

The only thing I can see happening is the regions crowds diminishing then it wont be financially viable as they wont have the income to compete with English and French clubs , then as they dont win anything more fans will walk away. The knock on effect is that the Welsh league clubs like Cross Keys, Ponty etc will pick up the fallout and the regions will collapse within 5 years we will be back to a merit league system and regions abandoned.

Wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. Regional rugby is dead on its ar5e, and i'd support a return to Welsh club rugby and a return to 2.30 kick offs on a saturday.......then the crowds would return. The regions have succeeded to an extent in that they have provided international success, however they are not sustainable and they have ruined the club game in Wales with all the emphasis being on international success

[Berwyn]

Welsh rugby has been on a downward spiral for years and the people in charge there are too arrogant to acknowledge it, then or now.

They'll always hide behind the six nations and how rugby is strong in Wales because of that. Fact that it's a drinking festival and they would sell out even if Wales wasn't playing. Most of the crowd wouldn't know anyway due to being so pissed up.

The highest level of club rugby is on par with 4th Division football at best. In fact I think Newport County are getting better gates than Cardiff Blues these days. The fact that Cardiff Blues had to move out of CCS because the venue was too big for them was the icing on the cake. Lets be honest CCS is a small football stadium, yet it was over 4 times to large for Cardiff Blues.

Going back to the arrogance. It is interesting that Cardiff Blues never once took advantage of the resources at hand at CCS. Simply because "it wasn't their idea". They had within hands reach there something ANY of the English rugby clubs would have begged for. But were too arrogant to ask.

Without naming names, because I don't want to embarrass anyone at CCS, Annis will back me up on this, there's a member of staff at CCS that was offered a very good Directors role at a leading English rugby club. A club may I add which is far bigger than Cardiff Blues. That English club wanted him to bring some of the things introduced at Cardiff City from now and in the past. However, he turned them down to stay at CCS. The point is though, Cardiff Blues had him there at their disposal. That's all they had to do was invite him in for a cuppa, a donut, some cakes, pasty, another donut..... anyway they had him there and knowing him I would bet my mortgage that he offered his services just as part of doing stadium wide things and joint City - Blues things as well. And they never did!

The sad part is Welsh rugby will have to dissapear all together before they'll admit to doing things wrong.

On a personal note, whilst I was at Cardiff someone asked me about the Mill Stad turnstiles. Apparently the WRU thought for some strange reason the documentation went to me at NP rather than them, which it didn't btw. But I did say I'd look at it for them if they liked. They were told this but again they would rather NOT have a turnstile system that works than lower themselves to ask someone who works in football (or soccer should I say). Trust me, getting those turnstiles working wouldn't have been a big deal.

[llangainbluebird]

The sooner Welsh egg-chasing dies, the better. Good riddance.

[JONNY012697]

Main reason regional rugby doesnt work:
1. The WRU did not get rid of the existing rugby clubs leaving fans with little choice but to support a region. Why support Cardiff Blues when Cardiff RFC still exists.
2. TV im not a big rugby fan but every time I go to the pub the Cardiff Blues always seem to be on TV on S4C. Great for a guy who cant afford a ticket but why bother going to the ground when you can watch every game on the TV even if you could afford it. This is why the FA are very restrictive on games shown on TV over the weekend so not to have stadium attendances drop due to all games being shown on TV an idea the WRU seem to ignore.
3. Ticket Price. Why go to watch a regional rugby game at a high price comparative to your local rugby club who may not charge anything and you can still watch a decent game of rugby.

The WRU relied on the greatness and tradition of Welsh Rugby. The problem was when they threw their traditions out the window for regional rugby their fans jumped out the window aswell.

The reginal system works very well in Ireland and the results and success of their rugby at club level is their to see. The WRU have tried the same system on the cheap and failed fantastically.

[Papa Smurf]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/wales/9735565/The-future-of-Welsh-rugby-union-is-at-stake-as-the-Heineken-Cup-falls-flat.html

By Mick Cleary
6:00AM GMT 11 Dec 2012
48 Comments
The most significant result for European rugby at the weekend? Blackburn Rovers 1 Cardiff City 4.

The win puts the Bluebirds three points clear at the top of the Championship and on course to join Welsh compatriots, Swansea, in football’s Premier League.

Welsh rugby inhabits a nether-world of bleakness and angst. The national side is ensnared in its worst losing streak (seven Tests) in many a year, while the regions are on their uppers, spiritually as much as financially.

If two Welsh football clubs end up in the promised land, there will be even more pressure put on rugby attendances. The pound in the sporting pocket only stretches so far. Premier League football or faltering regional rugby? It’s a no-brainer. There’s trouble ahead.

tHE eNGLISH PROPOGANDA MACHINE starts its campaign of undermining the weslsh psyche ahead of the rugby world cup in 2015.
Why else would they write about us.
International Rugby defines this nation.
get over it and it aint gonna change.

[llan bluebird]

The English care less about rugby than the average Cardiff city fan.

I agree TV is killing the game, but prices as well. I remember when I was a kid if the city was off we would head down the arms park, it cost half as much to watch the "amateurs" of Cardiff RFC, later in my mid 20's I would meet my friend in the Prince of Wales and depending on the game and weather condition decide if it was city of the rugby, going to the rugby was about £8 when the city was £14. I couldn't believe the price the blues were trying to charge when they were down the CCS.

They need to get it down to a fiver, but as Welsh TV subsidises the clubs it won't.