Nigel Davies has warned Welsh rugby has to tackle a number of difficult issues as it faces up to a future shrouded in uncertainty because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The former Wales captain and coach, who also briefly served as the Welsh Rugby Union’s director of rugby, outlined his fears in an interview with WalesOnline.

He said:

  • There was a danger Welsh rugby’s pyramid could collapse if more help isn’t given to Wales’ community clubs;
  • The financial viability of Wales having four professional teams must be addressed honestly;
  • Vast sums of money had been spent by the WRU on coaching programmes yet Wales and Cardiff Blues, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets all have imported head coaches.
  • Appointing an unelected chairman of the WRU would be undemocratic and weaken accountability.

Davies, who has also coached the Scarlets, Gloucester and Ebbw Vale, and been chief executive of Merthyr RFC, is standing against fellow former Wales captains Gareth Davies, who is the incumbent, and Ieuan Evans for a seat on the governing body as a member of it’s National Council.

The WRU chairman going forward will be selected after the results of the Council elections.

Why have you decided to stand for a seat on the WRU?

Nigel Davies: I’ve spent my entire adult life playing an active part in Welsh rugby with more than three decades of service either playing, coaching or in management and support off the field. It’s pretty much been at my core, has shaped my life and is my passion.

There is never a good time for change but I believe currently our game needs support, direction and leadership from a loyal group of people that have a wide depth of knowledge and experience of our game.

Over many years I have gained an insight across the whole pathway of Welsh rugby, experiencing good and bad times, and gained a lot of knowledge in the process.

We need to value our member clubs and bridge the huge gap and disconnect that now exists between the tiers of our game.

It is sometimes easy to forget, the WRU is not just a business, it is an organisation established by the clubs for the clubs and on behalf of all the clubs.

It is important we embrace the future but not forget the past and remember that clubs are the heartbeat of the WRU.

What would be your priorities if you were to get elected?

ND: I want to play a part in helping drive the whole game forward in Wales.

The WRU is being run successfully as a business but it is about much more than that; it’s about clubs, communities and being a pathway for players and our coaches to progress from the foundations to the highest level.

There is a need to review our systems, our processes and our people to support what is fundamentally a transformational change program that can be delivered by people with experience and knowledge.

We have to set the long-term vision and generate a plan that embraces the whole of Welsh rugby, communities, clubs, regions, national team, players, coaches and supporters.

We have channelled vast amounts of time and money into coaching programmes in Wales over the years and yet five of the last eight Wales coaches have been from outside our country.

The success the national team has gained on the surface justifies this but was this our long-term vision as at present none of the four regions currently have head coaches that are from Wales?

We can produce world class coaches to support the game in Wales but it has to be part of our vision that is supported by a development pathway and investment.

Mark Jones is testament to this having won Super Rugby in New Zealand with the Crusaders – a fantastic achievement, but he made the decision to leave Wales with his young family because there was not a coaching vacancy for him here.

WRU chairman Gareth Davies says how important continuity is at this time and highlights the role he plays in World Rugby, what are your views?

ND: Continuity does not come from one or two individuals; the governance of the game is in the hands of the Community Game Board and Professional Rugby Board who have separate chair-people. That is where the continuity comes from.

It is important Wales has a strong presence within World Rugby .I think all the candidates have the background, capability and respect within the game to represent Wales in this role.

What is your view on the potential of Martyn Phillips becoming an independent WRU chairman or the prospect of Gareth Davies’ term as WRU chairman being extended over the maximum term of six years?

ND: It would require a change in the WRU constitution for the chairman’s role to be extended beyond a maximum six-year term.

The reason the six-year maximum term is placed on this position is to ensure new perspectives, independence and energy are brought to the role and to safeguard against the danger of familiarity leading to complacency or a lack of democracy.

To have a non-elected chairman of the WRU Board, not voted for by the clubs, would mean a movement away from the established democracy and WRU governance as a union of clubs.

This sets a deeply questionable precedent and weakens accountability and the voice of the whole game in making decisions as to who represents and helps govern on behalf of Welsh rugby in its entirety.

The current WRU leadership has made clear the international and professional game generate the income that supports the community game, what do you think?

ND: Over 80% of the revenue of the WRU comes from Test rugby. To sustain the current level of costs a successful international team is imperative for the financial health of the WRU.

However, of the £90 million turnover posted in the last financial annual report in 2019 by the WRU, the community clubs, which includes the Premiership teams, directly received around £4.5 million, which equates to roughly five per cent of the total turnover.

When you then consider the role community clubs play as small businesses, run by volunteers, in encouraging and capturing players into our game, which in turn directly effects the development of players and ultimately the pool of players, the success of our game and ultimately the international game, they deserve a great deal of credit.

We must ensure that we are supporting them in the right areas. They are turning over considerably more than the grant they get.

In pure financial terms, it’s a cost effective model for the WRU to have community clubs working hard at developing the next generation of international players for a relatively low level of investment.

The trouble with this is that it takes time, effort and patience to nurture these players and we must be careful in this fast-moving world that we don’t lose sight of this for short-term gains.

Over and above developing the next generation of international players, our community clubs have always played a big part in the infrastructure of Wales and in many communities are the focal point of the towns and villages. They play such a vital role for the overall well-being of our society.

What are your thoughts on the Welsh regions?

ND: It is absolutely imperative we have a successful, vibrant professional game and pathway in Wales but we need to make sure that it is sustainable and the WRU, through its governance structure, must be able to take the lead.

The professional model in Wales is under severe strain and we have seen this through some of the dramatic events of the last year first with the situation regarding the Ospreys and potential mergers with other regions and more recently the break-up of the PRB’s collective pay talks with players.

Clearly, the coronavirus pandemic has exasperated the situation with the regions now having to borrow to the tune of £5m each to see them through the coming season and their commitments.

This is a risk to the WRU with the professional game accounting for by far the largest cost in the WRU budget within the Rugby Service Agreement, which outlines what is expected from all parties in the relationship, including how funding is allocated.

The PRB, which now runs the professional game, is still coming to terms with the various demands and pressures of the professional game, including the requirements of the RSA but will very soon need to come up with solutions which must also consider the viability of the current model.

The issues facing the professional game not only in the pandemic but also in the future are not going to disappear and they need to be addressed honestly now.

Do you fear for the future of the Wales team?

ND: It was enormously successful under Warren Gatland, but I do have concerns about the future.

Welsh rugby is a pyramid and if the base of the pyramid, which are the clubs, is crumbling the whole thing will eventually come tumbling down.

We need to bring real unity to the game in Wales, not just something written in presentations, press releases or glossy documents but seeing clubs, regions and WRU actually working closely together with transparency and respect.

That will be my aim, if the clubs back me and I’m successful in this election.