Potential for strike action looms over Six Nations amid turmoil in Welsh rugby
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Three years later, Wales’ rugby players might again be contemplating a strike during the Six Nations.
The future of the Welsh game has been thrown into uncertainty by proposals from the country’s rugby federation to cut one of its four men’s professional regional teams — Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets.
On Thursday, the Welsh Rugby Union announced that the owners of Ospreys — Y11 Sport and Media — have been chosen as the preferred option to buy Cardiff, which went into administration, a form of bankruptcy protection, in April last year.
While the WRU said the Ospreys will continue to play in domestic and European competitions “until at least the end of the 26-27 season,” there are concerns about the long-term future of a team that includes Wales captain Jac Morgan.
The Welsh Rugby Players’ Association, the organization which represents Wales’ players, said in a statement there has been an “unacceptable strain on players, staff and their families” during the process. It is nowdemanding “meaningful clarity on arrangements for next season” by Feb. 6.
That is a day before Wales’ first match of the Six Nations, away to England.
“This deadline is essential to prevent further disruption, provide stability, and allow players and clubs to make informed decisions,” the players’ union said. “Failure to deliver certainty by this point would inevitably require players to consider their position and next steps.”
There was no specific mention of strike action but it could be a possible course of action for disaffected players — and there is a precedent.
Wales players threatened not to play a Six Nations fixture against England in February 2023 due a to dispute over player contracts. Strike action was only averted at the last minute after a compromise was reached between the WRU and Wales players on certain issues.
Having to call off that game would have cost the WRU around 9 million pounds ($10.8 million at the time) and, three years later, Welsh rugby is still under economic pressures, despite recently managing to stabilizing its finances.
It has been a distressing few years for one of the world’s most proud rugby nations.
Wales went on an 18-test losing streak, the longest in men’s tier one history, before beating Japan in July.
Its last international was a 73-0 home thrashing in November at the hands of South Africa, which consigned Wales to its worst loss at home and second worst overall.
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AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby