Wales captains Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake have both signed for Gloucester ahead of next season
Welsh Rugby Union chair Richard Collier-Keywood says he feels responsible for the uncertainty that has seen Wales captains Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake sign deals in England ahead of next season.
The Ospreys pair both recently agreed to join Gloucester, with the ongoing uncertainty about the future of their club – as well as Welsh rugby in general – undoubtedly a factor in their decision. The WRU currently plans to reduce the number of teams from four to three, with the Ospreys seemingly vying for a west licence with the Scarlets.
With no clarity on offer, Morgan and Lake have decided to head across the bridge – with others likely to follow.
In an interview with ITV Wales, Collier-Keywood admitted he was “very concerned” about a potential exodus of players, before being asked if he felt responsible for the uncertainty that he had said was “harmful to the clubs but also the national team”.
“Yes I do,” he said. “I feel totally responsible for that.
“You’ll probably ask me about Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake next and I’m really sad that they’ve decided to move to Gloucester. That would not have been what we wanted for them.
“My goal is to reduce that uncertainty, but I can’t reduce it in a way that means the status quo continues because otherwise we’ve just wasted our time.”
Collier-Keywood had previously said he believed there were “fans of players”. However, two of the most popular players in Wales have already committed to playing elsewhere next season.
“Players have to want to play here,” he added. “That means that our club rugby has to be attractive, successful and positive. We’re working hard with the clubs to make that the case.”
Morgan and Lake’s departure comes amid intense speculation around the Ospreys’ future.
Their owners, Y11, are rumoured to have bid for Cardiff – which could present the WRU with an easy path to reaching three teams without a tender process.
However, Collier-Keywood would not confirm if Y11 had bid for the Arms Park club.
“I can’t talk to you about that,” he said. “A couple of people have bid for Cardiff.
“We’ve had a great deal of interest. We’re down to looking at the last couple and I’m hopeful we’ll have a result in the next month.
“Speculation doesn’t help, but we are conscious everyone is interested in this. Welsh rugby is a passion for people. We want to make sure this deal is done in the right way.”
Were the Ospreys to be the side that are cut, then Wales’ second biggest city, Swansea, would face the prospect of having no professional rugby.
“I wouldn’t say we’re comfortable with that at all,” he said. “If that is a result of the west licence going one way rather than the other, then we would want to work with Swansea to make sure professional rugby continued in Swansea in a variety of ways.
“We have an U20s side, a women’s team. We have SRC teams that under the new proposals we would want to promote further. We have options there, but I wouldn’t want to get there too quickly as we haven’t made a decision.”
Collier-Keywood also claimed it is not a “non-negotiable” that the Dragons’ place in rugby is safe.
Given the WRU have outlined they want one club in Cardiff, one club in the east and one club in the west, it has seemed obvious that the west licence would be a shootout between the Scarlets and Ospreys – leaving Cardiff and Dragons to claim the capital and east licences respectively.
Even the Dragons, at the time the WRU announced their three-team proposal, issued a statement that they were “pleased that the WRU has accepted that elite rugby must remain in Gwent.
“It’s not a non-negotiable,” he said. “I am being straight.
“We have three licences. One in the capital, one in the west and one in the east. It is quite possible that in getting to those licences, that different clubs choose to join forces. So the Dragons’ survival is not guaranteed.”
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