Welsh Rugby: A Game in Crisis?

After finally recovering from Saturday’s festivities and over-indulgence I eventually checked my twitter feed, and in between the gloating and the jubilation, there was an undercurrent of tweets and articles bemoaning the state of grassroots rugby in Wales.

The common consensus was that Wales’ third championship win in six years was just papering over the cracks that lie below the National team and that perhaps the WRU are turning a blind eye to the worrying downturn in grassroots rugby.

Now, the first thing I would like to say on this is that straight off, I think we need to give the WRU some credit: the Welsh national team has experienced unprecedented success in recent years and the pathways the WRU have put in place are clearly producing world class performers.

Not only that, but the WRU’s financial footing is solid- looking at the annual financial breakdown, with the governing body's debt at its lowest level since the Millennium Stadium was built while it also recorded the highest annual profits in its history at 66 million.

Even though Chief Executive Roger Lewis may not be everyone’s ideal head then, you cannot argue with the man’s business nous!

Secondly, the WRU have pumped £27 million into the grassroots game during the past 5 years and so, coupled with the success of the national team – claiming its third 6 Nations title in six years - what is there not to be chuffed about?

The way I see it is that there are a few fundamental problems hindering the game in Wales - namely that the regions have struggled since their inception and every one of them are struggling both on and off the pitch.

I believe the main problem with the regions is the lack of identity and belonging that fans now feel towards their rugby team. Henri Tajfel’s ‘Social Identity Theory’ states that Social identity is a person’s sense of who they are based on their group membership(s).

Tajfel proposed that the groups (in our case a rugby team) which people belonged to were an important source of pride and self-esteem. Groups give us a sense of social identity: a sense of belonging to the social world.

Simply put, the new regions have very little history and have struggled to link to their club glory days of old to their new name and surroundings, leaving people with a feeling of estrangement.

The Principality Premiership was cut to 12 teams at the end of last season and is now the 'breeding ground' for aspiring Welsh Internationals. The pathway is paying dividends with young club players knowing that if they perform, they’ll get their chance to shine for their regions in the LV Cup. But is it really surprising, then, that when teams are decimated by regional and International call ups their support wanes? Pontypridd seem to be a unique case in this regard, being head and shoulders above the other sides in the league while having also done well to maintain their identity, regularly drawing thousands rather than tens of supporters to their matches.

If we move lower down the leagues, however, the problem is pretty much ubiquitous - rugby clubs that were once the lifeblood of the community are struggling to put out a starting XV on a Saturday, have dwindling numbers at training, with fewer and fewer supporters demoralising even the most ardent volunteer or coach.

This season, three teams have dropped out of the league structure altogether, with the latest being Tredegar Ironsides last week; they will now drop down to the bottom of the pyramid structure and start next season in Division Six. I do not profess to know the whole story behind the Ironsides' demise but their neighbour club, Tredegar, are also painfully limping to the end of the season in Division One East. Turning up at matches as they are with barely a squad and being put to the sword week in week out surely can’t be enjoyable. Has there been some kind of mass exodus of rugby players in Tredegar recently?

Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that in today’s society, the two most precious commodities to people are time and money; the problem is, players who are giving up their time to train and play now feel they are entitled to be paid for their exploits.

A prime example of the expense of this demand was realised last season, when Tonmawr were dropped (at their request) from the Premiership right the way back down to Six West after the money dried up. I appreciate that the WRU’s stance on clubs not paying players below the Premiership is a tough one, but I feel it is one that is sustainable nonetheless and simply has to be enforced if clubs are to survive and avoid situations like this.

However, the question remains, then, is it really the WRU’s fault for the demise of grassroots rugby or are clubs to blame for dwindling gates? Or, is it merely perhaps just a sign of the times, where people don’t want to give up their Saturday afternoon to watch their local side play?

As with most complex issues in life there is no black and white answer to this, but I feel the solution ultimately has to lie with the need for the WRU and clubs to work together. Cooperation and communication are essential if rugby in Wales is going to thrive at all levels, with the unhelpful bickering and passive aggressiveness on message boards and social media simply not the way forward!

I feel a case can be made that the WRU needs to support the regions better financially to stop the player drain at the top of the Welsh game. The financial burden the regions face is a harsh one, with their stand-out Welsh Internationals missing for large chunks of the season and when they return, they are often battered, broken and in need of a good holiday, not a Friday night slog-fest in Munster.

But the clubs themselves must also take some responsibility for their fate. I am no business or marketing genius but it doesn't take one to realise that the Ospreys would do well to look at leaving the confines of the Liberty for more than just the handful of matches they play at the Brewery Field, and take the rugby back to the people of its region; the Blues' decision to return to the Arms Park earlier this season has easily been the best they've made since their formation.

At grassroots level meanwhile, if a club is clearly struggling to put a side out, then instead of fining them, it wouldn't harm anyone for the WRU to send one of their ‘Participation Officers’ to the club to try to find the root of the problem and work with coaches and volunteers there instead. Admittedly, there must be some sanction on teams that don’t field a side but surely adding to a financial burden of an already struggling club will only compound the problem.

However, we must not forget that for every Tredegar Ironsides and Tonmawr there is an Ebbw Vale, a club professionally run, who will also be looking to make a big statement on Saturday when they host Premiership big boys Pontypridd in the Swalec Cup. The atmosphere both sets of fans will create will surely hark back to days gone by and the gate receipts will surely help the Steelmen’s cause too.

In part, it is up to the grassroot clubs to get people in through the door. Welsh rugby is on a high at the moment and that good feeling is there to be utilised; this is the time for the clubs to act to get new supporters, players, and volunteers through their gates.

The market is definitely there. All Wales Sport has grown exponentially since it was formed in 2011 and last year had over seven million hits from 300,000 unique visitors - a staggering figure that is near enough the tenth of the population of Wales! I feel privileged that I am involved in helping promote and give the coverage grassroots sport in Wales deserves and if we all work together, club rugby in Wales can follow in the footsteps of its national team.

The simple fact is that without clubs and their volunteers, players like Justin Tipuric would have nowhere to hone and develop their skills, and the WRU will come to realise this somewhere down the road. I just hope that this will be sooner rather than later.