Forum Topic

Genius Move from Ealing Trailfinders

You have to admire how clever Ealing Trailfinders have been in apparently starting discussions with the Welsh Rugby Union. The game in both England and Wales is in desperate staits financially and Ealing are a rare example of a financially sound operation. The 'old farts' at the RFU have displayed the typical lack of imagination and flexibility that has plagued the game in this country. The probability is that this move will not result in Ealing turning Welsh but common sense prevailing with Ealing moving into the English Premiership with a plan to expand Vallis Way. However, it would be great to have some of the best players in the world coming to play in the area even though it will be absolutely impossible to get a ticket.

Gordon Southwell ● 444d10 Comments

I did read it but the problems, exacerbated by Covid, existed well before the pandemic. The WRU should simply have looked 'over the bridge' to see how not to run the game with the well pblicised financial failures buiding in England over 20 years. To allow this model to perpetuate in Wales is one of their key failures.  If only a fraction of the sexism and racism allegation now being made prove to be true then the current administration may have presided over the demise of rugby at a professional level in Wales.

N V Brooks ● 417d

Not sure if you read the article you linked to but it does make clear that the main reason for the current problems is Covid which has resulted in a huge cash deficit in the Welsh game.While there is some criticism of the structure of the WRU board no specific blame is given and the proposed solution is a clearer separation of the professional game from the amateur clubs which is the opposite of what you suggested earlier.The Welsh sit now between the Irish and the Scottish models with the advantages of neither. With falling crowds, falling participation and the sport in Wales hugely in debt, it is more likely that the end game is two teams not three or four with an acceptance that most internationals will play outside the country and a pair of elite teams bringing talent into the national team through residency or grandparent qualification.

Mark Evans ● 417d

https://www.dai-sport.com/the-welsh-regions-have-seen-a-dramatic-fall-from-grace-as-wru-thrash-around-looking-for-answers/This makes sombre reading and I am sorry the WRU are culpable.

N V Brooks ● 423d

Moving to a regional structure was the only option for Welsh Rugby right from the earliest days of the Celtic League. The Scottish game has since had to consolidate and the Welsh game has already gone down from 5 teams to 4 and is likely to drop to three soon. Keeping the original club structure would have spread limited resources even thinner and  clearly would have been unsustainable. It simply wouldn't be possible to run a professional team outside the league structure with no access to lucrative European fixtures. In the modern game it isn't realistic to think that anybody who isn't a full time professional has a chance of making it into the national squad.The structural advantages the Irish had compared to the Welsh has ensured their dominance both on the playing field and financially but it was just luck on their part that they had a regional structure in place atop the club system which resulted in a smooth transition. Wales and Scotland didn't which has made things very challenging.Keeping a club structure in England has not proven to be a way out of these problems with persistent financial difficulties for teams culminating in the loss of Wasps and Worcester this year. It is very easy to be an armchair administrator and claim you could do a better job but the facts suggest there was no alternative route that would have avoided the current problems. The good news is that the URC is developing into a very exciting competition and cash flow at clubs is back on track now that Covid is over

Mark Evans ● 423d

Very easy to blame administrators for it is they who created the regions which have been failing since well before the pandemic. Millions which should have filtered down to bolster the grassroots game have benn squandered supporting the failed regional model. Llanelli and Scarlets groundshare and having watched both there is virtually no difference save for the hype and the number of hangers on. Give me Llanelli any day. Just a shame that the only way of breaking into the national squad is via the four feeder regions.

N V Brooks ● 423d

That's very enlightening. I used to watch Wasps regularly at Sudbury, primarily because several of my School mates played for them at varying levels. One became captain for a long time.I went to Twyford to a couple of events.  Last time being when Lawrence Dallaglio was still playing. Career and children took me away from that scene for a good 15+ years.I had thought that Wasps had gone. Lock, Stock and Barrel. Have followed Grasshoppers in more recent times. A well run amateur club.

Raymond Havelock ● 423d

It is easy to blame administrators but the game overall and particularly in Wales has had a tough time with Covid leaving clubs is a difficult position.It made perfect sense for the Welsh to follow the highly successful Irish model with three teams capable of competing in the Heineken Cup and one other professional team. Four teams is really the minimum because you need to have available a pool of at least four sets of front row forwards as well a choice of key positions like scrum half and fly half.The problem that Welsh Rugby had is that the teams were artificial creations and lacked the history and tradition and huge base of support of the Irish provincial teams so there was little money being generated at the turnstile which resulted in total dependence on TV revenue. I don't think this harsh reality can be blamed on the people running the game.The Ealing solution may end up being a temporary one as I'm sure Trailfinders will look to join the Premiership once they have upgraded Vallis Way but Welsh Rugby is desperate and this is the only offer on the table right now.

Mark Evans ● 423d

If only the profesional team masquerading as Wasps had been as stable as the amatuers playing at Twyford Avenue.The WRU needs a large shovel to eject the blazers from the comfortable positions they have created at the same time as the Regions fall into the abyss.

N V Brooks ● 424d

There has been no demise of Wasps. Just go up to Twyford Avenue at the weekend. The club is still there and it never moved away.As for the Trailfinders story, could it be that former Ealing resident and current Wales coach, Warren Gatland has had something to do with brokering this deal. Surprisingly Ospreys are the most often mentioned as the team to fold even though they have the highest number of current Welsh internationals. The nightmare scenario for Welsh rugby is that the best players go to France or Japan making their selection problematic but if they were given contracts by Ealing they could continuing playing for the national team.

Mark Evans ● 424d

As long as it works. The demise of Wasps, another local club that was vibrant in the 1980s with a raft of England Players and other internationals has moved onwards and upwards to the point of complete demise.So fingers crossed for Trailfinders and they get the full local support that Wasps found wanting and led them to move away.

Raymond Havelock ● 441d