WRU
Well to be honest I envisaged this as one very long post but the more I thought about it, the more I believe the problems are very simple.
Since David Moffett left, for that bastion of rugby the USA no less, Welsh rugby has once again been left to it's own devices. When you consider the highly parochial nature of Welsh rugby, it's kinda obvious this isn't a wise move. There has always been significant antagonism between the various areas and teams, like England, most everybody outside of Cardiff hates Cardiff. Their history is blighted with buying or coaxing away the best players, the national stadium has always been there and they expect, and often get, special treatment. But I digress :) What it eventually took, once the game had gone professional and larger sums of money were involved, was a non-Welsh administrator to make some controversial and occasionally helpful off-field decisions to enure Welsh rugby didn't self combust and dribble down the pan. He it was who made the important decisions and held the power. Now in the power vacuum that followed his departure, several individuals with little or no experience of this level of decision-making, stepped into the void. But they didn't completely fill it.
Instead some of the byplay and old conflicts of the committee era finagled it's way back into Welsh rugby. The mentality of these individuals did not always run in the same direction as that of Welsh rugby, and we experienced conflict. This conflict was offset by success on the field, that seemingly glossed over some major concerns. Concerns that reared their ugly head when Mike Ruddock stepped down. These concerns were three-fold.
1.) Is there true leadership capabilities in the management and administration in the highest echelons of Welsh rugby?
2.) Has the WRU continued to be run in a manner most conducive for on-field success?
3.) Is the power structure unevenly distributed?
To only the last question can the answer Yes be forthcoming. What has become evident from the Ruddock debacle is that neither David Pickering nor Steve Lewis have the ability or plain common sense to run Welsh rugby capably. They are not pursuing the necessary goals or structure to fully utilise the resources and goodwill Welsh rugby currently has and they are not creating an environment conducive to happy coaches. They are playing their own game on large salaries and ignorant of what Welsh rugby requires. The current Red Zone gimmick tour, which is a complete waste of money, is also unlikely to quell the feeling of no confidence the nation presently has. It is time to sweep the decks and start anew, we have the team, just not the necessary supporting staff to run our game efficiently and above board.
Since David Moffett left, for that bastion of rugby the USA no less, Welsh rugby has once again been left to it's own devices. When you consider the highly parochial nature of Welsh rugby, it's kinda obvious this isn't a wise move. There has always been significant antagonism between the various areas and teams, like England, most everybody outside of Cardiff hates Cardiff. Their history is blighted with buying or coaxing away the best players, the national stadium has always been there and they expect, and often get, special treatment. But I digress :) What it eventually took, once the game had gone professional and larger sums of money were involved, was a non-Welsh administrator to make some controversial and occasionally helpful off-field decisions to enure Welsh rugby didn't self combust and dribble down the pan. He it was who made the important decisions and held the power. Now in the power vacuum that followed his departure, several individuals with little or no experience of this level of decision-making, stepped into the void. But they didn't completely fill it.
Instead some of the byplay and old conflicts of the committee era finagled it's way back into Welsh rugby. The mentality of these individuals did not always run in the same direction as that of Welsh rugby, and we experienced conflict. This conflict was offset by success on the field, that seemingly glossed over some major concerns. Concerns that reared their ugly head when Mike Ruddock stepped down. These concerns were three-fold.
1.) Is there true leadership capabilities in the management and administration in the highest echelons of Welsh rugby?
2.) Has the WRU continued to be run in a manner most conducive for on-field success?
3.) Is the power structure unevenly distributed?
To only the last question can the answer Yes be forthcoming. What has become evident from the Ruddock debacle is that neither David Pickering nor Steve Lewis have the ability or plain common sense to run Welsh rugby capably. They are not pursuing the necessary goals or structure to fully utilise the resources and goodwill Welsh rugby currently has and they are not creating an environment conducive to happy coaches. They are playing their own game on large salaries and ignorant of what Welsh rugby requires. The current Red Zone gimmick tour, which is a complete waste of money, is also unlikely to quell the feeling of no confidence the nation presently has. It is time to sweep the decks and start anew, we have the team, just not the necessary supporting staff to run our game efficiently and above board.
posted by Owen at
7:12 PM
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