Legendary former Wales skipper Sam Warburton has thrown his support behind the country’s players amid an ongoing contract stand-off with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU).
Wales players are threatening to strike for their Six Nations clash against England next week due to issues around salaries, as many players will be expected to take pay cuts for a new contract.
This is just one of a few issues plaguing the WRU at the moment after allegations of sexism and misogyny rocked the union and led to the resignation of Steve Phillips as its chief executive.
Players feel undervalued
In his Times column, Warburton gave some valuable insight into how the players feel and declared he completely supports them.
“The players clearly do not feel valued by the WRU and that has affected their performances on the field, and I can see why. I would be the same. They will be thinking: “Why are we busting our guts and putting our bodies on the line just to line other people’s pockets when we are expected to take pay cuts?,” Warburton wrote in the Times.
“I know from speaking to some of them this week that this issue has been really bugging the Wales players, and the feeling is so strong that the threat to strike is very real. They feel like they are, for want of a better expression, being shafted. So, I totally support the players and their threat to strike should some sensible agreement not be reached. If I was still playing, I would not sign these new contracts.”
WRU motives
Players are unhappy that coaches and staff do not have to go on a different kind of contract and outlined how the WRU invested Covid-19 funds poorly.
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“They have already taken a hit after Covid and you can understand their frustration when they hear that apparently a lot of the money the WRU received from CVC has been used for capital projects and not invested immediately in the professional game.
“My feeling is that the WRU almost want to drive the regions into administration, so they can take them over (they already own Dragons). I know for certain that last month, if it hadn’t been for the generosity of the long-term benefactor Peter Thomas, in helping pay players and staff, Cardiff would have followed Wasps and Worcester Warriors into administration. I’m also pretty sure that at least one of the other regions has been in the same boat and has been similarly saved in the short term.
“The regions are trying to live off money from an old agreement with the WRU because the money from the new agreement hasn’t come through, even though they are supposed to be in year one of it. They simply can’t cope. The hope is that the new chairman and interim chief executive, Ieuan Evans and Nigel Walker, change the WRU’s stance quickly and try to help the regions, but if they don’t, then I fear that we could see all the regions fold and have to be taken over by the WRU.”