By David Williams
He tried, but Wales captain Ken Owens could barely conceal his anger, frustration and no little contempt for the Welsh Rugby Union as he co-hosted the peace conference outside the Vale Hotel.
With a voice that sounded painfully hoarse from too much painful negotiating, Owens joined acting WRU chief executive Nigel Walker in announcing that a deal with the players had been struck so that Saturday’s Six Nations match against England in Cardiff could go ahead.
But in a withering assessment of the last few days, weeks and months of inactivity over new contracts, Owens said Welsh rugby had gone from an elite presence in the global game to “a laughing stock.”
The agreement reached on Wednesday evening means Wales players will not take strike action after an agreed deal with the WRU in their dispute over contracts.
Wednesday had marked the deadline set by Wales players for the issue to be resolved after Tuesday’s squad announcement was delayed until Thursday due to uncertainty over involvement with players meeting with the Professional Rugby Board (PRB) that consists of Wales’ four regions in Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets.
BREAKING: : The meeting between Welsh rugby bosses and all players has now finished. Nigel Walker to now meet WRU board and then senior Wales players to decide if Wales v England goes ahead. Live updates https://t.co/qDOgNJIopo
— WalesOnline Rugby (@WalesRugby) February 22, 2023
Players had been seeking representation at PRB meetings, the removal of the 60-cap selection rules that means an individual playing outside the country cannot be selected unless he has reached that number of Test appearances, and thirdly changes to new fixed variable contracts that would mean players receive 80 per cent of their salary fixed and 20 per cent based on win bonuses.
The WRU have satisfied the players’ demands on those three conditions, with Gareth Lewis, chair of the Welsh Rugby Players Association now on the PRB, the 60-cap rule reduced to 25 caps, and an option of a fixed-variable or a fixed contract option for players going forward.
“I am pleased to announce that after extensive conversations and discussions over the last week that the Wales vs England game will go ahead as scheduled,” said Walker.
“It is important going forward that we continue the dialogue that we have had in the last week or so but not under the circumstances we have had over the last week or so.
“Ken [Owens, Wales captain] and I, and some of the other senior players will be meeting more regularly than we have been.
“Gareth Lewis, chief executive of the WRPA, attended his first meeting today and he has got a standing invite and he will be invited to the Rugby Management Board.
“With regard to the 60-cap rule, it is still there, but that has been reduced to 25 caps.
“Going forward we will have a hybrid model where there will be the fixed-variable [contract] but there will also be a solely fixed model and the agent, the player, and the region can choose which one they want to have discussions about.”
Wales captain Owens, while happy a resolution has been reached, could not hide his frustration at the public image of Welsh rugby, referring to the nation as the “laughing stock” of the global game.
https://twitter.com/BBCSportWales/status/1628478252992831491?s=20
“We are obviously happy but there has obviously been huge frustration over the past few months and it is disappointing that it has got to this stage,” said Owens.
“The fact we had to make a stand, the collaboration and conversations that have taken place over the last 10 days or so, have shown that some positive resolutions can be found.
“We can continue to do that in the future with a seat at the PRB and Nigel offering to meet with us on a more regular basis so we don’t end up with a situation like this in the future.
“They [the players] are satisfied. Hence why the game is on Saturday. It has been very tough as you can see from my voice. It has been another really tough event in Welsh Rugby which is hugely frustrating. “It has been a difficult period over the last year or 18 months and hopefully we don’t end up here again.
“Of course it has been a distraction with everything that has been going on but I have got to commend the players’ professionalism in this.
“It has got to be a long-term solution because Welsh Rugby can’t keep going on this merry-go-round of crisis after crisis because it is affecting everybody in the game- players, supporters, administrators, grassroots clubs, everybody.
“The events of the last six to eight weeks. Everybody in Welsh Rugby, we need to pull together now and
find the best way forward.
“We need to do it collaboratively, together, to put Welsh Rugby back at the top end of World Rugby and not the laughing stock which I think we are at the moment.”
PRB chair Malcolm Wall added: “We have listened to our players and have been able to resolve the three issues presented, quickly and efficiently. Any doubt over Wales’ meeting with England on Saturday has now been removed and the game is definitively on.
https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1628460307633905671?s=20
“The six-year framework we have agreed has always had the players’ best interests at heart and we have been happy to allay their understandable concerns with the adjustments described.
“Negotiations at PRB will continue in earnest as we seek to sign our new six-year PRA as soon as possible and we continue to be grateful to our professional players for their understanding and patience at this most critical time for the game in Wales.”
Read more about our recent players strike stories
Warren Gatland Admits He Wishes He’d Known The Extent Of Wales Players’ Anger Over Stalled New Deals