[2023 Six Nations] Scotland vs Wales - 11 February 2023

[Bluemoon]

You've a load of **** players in **** regions with **** support and **** participation rates - but you blame the head coach of the national side?

Wales have been running the national side on foundations of quicksand for years - how they've got away with it to this point is a marvel to most. Yet, it has eventually caught up.

If you want someone to blame, look toward both the WRU for their decades long ongoing shambles and the Welsh public for their apathy to the professional sides.

I don't see what you mean by 'welsh public's apathy'. I don't see apathy towards rugby/club rugby or that it has been the main problem with the clubs, most attendances at club games the steady or up depending on performances.

The response to the current situation from the public has been almost refreshing as it shows a lot of people care about rugby here. There's a bit of frustration with the URC for sure, perhaps that's giving the impression that there isn't an interest in club rugby. In fact, the attendances aren't all that bad given the population size of each area covered. Also, last stats posted by WRU were that male and female player participant rates are up in Wales.

The clubs as a group haven't been consistently competitive. A large part of that is financial struggles and a lack of investment at all levels. None of them have been consistent, but again they have had some success. Wales have been successful at international level despite that.

There are potential players in the welsh player pool at this moment in time and my point was Pivac and his team mismanaged bringing some of that talent through and lost the team its identity. It's a big factor with the current national team performances for me. Not to mention the issues off the field that are obviously on the players mind to a greater extent than I realised when I posted it. I was not suggesting Pivac was the only problem in the whole of welsh rugby.

 

[Amiga500]

I don't see what you mean by 'welsh public's apathy'. I don't see apathy towards rugby/club rugby or that it has been the main problem with the clubs, most attendances at club games the steady or up depending on performances.

The response to the current situation from the public has been almost refreshing as it shows a lot of people care about rugby here. There's a bit of frustration with the URC for sure, perhaps that's giving the impression that there isn't an interest in club rugby. In fact, the attendances aren't all that bad given the population size of each area covered. Also, last stats posted by WRU were that male and female player participant rates are up in Wales.

The clubs as a group haven't been consistently competitive. A large part of that is financial struggles and a lack of investment at all levels. None of them have been consistent, but again they have had some success. Wales have been successful at international level despite that.

There are potential players in the welsh player pool at this moment in time and my point was Pivac and his team mismanaged bringing some of that talent through and lost the team its identity. It's a big factor with the current national team performances for me. Not to mention the issues off the field that are obviously on the players mind to a greater extent than I realised when I posted it. I was not suggesting Pivac was the only problem in the whole of welsh rugby.

I take it back on attendances (and from that public apathy - apologies), the turnout is better than I had thought. But, that said, rugby is supposedly the national game of Wales, whereas for all others, soccer, gaelic games, or others would be the primary sports of those nations.

Cardiff RFC fans have made a rather class little webapp - see here. Also here would suggest the Welsh regions aren't too bad.

Comparisons to the (big 3) Irish provinces aren't great. Comparisons to the Scottish duo are favourable. Given we know that the IRFU, SRU and WRU part fund their URC teams, it does strongly suggest the attendances definitely won't support 4 regions. *May* support 3. Would definitely support 2.

The last link gives the average attendances for 2017/2018, the 4 regions having:
Ospreys – 6,991
Dragons – 7,526
Cardiff Blues – 8,575
Scarlets - 9,188

Which would sort of say its the Ospreys, not the Dragons, who should be binned. Does that work geographically? Probably. But then where do those in Neath/Swansea go?