D
dullonien
Guest
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (An Tarbh @ Sep 30 2009, 11:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
well Cardiff did get to the first final of the HEC and Llanelli got to the semis in 2000 so that arguement is pretty redundant.
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Munstermuffin makes a valid point imo. Unless the teams were chocked full of foreign players, Wales isn't a large enough country to produce the amount of top quality players needed to sustain 12-14 teams at the top level of the game. Although some of the clubs might have still been competetive i.e. the ones with the money, the majority would struggle and the bottom few would get humiliated by some of the larger teams. Regional rugby was innevitable, and it's already bearing fruit with the success of the Welsh national team and the quality of players coming through the much improved academies regionalism has brought to the table.
Unfortunately it was done all wrong. The legacy of the axing of the Celtic Warriors will continue for many years, although some blaim must be put on the supporters who failed to turn up in enough numbers to keep the club going. After all, they were recieveing the same amount of money from the WRU as the other regions, yet they went bankrupt. I know the same has happened with the Scarlets, yet the WRU bailed them out, but the situation is different. At the time of the Warriors demise, there were 5 regions, and the WRU decided that Wales could in fact make do with 4. This turned out to be true, with it being obvious that at present there isn't enough quality players to make 5 competitive teams. However, with the Scarlets, the WRU couldn't allow 4 to become 3, it would have had a severe impact on the international game in Wales and would have jepordised future growth.
I'm not saying I'm happy with the way things were dealt with, but after making a mess of things to begin with the WRU have probably made the right decisions since. This may anger supprters from Ponty and Bridgend etc. but I find it hard to offer too much sympathy. This brings us back to the supporting Cardiff Blues issue, and how the Blues aren't exacly inticing these discarded supporters into their new spacious stadium.
Lads why did ye join so if ye feel strongly about this why not all VETO it and battle out with the Italian Teams as Bridgend and Neath etc because if ye met a GP team in this era never mind Munster/Leinster/Top 14 team ye'd do well to hold them in this day and age
Hey Connacht might even get in H'Cup :lol: Althought on 2nd thoughts nobody can go that bad ......... Can they? B)[/b]
well Cardiff did get to the first final of the HEC and Llanelli got to the semis in 2000 so that arguement is pretty redundant.
[/b][/quote]
Munstermuffin makes a valid point imo. Unless the teams were chocked full of foreign players, Wales isn't a large enough country to produce the amount of top quality players needed to sustain 12-14 teams at the top level of the game. Although some of the clubs might have still been competetive i.e. the ones with the money, the majority would struggle and the bottom few would get humiliated by some of the larger teams. Regional rugby was innevitable, and it's already bearing fruit with the success of the Welsh national team and the quality of players coming through the much improved academies regionalism has brought to the table.
Unfortunately it was done all wrong. The legacy of the axing of the Celtic Warriors will continue for many years, although some blaim must be put on the supporters who failed to turn up in enough numbers to keep the club going. After all, they were recieveing the same amount of money from the WRU as the other regions, yet they went bankrupt. I know the same has happened with the Scarlets, yet the WRU bailed them out, but the situation is different. At the time of the Warriors demise, there were 5 regions, and the WRU decided that Wales could in fact make do with 4. This turned out to be true, with it being obvious that at present there isn't enough quality players to make 5 competitive teams. However, with the Scarlets, the WRU couldn't allow 4 to become 3, it would have had a severe impact on the international game in Wales and would have jepordised future growth.
I'm not saying I'm happy with the way things were dealt with, but after making a mess of things to begin with the WRU have probably made the right decisions since. This may anger supprters from Ponty and Bridgend etc. but I find it hard to offer too much sympathy. This brings us back to the supporting Cardiff Blues issue, and how the Blues aren't exacly inticing these discarded supporters into their new spacious stadium.
