00:00We've presented what we've called our preferred optimal system, which is the current view of the executive.
00:06It's my view of what we need as a system that's going to address all of the elements that we need to address
00:13if we're going to be a truly competitive nation going forward.
00:17And this is unashamedly about trying to take Wales back towards the top of world rugby.
00:22The Welsh Rugby Union's higher-ups have said in no uncertain terms that the current landscape of rugby in Wales has got to change,
00:29with some of the worst performances we've ever seen on the pitch over the last few years with the national team
00:33to clubs not properly challenging at the highest level and an overall feeling of negativity surrounding the sport.
00:40Some major changes have been proposed.
00:42The headline piece of that is, of course, focused on the number of men's professional clubs,
00:47but that is only one of five interconnected elements that comprise a system that we believe can underpin the future success of Wales.
00:56So the men's club decision is really around investing in elite rugby and investing in excellence,
01:06creating two men's and two women's professional teams that are structured and financed to win at the top level.
01:13Losing two professional clubs in Wales would undoubtedly be a massive step and a real blow to the fans of club rugby in Wales.
01:20But it's not set in stone and it's far from the only suggestion put forward.
01:23The bosses at the WRU want a more streamlined system with a national hub campus model,
01:29where rugby goes through one channel.
01:31All nations should have collaboration as one of its major strengths,
01:35and yet collectively in the system we've failed to do that over a number of years.
01:40And that is at the heart of some of the biggest challenges that we've faced from a performance perspective.
01:47So the idea of a national campus is we put everybody together.
01:50So we move away from the formality of meetings that might take up and down the motorway
01:54or have to be called at particular times.
01:57And we try and create an environment where relationships can be built.
02:00Empathy is much more evident.
02:05And people bump into each other all day long.
02:07Some professionals have already said they're not a fan of the national campus model,
02:11saying that clubs should be in their clubs,
02:13not sharing facilities with their rivals who they might be playing next week.
02:16But it's grassroots rugby which also faces some big changes.
02:20And the hope is that the developmental areas of rugby are world-leading in Wales.
02:23If we did reach the situation where it's two men's professional clubs,
02:29then competitively we would need to do something underneath that
02:32to make sure that there are still really good developmental opportunities for our players.
02:38And the SRC, and we propose a similar type of setup in our women's game,
02:44the SRC is an incredibly important opportunity for Welsh rugby.
02:49Those clubs are historic in many cases.
02:52They're connected to communities, and we believe further investment into them
02:55can really help to bridge some of the opportunity gap around development.
02:59you
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