Galles, la guerra tra WRU e Regions non conosce fine

Allego una lettera che la rrw ha mandato a tutti i clubs gallesi, fatevi la vostra idea, e non pensiate che ciò che sta avvenendo in Galles sono solo dei capricci isterici. Io l ho completamente tradotta con google, magari rende di più…
To WRU Member Clubs 10th July 2014

Dear Secretaries,

I write to you in relation to the proposed new leagues being imposed by our union against the wishes of so many member clubs.

It is with ever increasing despair and sadness that I write to all club secretaries. I and many other club Officers from dozens of member clubs feel so aggrieved that we are taking advice in relation to legal action against our own union to stop this league restructure. We are looking at obtaining a prohibitive injunction to stop these ridiculous changes being implemented and are looking for your support in relation to this. This can be achieved quickly and will stop this restructure.

If the legal option is in any way elongated then there will be enough clubs willing to pursue another EGM understanding that time is short. Either way this has to be stopped. I have attempted to keep this letter as short as possible, but make no apologies in highlighting that this is the last chance for member clubs to stop this damage to welsh rugby.

I have covered later in this document some of the major concerns raised by member clubs, a reminder that 88 clubs have said no and another 95 either didn’t answer or respond, some have stated that they did not receive the ballot communication. This was always going to be the case with a ‘rushed’ and unexplained ballot.

I know we will not have support of all clubs but I ask that you read and carefully consider the content of this letter before you and your club Officers make a decision, as what will be put in place will effect many clubs for many years to come and will cause untold damage to rugby in Wales.

It is with ever increasing disappointment that the latest letter to clubs received from Mr Roger Lewis states that regardless of the disillusionment of dozens of clubs, these new and in our view illegal and unjust changes will go ahead and in Mr Lewis words will be reviewed in a year’s time with another ‘working party’. Again no mention of any consultation process. Who is this working party?

The Ballot!
It is important to place on record that we as clubs should never have been in the position to have a ballot in any form whatsoever and the way the decision was reached at the EGM to have a ballot was a disgrace and as manipulative as I have ever seen

Clubs are not happy at the protocols and processes for this ballot happening in the way it did. We do not want any league changes without a proper consultation; this has and will remain our stance.

There should have been and should still be a proper consultation of all clubs, one would have to ask the question on what basis can a proper ballot be counted? When many clubs do not know or understand the position they will find themselves in. How could clubs make an informed decision in relation to the ballot without a proper consultation?

Is that why only 43% of clubs have responded to the ballot in saying they will accept the change……..that leaves 57% of clubs who have either said no or not said anything!

Again, one must ask how can fundamental changes in the way the leagues are structured be implemented when less than half of all clubs are agreeing with it?

The damage to welsh rugby’s lower league sides will be irreversible. Ambition and aspiration will completely disappear.

We as member clubs asked the union to forward all information in relation to the ‘ballot’ and asked for confirmation on the number of clubs that were entitled to vote and how many voted yes and how many voted no?

The WRU informed us = 70% voted – 61% for & 39% against – was this correct? Of course figures can be manipulated and presented in a variety of fashions to suit.

Our calculations are as follows:

If the total of member clubs = 320. Then 70% of that would be 224 clubs? This was not the case. Below explains it better:

For 61% of the vote x 224 this would be 136 clubs for and 88 against and 96 abstaining!

So as we see it the so called ‘win’ vote is only 42.8% of the WRU membership.

Surely somewhere in the constitution of the WRU a minimum of at least 50% of any full vote is required before any such drastic changes to the leagues are implemented. The Union were asked to forward copies of the relevant part of the WRU constitution that is related to any ballots that will explain proper procedures so that they can be forwarded to our club solicitors and colleagues. This was more than two weeks ago and still the union have not explained this, in any way, in fact once again not even the decency of an acknowledgement of the email.

Are you as a club fully aware of the set up of the new leagues and how promotion and relegation will occur?

The changes will completely remove any ambition, aspiration and motivation for the majority of clubs, without those three things clubs will die, rugby is all about aspiration and ambition, remove it and you have nothing to play for. The so called new Division three clubs will amount to 156 clubs, from this number only four will be promoted and clubs never relegated. A club could win their particular league year on year and never get promoted due to the ridiculous ‘play-off’ process. Where in that is ambition or aspiration?

What incentive will the clubs have to invest in the future?

A division 3 club can be one of thirteen clubs that win there particular league and the majority of these still not be promoted. Only the winner of the league can get into a play-off process, the runner up is not promoted.

The majority of clubs half way through a season will have nothing to play for and the retention, excitement, ambition of players will be lost. We all know how hard it is to motivate amateur players at the best of times. These leagues will make this impossible.

At the other end of the divisions 3s a club that has a bad start and is bottom of the division after say Christmas will struggle to get a side out on a Saturday and will probably not worry to much as they will not be demoted, and by the fact that no divisional fixture list will be completed in its entirety, most clubs will have the points for the early season wins deducted and positions in the division will change causing confusion and discord, and inevitably a major come back on the decision makers.

I would ask all secretaries, Chairpersons and officers of clubs to properly look at what is being offered by the WRU in respect of these leagues. There is no doubt there is an agenda to ‘cull’ the number of member clubs. Some clubs will turn into Super clubs. Be assured this will happen if this league restructure is implemented. Please don’t hide behind the comfort that you are at present in a higher league, as things change rapidly in rugby!

Also note that if you are a division 2 club, and find yourself heading for relegation to one of the many division 3s towards the end of a season, there is no doubt that you as a division 2 club will do everything in your power to stay in division 2, as dropping into any third division will see you in the same ‘ground hog’ day position and prospect of playing the same clubs in the same league forever and ever, in a division you may struggle to get out of. This will be mirrored by division one clubs especially if they find themselves in a relegation freefall, and we all know this happens.

Worst of all the best players from division three clubs will be hunted by division two clubs who are fighting to stay up, money will change hands and this is against all what we as junior member clubs want, but will without question happen. Again, this will be mirrored with the relegation from division one to division two.

Of 320 member clubs only 14 clubs (4.5%) will be promoted with 19 clubs (6.1%) demoted, (89.4%) left with no ambition. This is the reality 89.4 per cent left without ambition or aspiration. This will take the Heart, Pride, and Passion, out of Welsh rugby and will have catastrophic effect on every facet of the game in Wales.

For Mr Lewis to say that the new league structure will be monitored and reviewed at the end of the season, sound like hog wash! If you have doubts, then it shouldn’t be done. Most clubs I have spoken too from across Wales from North to South and East to West, have in no uncertain terms major doubts.
Many clubs refer to that ‘hidden agenda’ and the secrecy of the so called working party process, the lack of information and due process, which caused an EGM in the first place. The union and especially the executive officers of our union should have delayed these changes until a full, inclusive, professional and proper consultation process was undertaken. Why would they not do this?
It is also worth noting that the 320 clubs not the regions sell the majority of international tickets, it is the clubs that supply and nurture the fans, raise the spirit of amateur players, support and finance youth rugby, schools rugby, mini/junior rugby and of course if the parents have nothing to support and more importantly enjoy they will not support there children into the game.

Clubs without ambition may as well close doors now before they run into financial problems and debt and be forced to.

Sponsors will realize that there is no support for the game in Wales and therefore will not spend money, where they see no return.

Each facet of the game goes through the club houses and facilities, if there is a lack of ambition, forced on us by these new leagues then clubs will fail. Keeping clubs viable now is very difficult with the economic climate as it is.

As said, it is with deep regret that I have had to write this letter, I write it with a heavy heart.

I hope you and your club officers will react quickly to this letter and respond by return as to whether you are willing to support us in stopping these league changes before it is too late.

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