1 week Ago By [email protected] (John Jones)
Former England international Stuart Barnes has called for the creation of an Anglo-Welsh league, arguing that it is "what is needed to save Wales" amid "dark days" for rugby on both sides of the Severn. The ex-fly-half, now a columnist for The Sunday Times, argues that rugby is in need of "an injection of good old-fashioned animosity", with the decision to merge Welsh clubs into regions taking away "edgy rivalries" and ultimately leading fans in Wales to fall out of love with the game. Pointing to the current financial crisis in Welsh rugby - most notably Cardiff being placed into administration and being taken over by the WRU - and looming issues in the Gallagher Premiership, Barnes claims that "something more radical" is required over throwing money at the situation, arguing that an Anglo-Welsh league is long overdue and will bring much-need atmosphere, excitement and success on and off the pitch.
At the end of last year, WalesOnline learnt that the idea of an Anglo-Welsh competition was off the table for now, after the United Rugby Championship and Premiership Rugby held serious talks about merging their respective leagues. But Barnes is hopeful that it will become a reality, arguing that England and Wales are "in need of one another" and, when it comes to rugby, "a jigsaw that fits." Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
"These are dark days for rugby in Wales," he wrote in his Times column. "They are not exactly blindingly bright in the English game either. [But] salvation doesn’t come in the shape of a chequebook.
Something more radical is required. "There’s nothing like a little friendly grudge to create that frisson of excitement. If you want atmospheric antagonism, if you want games where the results matter, well, Wales versus England is one historic rivalry.
" However, Barnes admits that sacrifices would need to be made, adding that any Anglo-Welsh league would rest upon there being "a spirit of generosity" from the English side. In practice, this would mean English teams at least initially taking a lesser share of broadcast, sponsorship and commercial deals in order to boost the "cash-strapped" Welsh teams and the competition as a whole. "The English game isn’t awash with money but any Anglo-Welsh league would require immediate financial assistance for Wales.
And not just for the sake of Welsh rugby. The stronger the Welsh contingent of teams, the better the competition. The better the competition, the greater the interest on the terraces.
" In terms of how his league would look, Barnes says only three of the Welsh sides would feature alongside seven English teams, with the Dragons and three Gallagher Premiership teams missing out. However, having argued that a closed-shop Premiership is a financial problem waiting to happen, the former England back favours having promotion and relegation. "A championship that would be renamed the English Championship with a guaranteed play-off against the lowest-placed of the English Anglo-Welsh teams would give the broadcasters and the RFU something positive to think about," he wrote.
" Newport would also be admitted to the English league system to give Wales an opportunity down the line to have four teams in the major league. I favour promotion/relegation because there has to be hope for unseen futures. While he admits that his proposal comes as more of a hope than a grand masterplan, Barnes believes it is what is needed to not only save professional rugby in Wales, but also in England in the long-term, adding that it is "never far from teetering on the brink".
"Wales is a great rugby country but it is running out of steam," he added. "England can help restore it.".
