‘PART OF THE PLAN’ – WRU ADDRESS WARREN GATLAND’S FUTURE AFTER DISASTROUS NINE-MATCH LOSING STREAK

Warren Gatland has retained the support of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), who have described the 2024 rebuild as being “part of the plan”.

Following a solid Rugby World Cup campaign, which saw Wales thrash Australia and reach the quarter-finals, they have endured a disastrous year.

They have yet to win a Test, succumbing to eight defeats in a row in 2024 and nine altogether, including the quarter-final loss to Argentina at the World Cup.

Wales avoided complete embarrassment, however, by overcoming the Queensland Reds in an uncapped match last weekend to ease the pressure slightly on Gatland.

Resignation offer

There has often been talk over the head coach’s future in the past six months, particularly after the Six Nations where the New Zealander offered to resign, but the WRU have consistently backed the 60-year-old.

That faith in Gatland has remained, despite their recent Australia tour which saw them go down twice to the Wallabies.

“I’m a proud Welshman myself and I don’t like the fact we’ve lost the last nine Test matches, but this is about rebuilding,” chairman Richard Collier-Keywood told BBC Sport.

“We’ve asked Warren to have a specific objective heading towards the next World Cup. Our pathways were not in the position they should’ve been in, so he’s taken this opportunity over this Six Nations and summer series to try out some new players.

“If you look at the performances, you can see that some of the players have tried out really well, we’re starting to get strength in depth and some of these players are on their way to becoming regular internationals.

“It is part of a plan, we’ve asked him to do it and he’s getting on with it, of course we’re going to support him.”

Warren Gatland ‘asking to be fired’ after ‘disgusting’ Wales captaincy call

While Wales are in a rebuilding phase, a decision may have to be made if results continue to be poor.

Gatland has also come under fire for some of his selection calls, particularly in regards to making Cory Hill captain for the Reds match.

Hill pulled out just before the encounter, citing “personal reasons” for the decision, but it proved to be a farcical situation instigated by the national team boss.

“My hope is we won’t keep losing,” Collier-Keywood added. “We’re clearly not going to go from a position and lose every Test match between now and 2027 and reach the semi-final of the World Cup.

“If that strategy is going to work you can clearly see there should be a path of winning over that period of time, Warren has our full support.”

Financial woes

Wales’ issues extend beyond Gatland and what has happened on the pitch with the WRU’s financial struggles also well known.

The salary cap for the four regions has decreased, making it difficult for them to keep their star players within the country.

It currently stands at £4.5 million, down from £5.2 million the previous season, but Collier-Keywood hopes to see an increase over the coming years.

“I think the teams have probably chosen their teams for the next season and that’s a tough ask as we don’t want to have unnecessary inflation in those numbers,” he said.

“But looking for the season after that, we absolutely want our teams to be competitive and we recognise that means a significant raise in the salary cap.

“At the moment we’re talking about the same amount of funding and then attracting private funding as well, because they are independently owned clubs.

“That is our commitment to the clubs, to come back with a reasonable offer that would keep the four at the same level.”

2024-07-26T14:38:09Z dg43tfdfdgfd