Wales head coach Warren Gatland believes his team’s clash against England next weekend in the Six Nations will go ahead despite threats of player strikes.
Gatland’s players threatened to strike for the England game due to financial concerns, as the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) still has not signed the six-year financial agreement with its regions Dragons, Cardiff, Ospreys and Scarlets.
The teams are bracing for financial cuts, and no playing budget has been agreed on for next season, preventing new contracts from being offered.
Wednesday deadline
There have been talks between the squad and the union with the players wanting to remove the 60-cap selection rule, where only if a foreign-based player has that number of Test appearances will they be eligible for selection. Fixed-variable elements in the contracts were also addressed, with the players giving the union a Wednesday deadline.
Despite all the controversy, Gatland does believe the Six Nations game with England will go ahead next weekend.
“I expect the game is going to be played. I have seen these sort of things happen in the past and I am confident the game will go ahead,” he said.
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“The boys have been great in training. I have just got to put all that sort of stuff aside and make sure that we focus on the game.
“It hasn’t been the easiest few weeks, but sometimes that focuses the mind and gives you the resolve to focus on the job at hand, and that is preparing the team the best way we possibly can as a group as coaches for next week.”
The coach agrees with the player on the 60-cap rule and feels it should be taken away.
“I am not sure it is fit for purpose at the moment. There is an opportunity under the current situation to say let’s potentially get rid of it.
“That needs to be negotiated for post-World Cup if it is beneficial, going forward. Get in a room and discuss it, but not for months and months.
“What is the best thing? I can see it working for four regions, but I can’t see it working if we end up with three or two regions because it doesn’t make sense to me to not have players potentially outside of Wales available.”
Time to take responsibility
Gatland claims he is unsure what is holding up the situation and believes everyone needs to take responsibility.
“I am not sure what the actual issues are about why things haven’t moved a lot quicker,” Gatland said.
“I come from a country (New Zealand) that when you are in a bit of a crisis, you get everyone in a room and you sort it out within 24 hours.
“The strength of New Zealand rugby has always been the ability to change, and change incredibly quickly. Probably the hamstring of Welsh rugby is that change is like a slow train trying to go somewhere.
“Everyone within the game needs to take responsibility, not just the union (WRU).
“Everyone has got to take a role, whether it is the national team, the regions, the clubs. We have got to take away our parochialism and take away the self-interest. Let’s make the best decisions for the game.”