Dave Reddin's success stands and falls on ending a 15-year problem

Deep in the bowels of the Principality Stadium, the Welsh Rugby Union's new Director of rugby and Elite Performance Dave Reddin sat down next to CEO Abi Tierney to face the Welsh press for the first time.

Reddin answered a plethora of questions but there were two which were arguably more relevant than the others. One journalist proceeded to list off Reddin's predecessors in his job from Nigel Walker to Ryan Jones, to Josh Lewsey and Graeme Maw - pointing out they had left in abrupt circumstances which were never fully explained. Reddin wisely countered it by emphasising it was best to focus on the future not the past but the question was a valid one.

There have been 10 directors of rugby - or positions with a similar job spec - in the professional era and those who have occupied it have struggled to make an impact. There was Maw who only lasted three months, Nigel Walker who introduced the first batch of professional contracts to female players and also pushed through the new Super Rygbi Cymru competition, England World Cup winner Lewsey, rugby league legend Joe Lydon, former Wales captain Ryan Jones and Geraint John, among others.

Even though he did not officially hold the title of director of rugby but head of rugby performance, Mostyn Richards was arguably the best of the lot. In 2004 Richards was an influential figure and with the help of former General Manager Steve Lewis secured £1.62m in Objective 1 funding from the European Union via the Welsh Assembly Government which would go towards a £3.66m project to establish the four Regional men’s Academies and one Women’s National Academy.

Richards was a key figure in putting together arguably the best academy system in European rugby at the time where the four professional clubs - Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets - along with the WRU produced the so-called golden generation of players. The WRU would employ the academy staff which included the likes of World Cup winner Aled Walters, Danny Wilson, Trystan Bevan, Gruff Rees and Neil Jenkins, among others.

This was an example of the WRU and its professional clubs working together in search of a common goal. There was alignment throughout the professional tier of Welsh rugby like there hadn't been before and they were successful. But once the Project One funding came to an end there was a power struggle between the WRU - led by its former CEO Roger Lewis - and the professional clubs which the game has never recovered from. All that alignment and the joined-up approach was lost and Welsh rugby has paid the price ever since.

And that is the biggest challenge Reddin faces in his role - creating that alignment and synergy between the professional clubs, the pathway and the national team. Over the years I have often heard Welsh rugby fans saying they wished David Nucifora, who was such an influential figure in Irish rugby for a number of years as Performance Director, headed up Welsh rugby.

But the reality is Nucifora would not have had anywhere near the control in Wales as he possessed in Ireland because the Irish Rugby Football Union owns its four professional provinces - Leinster, Munster, Ulster and Connacht. This side of the Irish sea, three of the four professional clubs - Cardiff are temporarily under WRU ownership after entering administration - are private businesses.

The ownership structure in Welsh rugby and a lack of funding has historically been a hindrance to seismic change. This is something Reddin must learn to negotiate.
Yes, the WRU and the club's are about to sign a new Professional Rugby Agreement which allows the governing body to have a certain level of influence, but it is not total control.

The new centre of excellence can strongly advise a player to move from one club to another if they believe it is in the best interest of Welsh rugby, but ultimately the club has the final say. Ever since the Project One funding ceased there has always been some form of friction between the professional clubs and the WRU.

In public, both parties will wax lyrical about some fantastic new union which will usher in an era of prosperity but we've heard it all before. Privately it is often very different and when conflict arises - which it does in every organisation, even the most successful - it gets out of control because of the ownership structure with no one person having the final say.

I can already hear the accusations of negativity which will inevitably be directed towards this writer but we've all been here before.

There have been some small steps forward. The WRU have made significant changes to the pathway with the likes of Andy Lloyd, Rob Howley and Richard Whiffin, among others, doing an outstanding job in developing the next generation of players. Wales Pathway Players (WPP) programme, where a group of up to 60 players of national interest between the ages of 15-24 have been identified as potential stars of the future, is a move in the right direction.

The U18s and the U20s have some serious talent in there, while importantly there is some serious size and power in the pack. Reddin's challenge will be to ensure these players are developed properly and to do this we must have strong professional clubs competing for silverware once more.

The likes of Sam Warburton, Leigh Halfpenny, Jonathan Davies and others from the golden generation were surrounded by high-class overseas talent such as Filo Tiatia, Xavier Rush, Jerry Collins and Regan King. They must get back to this.

Throwing a bunch of kids, no matter how talented they are, into underfunded teams who are struggling with no world class players setting the culture is not the best development tool. Strengthening the professional clubs to a level where they can eventually compete with the best sides in the United Rugby Championship and Europe has to be a priority.

Reddin has top level football and rugby experience while he understands what it takes to be successful. Those who have worked closely with the former FA bigwig describe him as a man who drives incredibly high standards.

He will no doubt come up with a compelling plan to get Welsh rugby back on track but he first must understand the culture of Welsh rugby and its toxic traits which has held it back for the past 15 years.

There is too much self-interest and not enough money within the game in Wales with different club's pulling in opposite directions. This must change if Reddin and the next head coach are to stand a chance of turning Welsh rugby around.