Welsh rugby must ask if we really have the right people

Change is horrible and uncomfortable, but when the Welsh Rugby Union publishes its new strategy for the whole game, the tectonic plates have to be shifted and the fundamental thing which needs to be looked at is “people”.

“People” are Welsh rugby’s biggest strength and make things happen, but they are also its biggest weakness and the WRU needs to ensure it has the right quality of people running the game, as do the regions.

Wales finished the Six Nations with their first Wooden Spoon in 21 years and the performance of the Wales Women side has also fallen off a cliff. The under-20s finished fifth in the Six Nations, only a spot above last year when they finished bottom of the pile, while the regions currently hold three of the bottom five spots in the United Rugby Championship.

Only the Ospreys have shown a glimmer of resistance to a sliding mediocrity and malaise by remaining in the hunt for a play-off place in the URC, while they also reached the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup.

Of course, much of this comes down to a lack of money with Wales’ four professional clubs at a significant disadvantage in comparison to what the likes of Leinster spend. Everyone can now see you reap what you so, but will anything change?

To their credit there is a new-look WRU board in place who, on paper, look far better equipped to solve the issues facing Welsh rugby. There is no hiding place anymore.

Look at this week, for example, Wales Women head coach Ioan Cunningham’s name is being associated with the word ‘pressure’ in headlines because the Women’s game – at long last, of course – has more exposure now and it is harder to avoid scrutiny. As pragmatic as it is to highlight the coach’s role in the performance of a team, what about those that have orchestrated the landscape through which he has to operate? Where is the exposure and pressure on them? Is there an argument now for a more forensic view on the decision-making capability of those at the wheel?