Why Welsh rugby's silly season looks set to finish a little later this year

Budgets for the four Welsh regions still haven't been completely finalised for next season

Everything is happening a little later this season.

Because of the World Cup, the club season is finishing at a later date than usual.

Whereas Judgement Day was in the penultimate weekend of April last year, this year will see it take place on the first day of June.

And silly season is set to last a little longer. Now, in Welsh rugby, silly season could mean anything - but in this instance, we’re talking about contracts being done ahead of next season.

Normally, teams would want to get to this stage of the season with their recruitment done and dusted.

But, while plenty of work ahead of next season has been done, it’s not the case that everything has been signed off.

This is not exclusively a Welsh rugby issue - although there are aspects unique to the game and its management within this country.

“That's not just a Cardiff thing. If you speak to agents, everything is a bit later because of the World Cup.

“It's the first time I've seen it where there's going to be so much more movement in May, June and July. It's tough for the players and it's tough to recruit.

“But talking to other coaches, not just in Wales but in the Premiership and in France in particular, the market is opening up a little bit later.”

Cardiff head coach Matt Sherratt

So why is the market opening up a little later?

As Sherratt says, the World Cup is a factor. It’s tough to make calls on players early when they haven’t played too many games after all.

The situation in England - where Wasps, Worcester and London Irish all went to the wall - is still being felt now. There’s about 180 spaces for players no longer available after the fate of those three.

And of course, budgets - and when they are settled - play a role. In particular, that’s an issue here in Wales.

Combine the lot and teams are likely to keep some retentions waiting until late in the day as a fallback in case deals aren’t done for their replacements.