If you merge Burnley and Birmingham you're not getting Liverpool

[UKHamlet]

Shanks talks sense.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rug ... n-32732406

Tom Shanklin puts forward plan for future of Welsh rugby as he identifies crucial 'misconception'
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Summarise
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Tom Shanklin, who is a pundit for Premier Sports, has revealed exactly how he wants Welsh rugby to work going forward, identifying one 'misconception'

Dylan James
10:25, 23 Oct 2025Updated 10:39, 23 Oct 2025

Seventy-cap Wales international Tom Shanklin has revealed his plan for the future of Welsh rugby amid the impending decision on the Welsh Rugby Union's proposal to reduce the number of regions by two.

The formal consultation process on the future of the professional game in Wales concluded on September 30 and it is believed that the WRU are going to abandon their initial plan to halve the regions. Former players have been very vocal about the idea, with Wales legend Sam Warburton detailing exactly how he thinks Welsh rugby should work.

In an interview with Jim Hamilton on The Big Jim Show last month, Warburton said an optimal scenario is four successful professional teams and a fifth region pulling up trees in north Wales. However, he went on to say that right now, it is probably best to condense the regions by two from a financial perspective.

He added that the tier below - Super Rygbi Cymru - is "miles off it" and measures must be taken to improve the quality of the league. He took inspiration from the National Provincial Championship in New Zealand - a very high standard of rugby despite being a level below the professional tier.

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"Now, you need to get a 10-team league – so say that league runs throughout the year," he said. "Say you had two sets of professional players in two regions, so 45 players (each) - 90 players, 35 in the national squads. So the remaining 60 players, because some of your guys would play in England, 60 guys all drop down into that league every week to play but the coaching goes up, facilities goes up."

Shanklin, who scored 100 points for Wales in the Test arena, has now drawn out his own plan for he thinks Welsh rugby should operate in order to get the best out of the talent available and improve quality at club and international level.

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"I don't think combining two teams we're going to get to the top of the league and be super competitive in the URC or Europe," he said to WalesOnline. "I just can't see it. I think you combine any of the two teams we're not all of a sudden going to be challenging for the URC title or semi-finals in Europe because we just don't have the quality of players.

"If you merge Burnley and Birmingham you're not getting Liverpool and I think that is maybe a misconception people are going to think is that if we combine four teams into two all of a sudden we're going to be at the top of the table.

"I just don't think we are because we're a nation at the moment that has got a lot of players around the same quality. We have got some superstars, we have got some quality players but we just don't have enough.

"I want to see four teams because the biggest thing for me is pathway for players. I think if we drop to two teams we've got less teams to pick from internationally.

"I think there's less opportunity for youngsters to play and I know Super Rygbi Cymru, they're looking to revamp that and that becomes a stepping stone to top-flight rugby in Wales.

"But I still think you're cutting out a pathway. I'd like to see four teams. Not too bothered about how these four teams do for the next four or five years because I think I've come to terms with - we are where we are - and all of a sudden we're not going to wave a magic wand and start winning Six Nations titles and start winning URC titles.

"That's just not going to happen. So therefore the biggest thing is investing in academies - 14, 15-year-olds. I think the system is broke and there's no point trying to fix the current teams now because that's not the issue.

"The issue is developing players through the system to make sure that when they come to a 19, 20, 21-year-old, they're playing top- flight rugby for the professional teams in Wales and they get an opportunity to play rugby. I think if you limit the teams to two you're limiting the amount of opportunities players are going to get."

Tom Shanklin is part of the Premier Sports TV team bringing every game live from the BKT United Rugby Championship plus Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup and Top 14 in France. Tune into Premier Sports for live URC action for all four Welsh pro teams this Saturday with Scarlets in South Africa to face the Sharks (2.50pm Premier Sports 2) plus the big Welsh derby at Rodney Parade as Dragons take on Ospreys (5.15pm Premier Sports 2) as well as Cardiff's home tie against Edinburgh. Premier Sports broadcasts over 400 live rugby games each season, offering the most comprehensive live club rugby coverage in the UK. Join in at www.premiersports.com

Follow all of our channels to ensure you stay up to date with the latest Welsh rugby news. Sign up to our free daily newsletter here and our WhatsApp channel here for all the breaking news.

[Son of Mathonwy]

Shanks > Warbs

[Sandydragon]

Totally agree with Shanks. Reducing the pathway is bonkers, especially as it have a proven track record when properly invested in.

[UKHamlet]

[you-tube][/you-tube]

I know it's Eddie, but it's food for thought.

[Sandydragon]

Invest in youth
Nurture the best
Of it doesn’t work, be ruthless and change

Hard to argue with any of that. We used to invest well in youth but cut the funding. Biggest single mistake of the past 15 years.

It would also be nice if we could work with schools to keep promising youngsters in Wales rather than being poached by English schools and potentially into the English youth teams.

[UKHamlet]

Invest in youth
Nurture the best
Of it doesn’t work, be ruthless and change

Hard to argue with any of that. We used to invest well in youth but cut the funding. Biggest single mistake of the past 15 years.

It would also be nice if we could work with schools to keep promising youngsters in Wales rather than being poached by English schools and potentially into the English youth teams.

Big thumbs up to that. The WRU could do worse than open a Welsh Hartbury College with strong ties to HE academia in Wales. Give the talent somewhere to study and something to do after their career. As it is props only have coaching and nightclub doormen careers to look forward to.

[Tuco Ramirez]

Why is Women's rugby getting such a share?

[UKHamlet]

Why is Women's rugby getting such a share?

Growing sport with lots of people interested in it. It'll become a revenue stream in a few years. We're getting left behind and need to redress that. There are two Welsh players in the England team, mostly because we don't devote enough resources.

[Tuco Ramirez]

Why is Women's rugby getting such a share?

Growing sport with lots of people interested in it. It'll become a revenue stream in a few years. We're getting left behind and need to redress that. There are two Welsh players in the England team, mostly because we don't devote enough resources.

It's not for me my friend, minority sport, tik tok dances after getting mullered.... not for me

[UKHamlet]

Why is Women's rugby getting such a share?

Growing sport with lots of people interested in it. It'll become a revenue stream in a few years. We're getting left behind and need to redress that. There are two Welsh players in the England team, mostly because we don't devote enough resources.

It's not for me my friend, minority sport, tik tok dances after getting mullered.... not for me

Different strokes for different folks. When I watch women's rugby, I don't watch it expecting men's rugby. It's a different game. They're slower and less physical, but the same applies to most Men vs Women sports. That doesn't mean they aren't entertaining, because they are.

[Tuco Ramirez]

Growing sport with lots of people interested in it. It'll become a revenue stream in a few years. We're getting left behind and need to redress that. There are two Welsh players in the England team, mostly because we don't devote enough resources.

It's not for me my friend, minority sport, tik tok dances after getting mullered.... not for me

Different strokes for different folks. When I watch women's rugby, I don't watch it expecting men's rugby. It's a different game. They're slower and less physical, but the same applies to most Men vs Women sports. That doesn't mean they aren't entertaining, because they are.

Minority rubbish. We will have to agree to disgaree as i dont find it entertaining tbh

[Sandydragon]

Ho hum.

I think the Canada vs All Balcks game in the recent women’s RWC was one of the best games I’ve seen of Kate in either men’s or women’s game. Normally I don’t bother following women’s rugby and I’ll be honest I’ll watch it if there’s no men’s games on. No disrespect to the women’s game but I’m
More likely to watch a game involving a team I have interest in.

Regarding the finding, I can see why the WRU would be interested in this from a commercial perspective. But, since we have so little
Money at the moment, despite higher turnover than the SRU or IRFU, then is setting up two pro women’s teams a priority? It feels like an unthought out plan to just create two pro teams and hope there will be the talent to fill them. It’s not clear that enough players exist at the moment to make up two pro squads so surely we should be focusing on the pipeline and investing in the top level of women’s semi pro teams to build them up, potentially with a sprinkling of pro players lured back from England with central contracts or something similar. It just feels half baked.