WRU in talks to take over Cardiff Blues.

[BlueBlue]

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugb ... r-13011750

[neiliog93]

Presumably this is a good thing for the Blues and the Welsh national team? They've been eyeing our central contracts system enviously for some time.

[Peg Leg]

Presumably this is a good thing for the Blues and the Welsh national team? They've been eyeing our central contracts system enviously for some time.

They've also being eyeing the AP model and that's the one they went with. However I think the writing is on the wall for the AP clubs, in organised vertical columns of red accountants ink.

[simonokeeffe]

Presumably this is a good thing for the Blues and the Welsh national team? They've been eyeing our central contracts system enviously for some time.

we get to unfairly attack them for a change for not taking the league seriously

[Fireworks]

A good first move. Hopefully the rest will eventually go the same way. AP might be next but I think any change in France could be a long way off.

[cormac]

I sense the WRU's end-game in all this is three teams. Hard to see a long-term future for Dragons, so one "Eastern" team based in Cardiff, one "Western" team based in Swansea and a Northern team. Whether there'll be any fans for these teams is anyone's guess.

The investors in the four regions are getting older and they can't find replacements as there's little sense of the teams ever becoming profitable. Any chance of a move into the English system seems long dead and the Pro12 is no cashcow. Only the Scarlets seem to be able to attract "new money" and there's only so long they can go on plugging the financial gaps there. And at current funding levels they're not even competitive at European level.

[Lar]

I sense the WRU's end-game in all this is three teams. Hard to see a long-term future for Dragons, so one "Eastern" team based in Cardiff, one "Western" team based in Swansea and a Northern team. Whether there'll be any fans for these teams is anyone's guess.

So with the Ospreys being a merger of Swansea and Neath you now want to add Llanelli into that equation also? And have a Northern team where there is none currently and not much appetite or tradition for one? Do you work for the WRU?

[cormac]

I sense the WRU's end-game in all this is three teams. Hard to see a long-term future for Dragons, so one "Eastern" team based in Cardiff, one "Western" team based in Swansea and a Northern team. Whether there'll be any fans for these teams is anyone's guess.

So with the Ospreys being a merger of Swansea and Neath you now want to add Llanelli into that equation also? And have a Northern team where there is none currently and not much appetite or tradition for one? Do you work for the WRU?

There is already a WRU team based in the North, they play in the Welsh Premiership and are called RGC 1404. They play out of the stadium the WRU uses for U-20 matches in North Wales. They're pretty clearly being lined up for something bigger and have been for some time as they've climbed up through the leagues.

As for Scarlets/Ospreys being merged into one team that's admittedly more of a punt but both teams are losing money and I can't see the WRU being able to fund both in the long term.

Also never bet on the WRU doing something sensible.

[Lar]

Sorry Cormac - I thought my last sentence might have given you a clue that I wasn't being entirely serious.

But I still can't see the Scarlets and Ospreys merging any time soon.

[cormac]

An interesting take on the future of rugby in Cardiff

https://cf10rugbytrust.org/blog/what-do ... uture-hold

[Peg Leg]

You would think bankrupting the club makes most sense there. But there is every chance the WRU could be forced to bid for the club at an unknown value.

[BlueBlue]

http://www.planetrugby.com/news/cardiff ... over-plan/

[ronk]

Odd that it would breakdown like this.

[FLIP]

Odd that it would breakdown like this.

You're counting on the Welsh doing the correct logical thing instead of sticking a twig in their spokes and then blaming the micks when they end up going over their handle bars.

[Peg Leg]

Odd that it would breakdown like this.

Why? Cardiff blues are going to invest heavily in the arms park to make it a "rugby first" stadium. They've already sourced the magic beans, it's only a matter of planting them now.