Head coach Warren Gatland expects Wales' Six Nations game against England to go ahead as scheduled; former captain Alun Wyn Jones said everyone wants to play England in Cardiff on February 25 and a strike would be the "last option"
Friday 17 February 2023 11:38, UK
Wales head coach Warren Gatland has said he would not support his players if they decided to strike ahead of their Guinness Six Nations clash with England over ongoing contract disputes.
Strike action by players is a possibility as the Wales squad continues preparations to face England in Cardiff on February 25, amid uncertainty caused by Welsh rugby's professional contracts freeze.
The situation has been magnified due to recruitment being on hold and next season's playing budgets not yet being finalised for Wales' four professional regions of Cardiff, Ospreys, Dragons and Scarlets, while a new financial agreement between the regions and the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) is still to be confirmed in writing.
Asked whether he would support his squad striking, Gatland added: "No. I completely support the stance they're taking in terms of wanting to get some resolution about the issues they have, but I think there's a lot of things at stake in terms of ensuring that fixture takes place.
"I'm supportive of the players and the things that they're trying to do, so my role is to just to try and prepare the team for next week."
Gatland added: "As far as I'm concerned, I'm just preparing for the game and I'm confident that the game will go ahead."
Wales' former captain and most-capped player Alun Wyn Jones said the possibility of strike action is "the very last option" but warned it is "hard to deny".
"There are people who are really impassioned. Ultimately, if you treat people badly for long enough, you get to where we find ourselves," Jones said.
"Everyone wants to play the (England) game. Selected or not, I want to get back to the job.
"It's about protecting the game to ensure it goes well for generations to come. We have to sort this out now. We can't go back into this cycle of uncertainty.
"We are well aware there are rebalances that need to be made financially, but again, it comes down to players being boxed in with their options in terms of the 60-cap rule (international selection policy for players plying their trade outside of Wales) and the contractual obligations.
"You don't want to see guys in their early 20s not knowing where their career is going to go. They are curtailed at the minute with some of the conditions and the unilateral decisions made without negotiation.
"We are fortunate that we are all involved in a sport and a job we love. To fathom the fact we might not do that because of the severity of the situation is very real, but it's the last thing we want to do.
"I can tell you every player wants to play rugby, but we can't be under the guillotine and be used in the emotive side of things when ultimately this is a career and a job."
The Welsh Rugby Players' Association (WRPA) said in a statement on Thursday that "players have had enough" of the ongoing uncertainty, although Gatland criticised the union's overall performance.
"I'm in complete support of the players in terms of the WRPA, which to me in my time here has been incredibly weak as an organisation," Gatland added. "I've stressed on a number of occasions to the players that they need to be stronger, they need to have more voices, they need to be around the table from a consultation point of view.
"From that regard, I think it's a huge positive for the players and that relationship with the union going forward because they need to be part of all the discussions that take place. I'm sure the players, like us, would like things resolved hopefully as quickly as possible."
The WRPA said in a statement: "What is deeply concerning is that until the long-form agreement is signed and active, no players' futures are guaranteed. This is having a profound effect on players - especially those out of contract - and is placing unacceptable strain on mental health and overall wellbeing.
"Strike action is something that we wish to see avoided as a players' union and our members want to be taking the field as they always have. But clearly, the anxiety caused by the situation is now affecting the lives and profession of players.
"Players have had enough. This is not a game of 'Championship Manager'."
Phil Vickery, a World Cup winner with England in 2003, sympathises with the Welsh players and has called for a solution to be found.
"It's a dreadful thing. The thought of representing your country and playing rugby, to sing your national anthem and having to talk about striking and not playing, it's an awful situation. I feel so much for the Welsh boys," he said.
"I'm only an observer. I don't know all the stories but just from the outside looking in, this has been going on for a long, long time. It needs to be sorted out and it's not right.
"You talk about wanting to build a relationship and team ethics and passion and pride - and no one's got more passion and pride than the Welsh boys let me assure you because I've faced them enough times. It just undermines everything.
"I thought Alun Wyn Jones talked so eloquently - and obviously personally knowing him and knowing what he stands for, it's just sad and I just feel for him."
Vickery was in a similar situation when England players went on strike in 2000, though as it turned out they didn't miss a game.
"I can remember being in that room when we talked about it. Of course Martin [Johnson] was our captain and our leader. He very much led it but it was led by all of us players and I can remember boys shedding tears and crying," Vickery said.
"It's dreadful and ultimately when we walked out of that room, when we decided that was going to be it and we actually left and went home, ultimately that could have been the last time we ever played for our country."
Members of Wales' Six Nations squad made a pre-planned walkout at an event hosted by the WRU on Wednesday, remaining for the opening speeches and presentations before leaving ahead of food and talking with sponsors.
Negotiations on the future of the professional game in Wales are handled by the Professional Rugby Board (PRB), which comprises representatives from each of the regions, acting WRU chief executive Nigel Walker, WRU finance director Tim Moss and two independent members, including chair Malcolm Wall.
"The new agreement offers a complete funding package to the professional game in Wales, but it does come with financial limitations which will directly affect salary negotiations," Wall said. "The cold facts are that the WRU and clubs have been paying salaries that their businesses cannot afford, so the new agreement establishes a new framework for contract negotiations."
Wales suffered heavy defeats against Ireland and Scotland in their first two Six Nations matches, although Gatland insists that the ongoing situation had not affected the way his players have been training.
"The players have been great in the last few days in terms of the way they've [trained]," Gatland explained. "They've got a side issue or a separate issue that they want sorting, but when it's come to the rugby in terms of preparing for the game, they've been fantastic in the way that they've prepared in the last few days.
"Obviously there's been ongoing discussions with them and hopefully with the union and the PRGB (Professional Regional Game Board) to get things sorted out."
