The WRU and the country's four regional sides have finally ended the bitter war which threatened to rip the game in Wales apart.
Club's sign the WRU's new participation agreement
The WRU and the country's four regional sides have finally ended the bitter war which threatened to rip the game in Wales apart.
The parties have been involved in a furious row over the issue of the release of players to the national side for games that fall outside the International Rugby Board's recognised Test match windows.
The umbrella organisation for Cardiff Blues, Newport Gwent Dragons, the Scarlets and Ospreys - Regional Rugby Wales - had even sought a high court ruling over the WRU's bid for the release of players for the November 7 international against New Zealand.
However an agreement has now been reached following lengthy negotiations, headed by WRU chief executive Roger Lewis and RRW boss Stuart Gallacher.
The regions have signed a new 'participation agreement' which will govern player release, as well as foreign player restrictions and general funding.
Players will now be freed to play in 13 internationals, plus more non-international games on an agreed tour every year, with an appropriate release time for them to train with the national side.
In a bid to improve the country's talent, match squads must now contain at least 17 Welsh-qualified players with the regions committed to reducing the number of foreigners down to a maximum of six.
Funding
The regions will also see "significantly enhanced funding" allocated to them as part of the deal in a bid to help them develop local players.
The deal will remain in place for five years, with an option to extend it by a further five years.
Lewis said: "This agreement is an historic landmark for Welsh rugby and will help shape the future of our national game.
"At its heart it gives the regions the financial security to carry out a mandate to recruit and develop Welsh international players.
"We have achieved an agreement which is rooted in the best interests of the whole of Welsh rugby because a winning Wales will deliver the support and commercial success we need to sustain rugby at all levels across our nation.
"It is a wide-ranging agreement which required a lot of hard work to complete and I want to publicly thank everyone who has helped devise and broker it."
Gallacher added: "I am delighted that we have been able to reach this agreement which will undoubtedly help us all achieve our ambitions for our regions and for Welsh rugby.
"It has taken a tremendous amount of hard work and compromise but both sides have remained determined to get this deal over the line.
Commitments
"I believe this agreement delivers to the WRU what it has wanted to achieve for a very long time in that it guarantees the release of Welsh players to pull on the international jersey.
"What we now have is a very clear contract which delivers what we all need and I am absolutely certain that all four regions will honour the commitments we have agreed.
"This will deliver a vital financial boost to the regions and ensure there is a true focus on doing our level best to keep Welsh qualified players in Wales.
"This agreement will give us the strength to meet the challenges of the future and make decisions which will ultimately benefit the whole of Welsh rugby.
"In the past we have never been able to attain 17 Welsh qualified players in each match squad but this agreement gives us the potential ability and rewards to achieve that."
