EditorSCARLETS: Candidates unite across party lines to demand Senedd scrutiny of WRU’s West Wales merger plans
Candidates standing in the same Carmarthenshire constituency have united across party lines to demand greater scrutiny of the Welsh Rugby Union’s plans for professional rugby in West Wales, following the WRU’s restatement of its position at an extraordinary general meeting last week.
The WRU used its EGM on April 13 to maintain its stance that only one professional team should represent West Wales — a position that would effectively force a merger between the Scarlets and the Ospreys, ending one or possibly both clubs as independent regional sides. Politicians of all parties are warning that the consequences would be felt far beyond the rugby pitch.
Labour Senedd candidate Calum Higgins standing outside Parc Y Scarlets in LlanelliCalum Higgins, Labour’s lead candidate for Sir Gaerfyrddin, said scrutinising the WRU’s proposals would be a priority if elected on May 7.
“It’s vital for the Carmarthenshire economy and rugby heritage in Llanelli that we have professional rugby here,” he said. “The Senedd should scrutinise the proposals and hold the WRU accountable for their actions.
“There are also lots of fans from the other regions in Carmarthenshire, mainly Ospreys fans who are understandably worried about their future. Any decent rugby fan would be supporting each other during this — we shouldn’t allow the WRU to divide the regional rugby fan base.
“If elected in May, a priority for me will be to scrutinise the proposals from a fan’s point of view. The rivalry between the Scarlets and Ospreys is something to protect and nurture for the future, and this proposal risks trashing rugby heritage in the South West.”
Higgins, a keen rugby fan from Tycroes in Carmarthenshire, was pictured outside Parc y Scarlets.
Independent Senedd candidate, Carl Peters-Bond at last year’s Scarlets march through Llanelli.Carl Peters-Bond, independent candidate for Sir Gaerfyrddin, said he had attended the Save Our Scarlets march in Llanelli last year and that the stakes went far beyond sport.
“The Scarlets have a huge heritage in the area. The loss of the Scarlets through the WRU’s potential reduction of the number of professional sides would be devastating, not just for the economy of South West Wales — Llanelli in particular — but also for the culture of the region,” he said.
“Rugby here is more than a sport. It’s part of who we are, and it binds our communities together. That’s why I’ll always stand up for the Scarlets and for grassroots rugby across Carmarthenshire.
“This isn’t about party politics. It’s about protecting something that belongs to all of us. The Scarlets are woven into the fabric of west Wales life, and losing them would be a blow we cannot afford.”
The sentiments echo those previously expressed by Cefin Campbell, Plaid Cymru’s lead candidate for Sir Gaerfyrddin, who backed a petition calling on the WRU to protect the Scarlets’ future during the union’s formal consultation period last September.
Writing on his website at the time, Campbell said dissolving the Scarlets would be “disastrous news not only for Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, and the wider region, but also on a national level.”
“A club that has produced legendary players — from Phil Bennett, Delme Thomas and Ray Gravell, to Stephen Jones and Ken Owens, to name but a few. And away from the pitch, the team contributes so much to the local economy, identity and culture. If this was lost it would leave a massive gap to fill and would lead to disillusionment by ordinary fans of the sport.”
“We will be contributing to the formal consultation process as I hope thousands of others will as well, in order to send a clear message to the WRU that dissolution of the Scarlets is not the solution to the mismanagement of professional rugby in Wales over many years.”
The cross-party response reflects growing concern among Carmarthenshire politicians ahead of the Senedd election, with candidates from Labour, Plaid Cymru, Conservatives and the independent benches all in agreement that the next Welsh Government must use its scrutiny powers to challenge the WRU’s direction of travel. The WRU’s insistence on a single West Wales team raises the prospect of a merger that could mean the end of the Scarlets, the Ospreys, or fundamentally alter both clubs beyond recognition.
Swansea Bay News has reported extensively on the WRU’s plans for the future of professional rugby in Wales, including the reaction of supporters and the broader implications for the Scarlets and Ospreys.
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Full archive of our reporting on the Welsh Rugby Union’s regional restructuring plans.
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Our report on the EGM that prompted these responses.
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