Any news? I'm hearing the word merger is incorrect as the Ospreys are effectively being disbanded a-la Warriors. My take on all this, WRU advised it would need to cut funding to the four regions as it can't afford it. Professional Rugby Board set up to look into solutions. Conflict of interest withe WRU and the Dragons it owns, both can't have a say or a vote. The solution of the PRB was to disband one region in order to maintain funding to the rest Scarletts, Blues WRU, and the WRU's second vote the Dargons, voted in favor of DISBANDING the Ospreys, Merger is just a smoke screen. Why do we need both RGC and the shower of **** Dragons as development regions? Wru signed a TV rites for four teams, that's the only reason RGC is being discussed, all this crap about developing the north is just that, crap. Any advances? Would love to know what's really going on
I must admit that I’m somewhat surprised that no one has focussed on the ‘Independent’ Chairman of the new PRB.
Stumpy - Project Reset was established to find a way of improving/increasing funding to the Regions. The Regions were asked to say how much they needed to be competitive both in PRO14 and also Europe. That way the Funding Gap could be established so that ways could be explored to find the monies to achieve that goal eg borrowing against the Stadium. Clearly, the funding gap was too great - hence, the idea of 2 full fat Regions and 2 semi-skimmed..... The rest, as they say, is history......
Thanks for 1465 Taff David Lovett? can't find out much about him at all Taff other than references in reports about the takeover, oops sorry, merger. Got any gen on him? any gossip Is he linked to any region, Scarletts perhaps, they do seem very eager to point the finger at the Ospreys don't they? He's a bit of a mystery this Lovett bloke
Lovett, I understand was recommended to Martyn Phillips/WRU by ...... Nigel Short, Chairman of the Scarlets. I further understand that Nigel obtained the name from Ron Jones (long-standing Scarlets shareholder & Director) - Ron and David were former colleagues.......
In essence then the Ospreys are being fcuked over, looking at the board member talk about conflict of interest. Scarlets got their feet firmly under the table.
Look at the PRB members: Lovett - see above Martyn Phillips - WRU CEO. WRU owns Dragons Steve Phillips - WRU FD and Dragons Director David Buttress - Dragons Chairman Nigel Short - Scarlets Chairman Alun Jones - Blues Chairman. CEO / Senior Partner of Hugh James Solicitors - the WRU’s solicitors.....
Despite the fact that he was a prop (), that is a pretty accurate assessment. The Ospreys have lost money - largely consistently since creation - but in aggregate far, far less than either Scarlets or Blues who have each lost far greater amounts.