The former Wales captain has given his 'brutally honest' take on the Welsh Rugby Union's plans to cut the number of professional sides from four to three

by GDW312

8 comments

  2. Warburton is right, he did give everything as a professional in terms of his dedication, diligence and sacrifices… for Wales.

    When it came to Cardiff, his national dual contract meant he only played 8 club games in 2015/16 and 14 club games in 2016/17. Those players who supposedly “*not good enough to play professional rugby*” had to pick up the slack each week, putting their bodies on the line for rubbish money.

    I absolutely love Sam and he will always be a legend in my eyes, and I am very keen to qualify this comment by saying I don’t blame him for signing the NDC or prioritising test rugby, but I think his comments are less “*brutally honest*”, and more just straight-up inflammatory

  3. Wind your neck in Sam. You were a Cardiff director yet apparently had no idea they were in dire straits. Out of your depth and in no position to lecture anyone on the running of the game.

  4. Course he does, the man spent years sitting on Cardiff’s board, knowing how sticky their financial situation was and kept it to himself whole pushing for region closures because it would mean more money to Cardiff.

    I’d run through brick walls for the man but he’s always been utterly incapable of objectivity on this issue and as guilty of old fashioned Welsh rugby tribalism as anyone else. If it benefits Cardiff Sam would kill every other club in Wales if given the chance. This decision benefits Cardiff as its the only area guaranteed not to loos a team so of course he’s all for it

  5. He has always been, and always will be, a Union man. They paid his contracts, he turned out for them regularly while not putting in a shift for Cardiff and had nothing like an ordinary career.

    Great international, great Captain, great broadcaster, terrible administrator.

  6. I hope Scarlets and Ospreys get a good tender in to take over the “Cardiff Region” and leave WRU with a dead company on their hands. Did Sam mention anything on how the 25% are going to be encouraged and rewarded for upping their game? Does it involve working for external clubs to get experience before coming back to Wales? Lol.

  7. I’ve also noticed a big publicity push by the union of the famous and likable faces taking over various coaching positions suddenly. I can imagine the board room meeting “Sam, tell the we’re right. People might believe you more than us”

  8. Do we just have too many teams at a grassroots level as well. There are clubs with history and heritage near me who are calling around for players on a weekend, I can’t see how this is good for bringing on the small pond of talent we have.

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