United Rugby Championship: Welsh sides aim for success in tournament's second season
- Published
Stormers had never won the Super Rugby title but now boast silverware from their maiden league campaign in Europe
The United Rugby Championship (URC) is aiming for a successful second season as the 2022-23 campaign gets under way this weekend.
The 16-team tournament will adopt the same format, with one league table and the top eight reaching end-of-season play-offs.
The South Africa, Irish, Welsh and Scottish/Italian shields will continue, with the top side in each section rewarded with a Champions Cup qualification place.
The competition will finish slightly earlier because of next year's World Cup, with a mid-June final.
The URC was previously known as the Pro14 but was rebranded for the 2021-22 season following the introduction of four Super Rugby sides from South Africa.
URC organisers point to record-breaking viewing figures and new sponsors as evidence the tournament - that now spans Wales, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Scotland, Italy and South Africa - is growing.
What happened last season?
The Stormers won the inaugural title thanks to an 18-13 victory over fellow South African side the Bulls in Cape Town, breaking Leinster's stranglehold on the old competition.
Stormers, Bulls, Sharks and Lions had initially struggled for wins but finished the season strongly.
South African and Irish sides dominated the competition, with three from each nation forming the top six in the final league table.
Scotland's two representatives, Edinburgh and Glasgow, reached the play-offs but no Welsh team managed to reach the knockout stages by finishing in the top half of the league.
Wales' sides have struggled since Scarlets won the Pro12 title - as it was then - in 2017.
There have been issues off the field between the four professional sides and the Welsh Rugby Union over the funding of the game and there is still an apathy towards the tournament from some Welsh fans.
What do the URC say?
URC chief executive Martin Anayi joined the organisation in 2015
URC bosses are monitoring the situation in Wales and expect it to improve.
"We are trying to make sure the depth to the tournament is there with strong [Welsh] regions, Scottish sides and Italian teams and it's improved," said URC chief executive Martin Anayi.
"But can we get back to the point where we had Scarlets winning the competition previously? We need to get back to that point.
"I think the Welsh Rugby Union and regions are close to concluding their deal and that will give them a long-term plan to act with.
"The teams should only benefit from such stability. The most important thing is continuity and a solid business plan and I think they will get that, so they can then concentrate on what goes on the field.
"The budgets are not too bad. There have always been some questions around whether the budgets need to go up. They probably do, but that is just the market.
"It is about connection to the game in Wales and the fanbase and making sure we are seen as one game in Wales, as much a Welsh competition as we are anywhere else.
"That is probably the next step for us, to work on the positives we have already had.
"The viewing figures are positive so the audience is there, we just need to bring more of them to the game."
In the short term, Welsh sides are likely to find it hard to challenge South Africa and Ireland's dominance of this tournament.
BBC Sport Wales assesses how Wales four professional sides will fare this season.
Ospreys
Ospreys captain Justin Tipuric has played 85 internationals for Wales
Toby Booth's team were the leading domestic side last season as they won the Welsh Shield but still only managed to finish ninth.
Bonus points were the main issue last campaign as Ospreys won enough matches to finish in the top eight play-off positions.
So the need to develop the attacking game will be high on the agenda this season with Richard Fussell coming in as a backs coach.
There have been very few signings so Booth must hope internationals like captain Justin Tipuric and George North - who are returning to full fitness - will be like new faces.
Tipuric missed the whole season with a shoulder injury while North played only a couple of games in the run-in after recovering from a knee problem.
Last season: Ninth
Head coach: Toby Booth
Captain: Justin Tipuric
Key signing: Jack Walsh - Not a strong category because the outside-half arrival from Exeter is Ospreys' only recruit of note.
He was born in the United States of America and grew up in Australia, where he earned international honours at under-18 and sevens level, while he also progressed to the Waratahs development set-up.
With Gareth Anscombe and Stephen Myler already around, Walsh is one for the future but can play in other positions across the backline.
Scarlets
Jonathan Davies at the official launch of the 2022-23 United Rugby Championship
When Scarlets assessed why they failed to reach the URC play-offs and achieve Champions Cup qualification last season, defence would have been top of their list.
Dwayne Peel's side conceded 73 tries during the last league campaign, with only bottom side Zebre shipping more.
Scarlets have moved to resolve this issue by bringing in Gareth Williams from Wayne Pivac's Wales coaching set-up and he will be charged with establishing firmer foundations.
Liam Williams tops the exodus list following his move to Cardiff but Scarlets have pulled off potentially the transfer of the summer with the arrival of All Blacks lock Vaea Fifita.
They will also hope Wales stars Ken Owens and Leigh Halfpenny will return from injury.
Last season: 10th
Head coach: Dwayne Peel
Captain: Jonathan Davies
Vaea Fifita earned his first cap for New Zealand in the 78-0 win against Samoa in June 2017
Key signing: Vaea Fifita - The New Zealand lock is the only major signing over the summer, although as an 11-cap All Black he promises to bring plenty of class.
That has already been demonstrated in the pre-season warm-up against Bristol, with Fifita bringing more overseas quality alongside Sione Kalamafoni and Sam Lousi.
Cardiff
It was a disastrous end to a forgettable season for Cardiff when they were hammered 69-21 by Benetton on the final weekend to leave them in 14th place.
The campaign included being stranded in South Africa before Christmas because of Covid-19 and the team never recovered in Dai Young's first full season of his second stint in charge.
Cardiff have made four high-profile signings with British and Irish Lions duo Liam Williams and Taulupe Faletau and Wales flanker Thomas Young joined by Australia lock Lopeti Timani.
The challenge will remain the same, with the Cardiff pack looking to match opposition forward units and present a talented backline with possession to play.
Last season: 14th
Director of rugby: Dai Young
Captain: Josh Turnbull
Lopeti Timani played for Australia against Wales in 2016 but now represents Tonga
Key new signing: Lopeti Timani - While the arrivals of Williams and Faletau from Scarlets and Bath respectively have made headlines, it is the Tongan-born Australia international forward Timani who will look to make the difference in the Cardiff pack.
Cardiff will hope the lock, who signed from Toulon and can also operate in the back row, will provide the physical edge that has been missing and help improve the front five.
Young, the Wales flanker and son of director of rugby Dai, also returns to the Arms Park from Wasps and adds to resources.
Dragons
It was all change at Dragons over the summer. It needed to be following another shocking season at Rodney Parade which finished with only two wins and a 15th-place finish.
There is a name change, with the Gwent outfit now known as 'Dragons RFC' - as opposed to the Dragons Rugby name previously used - while a new badge and modified team colours will also be in evidence this term.
Dai Flanagan has come in as head coach from Scarlets, working under director of rugby Dean Ryan.
The WRU-owned side have been the most prolific in the transfer market with established names like Bradley Roberts, JJ Hanrahan, Rhodri Jones, Sean Lonsdale, Max Clark, George Nott, Sio Tomkinson, Angus O'Brien, Lewis Jones and Rob Evans joining.
Discipline will be an issue for Dragons to resolve, with the region conceding the most penalties per game last season in the league.
Last season: 15th
Director of rugby: Dean Ryan
Captain:
Sio Tomkinson featured in the pre-season defeats against Bath and Wasps
Key signing: Sio Tomkinson. While the likes of props Rhodri Jones and Rob Evans will provide some international front-row stability and Nott and Lonsdale add to the forward resources, it is the New Zealand back who can provide some much-needed X-factor.
Centre Tomkinson has headed for Newport from the Highlanders, where he scored 14 tries in 44 internationals.
Tomkinson, who can also play on the wing, will provide a different midfield threat from his fellow centres, with Clark also arriving from Bath.