Supporters protest to Welsh Rugby Union at derby matches
- Published
Supporters protested at Cardiff Arms Park prior to kick-off on Sunday
Supporters from all four Welsh regions united at a United Rugby Championship derby to protest to the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) at the state of the game.
The Joint Supporters Group (JSG) represents supporters' organisations for the Cardiff, Dragons, Scarlets and Ospreys teams.
They staged a coordinated protest at Cardiff v Ospreys on 1 January and at Scarlets v Dragons.
That included banners on display at Cardiff Arms Park and Parc y Scarlets.
Keith Rogers of Ospreys Supporters told BBC Sport Wales: "The Welsh Rugby Union needs to get some clarity and some purpose in what they're doing... the whole situation is totally unsatisfactory.
"Something has got to be done where we get down and start talking."
Counterpart Lynn Glaister of CF10 Trust, one of the Cardiff supporters' groups, said: "This is the time when we feel we have to come out again... it's a way of showing that all supporters' groups from all the professional clubs are united in wanting to save our game.
"We're in danger of losing some of our best future players as well as others who are important for the game generally."
The protest mirrors similar events in 2014 and the JSG says it wants to highlight what it perceives "to be the crisis facing the domestic game" and claims the WRU has refused to engage with the supporters' group.
The group wants to emphasise that there are currently 70 or more players across the four regions out of contract at the end of the season.
There is a current freeze on recruitment and retention as the WRU and regions negotiate a new long-term financial deal.
This means players out of contract at the end of the season have been unable to agree formal new deals until an agreement is reached.
A WRU statement said: "A new six-year verbal agreement is in place to deliver sustainability and success for the professional game in Wales.
"We now urgently need to convert this verbal consensus into an agreement which is in executable form. Particularly in order to give the players in Wales the required confidence and also to enable our professional game generally to plan and flourish."
The WRU added that: "The new contract in draft form will be shared with the WRPA (Welsh Rugby Players Association) shortly.
"The PRB (Professional Rugby Board) understands delays in reaching verbal agreement and the time required to process legal documentation have prevented the regions from contracting some players for future seasons.
"The concern caused amongst players, their agents, and supporters is hugely regrettable, but it is important that this is done correctly."
Players, who are also facing pay cuts, will be able to be offered conditional contracts in January while the PRB attempts to finalise a six-year funding framework between the regions and the WRU - which has been verbally agreed, subject to any 11th-hour amendments.
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