Principality Stadium rugby double-header considered for December
- Published
Principality Stadium opened in 1999 when Wales defeated South Africa
Welsh Rugby Union boss Nigel Walker says the game needs to explore extra revenue streams as they look to host more matches at Principality Stadium.
A Premiership fixture between Bristol and Gloucester is being explored on 2 December.
That could become a double-header alongside the Cardiff and Scarlets derby in the United Rugby Championship which is scheduled for the same day.
A Wales v Barbarians match is also being planned for 4 November.
"Welsh rugby needs to look at ways of increasing revenues without harming any of the existing infrastructure and fabric of the game," said Walker.
"Those conversations will be held within the fabric of those parameters. We are keen to raise revenue because that goes back into Welsh rugby.
"Many sports have not recovered from Covid because it had impact across the world and across every aspect of our society.
"We haven't recovered, and if we keep doing the same things we'll keep getting the same results. Certainly if I speak about Welsh rugby there are some challenges.
"We've got to think about doing things differently. What we aren't going to do is be reckless, we aren't going to introduce things which will destroy the fabric of Welsh rugby but we do need to think of ways of raising revenues, and doing this differently.
"I don't know whether you'll call it outside the box thinking but we will be looking to hold on to things which have made rugby so important to the vast majority of people in Wales but also looking to enhance and build on what we have."
Barbarians coming to Cardiff?
The Wales v Barbarians match has yet to be confirmed but is being planned for 4 November. This is a week after the World Cup final and on the same weekend as the third round of United Rugby Championship (URC) fixtures, including a Scarlets and Cardiff Welsh derby which is scheduled in Llanelli.
Walker insists any Wales and Barbarians potential fixture has been discussed with the four Welsh regions in meetings of the Professional Rugby Board (PRB), which runs the professional game in Wales.
"There's a balance because the Barbarians game has been in the programme and the regions know about that," said Walker.
"Any money generated from the Barbarians game goes back into Welsh rugby so people have to understand that.
"We've got to make sure we get the balance right which is why we've got the Professional Rugby Board (PRB), which is why those discussions around those issues are aired and discussed at length around that table.
"I sit around that PRB table as does Malcolm Wall (chairman) but so do all the regions. I'm not blaming the PRB, I'm not blaming the regions, I'm just saying that's the decision making process."
"We won't all agree on these things but we'll have a compromise which means we get enough money in so that we can sustain the whole of Welsh rugby."
Double header?
Nigel Walker has been appointed the WRU executive director of rugby after acting as the interim chief executive since January 2023
Bristol's home game against Gloucester has been set for 2 December, which is currently the same day Cardiff are due to host Scarlets at the Arms Park in the United Rugby Championship (URC).
Bristol are keen to stage the game in Cardiff and there is now a double-header prospect at the Principality Stadium being explored to host both matches on the same day at the same venue.
"There are ongoing conversations, it is not a done deal yet," said Walker.
"I am confident we will come up with a solution that will please most, if not all of people who are interested in Welsh rugby."
Walker admits the next couple of seasons will be testing for the regions following the financial cutbacks with budgets being slashed to £4.5m for the 2024-25 campaign. He insists though he wants them to be competing for silverware.
"It's been part of the WRU's strategy," said Walker.
"There are going to be a couple of difficult years, I've discussed that with the regions, and people understand why. We've got to live within our means, but also got to grow the game."
Walker says the strategy is to try and keep the four regions trading.
"We had the discussion off the back of the Oakwell Report which suggested we may go down to three but we couldn't reach agreement to go down to three, and it was decided we'd stay at four," said Walker.
"These things are kept constantly under review but it would have to be around that PRB table that we came to a decision.
"At the moment everyone is committed to keeping four regions. If at some stage in the future people change their minds, of course that discussion would take place."
There have been reports of a potential merger between Cardiff and Ospreys with Walker stating that would need PRB approval.
"If Cardiff came to me and said that, or the Ospreys came to me and said they wanted to merge with Cardiff, we'd have those conversations," said Walker.
"But they wouldn't be instigated by me. If they say they want the conversation of course we would talk to them.
"Cardiff is a big region, a big club with a huge reputation. The WRU, as you can imagine, is keeping a close eye on Cardiff and having conversations with Cardiff.
"But the region is a private entity, we work closely with that region, and we are having the conversations you'd expect us to have."