Warren Gatland: Wales head coach gives backing to Anglo-Welsh competition
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Cardiff scrum-half Tomos Williams and Harlequins opposite number Danny Care represented Wales and England during the 2023 World Cup
Wales head coach Warren Gatland has given his backing to any future Anglo-Welsh competition.
Rugby union history shows the popularity of traditional cross-border rivalries, especially before the game went professional in 1995.
Gatland says the concept of Welsh and English clubs playing regularly should always be "on the table".
The Wales coach also accepts the Welsh Rugby Union's (WRU) 25-cap rule might have to be looked at.
Gatland was talking after naming his 34-man squad for the Six Nations with Wales beginning the campaign at home against Scotland on 3 February.
Anglo-Welsh relations
The stands at the Arms Park were full for Cardiff's Investec Champions Cup defeat against Harlequins
Cardiff have this season attracted large crowds against Bath and Harlequins in the Investec Champions Cup defeats, with last weekend's 54-15 loss to Quins a sell out.
The atmosphere and attendances contrast with home games for the four Welsh professional sides in the United Rugby Championship (URC) which includes opposition from Scotland, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Italy and South Africa.
The Gallagher Premiership in England is now a 10-team tournament after Wasps, Worcester and London went into administration last season and dropped out of the league.
The debate among Welsh fans has emerged once more about linking up with English clubs in a league format.
"I've always said from a Welsh perspective we should always have an Anglo-Welsh competition on the table," said Gatland.
"For me that is not about the present, that's about history of those clubs like Newport, Cardiff or whatever, playing teams that are close to the border in terms of Gloucester, Bath, and you've got Exeter now, so that goes back a long time to those traditional rivalries.
"I feel that's something that Wales and England, as unions, should potentially have going forward (an Anglo-Welsh competition).'
"I know the impact and effect it might have on other competitions, but if we are just looking after ourselves and what would benefit Welsh rugby, there could be an Anglo-Welsh league and how that can potentially be successful for England and Wales."
Anglo-Welsh competition has previously existed in the form of a knockout tournament that ran from 2005 until 2018, comprising 12 Premiership clubs and four Welsh regions.
Leicester won it three times, while there were also successes for Northampton, Gloucester and Harlequins.
The first four finals were held at Twickenham, attracting crowds of between 43,000 and 65,000, with two of those games won by Ospreys and Cardiff.
Stick or scrap?
Joe Hawkins' last cap for Wales came against Italy in the Six Nations in March 2023
There is also an ongoing debate whether Wales' 25-cap rule should remain.
Those players leaving Wales for teams outside the country are required to have played 25 internationals to continue to represent the national side after the number dropped from 60 in February 2023.
With Welsh budgets being squeezed again for 2024-25 campaign, younger players targeted by English and French clubs have a decision to make on international futures if they have won fewer than 25 caps.
Exeter centre Joe Hawkins, who has five caps to his name, missed out on the 2023 World Cup after his move from Ospreys that summer.
It will not affect the eligibility of George North (118 caps) or Tomos Williams (53 caps) who leave for Provence and Gloucester respectively next season.
The rule has also formed part of the decision of Exeter's Cardiff-born wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso to opt for England after being named in Steve Borthwick's Six Nations squad this week.
Under current guidelines, if medical student Feyi-Waboso had opted for Wales he would have to move back to the country when his current Exeter contract was up to continue playing internationally. This would have affected his studies at Exeter University.
The rule exists to try to keep top players in Wales for the regions and make sure Gatland has maximum training time with his squad before the Six Nations and summer tours.
It is having some positive impact on keeping young stars such as Mason Grady who looks likely to stay at Cardiff, while 14-cap Dragons wing Rio Dyer has signed a new deal to remain at Rodney Parade.
When asked whether Wales should look at changing the policy, Gatland replied: "Yeah, potentially. The problem with the 25-cap rule at the moment is there's only one team who gets penalised.
"If players who haven't got 25 caps leave Wales we haven't got an opportunity to select them so it's always an ongoing discussion. That's the challenge.
"The feedback I'm getting from some of the players is they are looking to play for teams who have a chance of being successful.
"They are excited about wanting to play in front of full houses as well, and the challenges of being well-coached and well-resourced by teams. Those are the things players look at.
"The other thing is about having quality facilities to train at also. That, for us, is about making sure with Wales and the regions we work together in making sure those things are in place."
Gatland added: "As a coach, if I was looking at myself and the regions I would make sure the environment is 100% right.
"I want the right facilities, best coaches and support staff and try to build a squad around that.
"We've got to work as hard as we can to ensure we get those things right. If we can do that we can build a squad around that."