WRU to create group of 'national interest' players

Wales finished fifth in the 2024 Under-20 Six Nations

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) is set to create a new group of “national interest” male players to help boost the depth of talent in Wales.

Up to 60 players aged between 15-24 will be selected annually and offered an additional programme to accelerate their development through the current pathway.

The WRU says it will give players the best chance of representing the regions, Wales’ age grade sides and ultimately the senior side.

Players will have specialised sessions to improve their technical, tactical and physical development, mentoring from recently retired professional players and the chance to observe Wales’s senior side in training.

The programme will be delivered in collaboration with Wales' regional academies with selection considerations including:

• Is the player within positional age profile for the 2027 and 2031 Rugby World Cups?

• Deemed to be a standouts amongst his peers?

• Playing in a position of national need?

WRU performance director Huw Bevan says it is “another piece in the jig-saw aimed at ensuring our domestic player development system is joined up.”

“Our goal is to provide players with the right support at the right time – proactively supporting and accelerating players who show early promise, while also providing entry and re-entry points for late bloomers," he said.

Wales Under 20s head coach Richard Whiffin says the programme will help them to identify "the best talent in the country".

“Being able to identify and then nurture young talent is the best way to help them to fulfil their talent and to match the needs of the professional and international game in Wales," he said.

“It will also help us to better connect with and track those Welsh players who move across the bridge into England. It can hurt us at U18 and U20 level when they get into other programmes.”