THE future of top flight Welsh rugby could be jeopardised if plans from Scotland and Ireland to downgrade the Celtic League are implemented, says Newport Gwent Dragons coach Mike Ruddock, pictured.
The Scots and the Irish want to cut the number of games by a half with the competition reduced to home or away fixtures only and none at all during the autumn internationals and Six Nations tournament.
Nothing can change until the season after next because of existing contracts, but Scotland and Ireland want to give their leading players longer rest periods and as they control the players through central contracts they have that power.
But Welsh rugby was desperate for a full blown Celtic League and dropped their number of teams from nine to five as well as going through the painful process of transferring from clubs to regions.
The financial implications for Welsh rugby through a reduction in fixtures and potential loss of commercial income would be disastrous.
And there would be a huge gulf between club or regional rugby and the international game with fewer fixtures.
"It's a huge concern, this would jeopardise Welsh professional rugby and leave a big question mark over sustaining it," said Ruddock.
"We are relying already on funding from benefactors. We would probably have a high wage bill and less money from sponsorship so that's a huge problem.
"At least next season is in place which is good, and we've got to use that time to negotiate and explore all opportunities.
"It's been a major change from club to regional rugby, and to think that it might not be sustainable would be a hell of a shame.
"But we should warn them we will look to England, that if they can't accommodate the changes perhaps England might."
Welsh Rugby Union chief executive David Moffett believes the current format can't change for another two years because of an agreement with the BBC.
But he admitted, "I'm obviously aware this is an issue, and we'd be resisting it. Such a move would be very shortsighted not only for Celtic rugby but also for world rugby.
"The new league has given the Celts the opportunity to close the gap and you can see even in the first year with some disarray it could be built into something to rival the Zurich Premiership.
"We've got to have our players playing regularly week in, week out. If they are saying the depth isn't there, isn't this a way of increasing the depth?"
Dragons and Newport benefactor Tony Brown is also unhappy at the plans, but warns Wales to be prepared.
"It would be a retrograde step," he said. "How could you exist on five Celtic League and three Heineken Cup fixtures at home? You couldn't manage on that.
"The Celtic League seems to be working well and anything that reduces the amount of rugby would affect income streams which would be a concern.
"But Scotland and Ireland seem to be doing their own thing, so Wales has got to prepare itself."
A compromise solution could lie in dropping the Celtic Cup competition altogether from the calendar.
But if pressure mounts to cut the league programme part of the solution would be to look to England, and while any form of Zurich Premiership involvement would not be possible a form of Anglo-Welsh Cup could be investigated.
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