COACH Mike Ruddock hopes the Wales A will be resurrected in the future after hearing the side has been scrapped for the 2003 Six Nations campaign.

Ruddock and his coaching staff were formally told in a meeting yesterday that Welsh Rugby Union chief executive David Moffett has informed the Six Nations Committee and Six Nations colleagues that Wales will not be entering an A team in this year's competition.

Ruddock has been told his contract will be honoured until October's World Cup and he will be used by national coach Steve Hansen in an advisory role with the senior side.

But the news is a bitter blow to both Hansen and Ruddock as the national game loses it's A side which has produced current internationals Robert Sidoli and Iestyn Thomas, while it also brought veterans Gareth Llewellyn and Mefin Davies back into the international scene.

It also means that Wales must suffer the embarrassment of being the only Six Nations team without a development side just ten months before the World Cup.

There are plans in the pipeline for a Wales A side to play the US Eagles this August and the possibility of sending a touring side to Fiji in the summer.

Ruddock said: "It's disappointing and I just hope it can be resurrected at a later date.

"Terry Cobner (the WRU's director of rugby) told us yesterday morning.

"I'll be helping Steve Hansen out as and when he needs me.

"We were making progress in the right direction, we resurrected the international careers of Gareth Llewellyn and Mefin Davies and developed the likes of Robert Sidoli and Richard Parks."

The WRU Annual Report for 2001/2002 shows that, in the past two seasons, the Wales A team has cost the WRU £497,643 to run, but matches played by the side have generated £246,519.