WELSH rugby could be reduced to just THREE teams in the Heineken Cup next season despite new Welsh chief David Moffett wanting four and the clubs going for five.

That is the shock in store for Moffett and Terry Cobner who are battling to introduce a new provincial structure in Wales for next season and beyond.

They have recommended four teams because they believe there are no more than 120 players in Wales who are good enough and deserve to be paid.

That was contradicted by the premier clubs yesterday when they decided to pursue five regional teams based on existing premier division clubs in South Wales.

But if the WRU still decide to enter four sides, that would provoke strong reaction from England and France and would also probably be unacceptable to Heineken Cup bosses.

If Wales sacrificed one team in the premier European competition and came down to four, it would leave an odd number of sides.

That would clearly be unacceptable - only the Welsh Premier Division has an odd number of teams in world rugby - and it would leave England and France squabbling for that one extra place.

So the two most powerful countries in Europe would insist on Wales coming down to three sides.

England and France would then have one extra team each and the number in the competition would balance again.

Obviously, three teams at the top level in Wales would be completely unacceptable, so Moffett and Cobner could yet be forced into a re-think and settle for the five teams Wales currently have in the Heineken Cup.

Even then there has to be a decision about what representation Wales have in the second tier Park Pen competition.

If a provincial structure goes ahead, the answer could be none at all.

Moffett has also got to sort out the massive compensation required to settle outstanding contracts of players no longer wanted, particularly those from overseas.

If club benefactors decide to pull out because they want no part of provincial rugby, the WRU could not afford the level of compensation needed.

Moffett, as group chief executive of the WRU and Millennium Stadium, is advertising for a WRU chief executive, a Millennium Stadium chief executive and a group marketing director.

Though the current administrative manager and marketing manager are being made redundant, filling the three key positions advertised will cost the WRU yet more of their money.