BOB Jude reckons there should be a maximum of three regional teams in Welsh rugby - not the four regional sides that Union chief executive David Moffett is proposing.

The Pontypool owner, whose club would not have any input into a Gwent provincial side should the Moffett plans go ahead, thinks there should be just two regional squads with Cardiff remaining on their own.

Jude said: "Set up a West and East super team or West and East and Cardiff. Cardiff will be the only team that could stand alone should we go down the path of regional rugby.

"Underneath that, a league of 14 clubs should be in place. Fourteen would be required to give sufficient fixtures in a season to maximise the income of a club and to ensure a home game once every two weeks.

"The 14 should include a team from North Wales - there is one third of our population up there - and London Welsh, who would add a decent away day for our fans, funding would be what we can afford."

He also argues that only the top six of that 14-team tier should be allowed to represent Wales in the Parker Pen Challenge Cup and Shield.

But he insisted that Wales was a long way behind everyone else in terms of rugby and added: "Why do we continue to delude ourselves?

"We have got so far behind and, if we are going to catch up, it is going to take time. If we had the players, we do not have the man management team in place to support them.

"At present, we can only put in place a three-year plan. We only have - just - enough players to form two super teams to compete against the top French, English and Irish sides."