NEWPORT Rugby Club are threatening to refuse permission for Rodney Parade to be used by the WRU for provincial rugby.

That is just one sanction being considered by the clubs as they decide on their response to yesterday's bombshell dropped by WRU director of rugby Terry Cobner and new chief executive David Moffett.

Their plans for the future of the professional game in Wales involve just four provincial teams, one of them representing North Wales based at Wrexham meaning players travelling from the south to represent them.

Newport would join forces with Ebbw Vale and Caerphilly in a Gwent side playing at Rodney Parade.

And further massive change would involve Cardiff, Pontypridd and Bridgend combining to play at Cardiff and Llanelli, Swansea and Neath joining forces to play out of Stradey Park. Club representatives were told of the plans yesterday, and then the WRU general committee last night decided to wait for a response from the clubs.

And that is likely to be just as controversial.

Newport have said they could well refuse to allow a provincial team to use their ground. They own their own ground, and they would have to give permission for the WRU to use it - highly unlikely given the astounding nature of the WRU plan.

There is a precedent because when the club and the WRU failed to agree on a ticketing price price for last season's Wales A - France A game the match could not go ahead at Rodney Parade and was switched to Cardiff instead.

Newport chairman David Watkins, one of the club's most famous players, has attacked the scheme, though saying he doesn't wish to be totally negative.

"Worldwide, people don't understand what Welsh rugby is all about. It's a 40-mile corridor, and these changes won't go down well with people," he said.

"Moffett is very brave, but in all honesty can you imagine Newport people going to Ebbw Vale or Pontypool or vice-versa?

"I look at the way we have attracted crowds recently, we've got a base, we've been hands on through the schools with a tented village as well and more people interested than ever before.

"Will they now all disappear? People won't go and watch this, and it could mean a loss of people on the terraces.

"Would the Union have the money to pay the players who are now paid by the benefactors. Do they even know their contribution? The whole thing is a minefield."

Another major sanction furious clubs could consider is the withdrawing players from international duty.

They went to the brink last season, but this time they could go all the way.

The clubs still own the contracts of players, and they could well decide to refuse to allow them to play for Wales.

There would be widespread redundancies across the board involving players, coaches and staff.

Overseas players would be in real jeopardy, but contracts would still have to be honoured and with club benefactors highly unlikely to continue to cough up they would have to be taken over by the WRU - who haven't got the money.

Meanwhile, supporters are up in arms over the provincial idea, many threatening to boycott it.

Hundreds of Newport fans would refuse to take up their season ticket options, some saying they will give up watching the game altogether, others saying they would go to lesser grounds instead, and some claiming they would even go to Cardiff City.