THERE is nothing wrong with the Welsh Rugby Union and there is no need for reform, claims its longest serving member today.

Newport solicitor Terry Vaux (pictured), a life member of Pontypool Rugby Club and a district representative on the WRU for 24 years, insists the Union is already run by a professional executive.

That appears to fly in the face of WRU chairman Glanmor Griffiths and president Sir Tasker Watkins, as well as the vast majority of clubs, all of whom call for change in the running of the game.

"There is nothing wrong with Welsh rugby that a series of wins at international level and an infusion of cash won't sort out," said Vaux, a former Pontypool player and chairman. "This talk of us being bungling amateurs, if people think back we have brought the World Cup to Wales and we have a stadium that could be sold for between £200-£300m. "I wonder if they bring professionals in the quality of the people will be any higher then the intellectual and professional ability we have now.

"We have got Dennis Gethin, a solicitor and former chief executive of a large local authority with his assistant Peter Owens, also a solicitor, and Terry Cobner is also highly qualified.

"Sam Simon and myself are fairly successful senior lawyers while David Hammond of London Welsh is a successful businessman and we have a number of ex-headmasters on the committee.

Vaux added: "We are all professionals. Just because we are giving our time freely it doesn't diminish the quality.

"I would retain the WRU in its present form. Just look at our achievements, I don't believe idiots would build the best stadium in the world.

"The WRU is constantly changing and I don't believe a sudden major revolution is needed.

"There was a time when the secretary's front room in Cardiff was his office, but it has been built up through Bill Clement and Ray Williams to what it is today.

"Look at the way coaching and the directorate has evolved. This will continue."

Vaux believes Welsh rugby's problems are poor players and a lack of money, not the structure.

"People can talk about buzz words like structure, but we are short on international quality players and money," he said.

"Wales doesn't have the same commercial base as England. We were given £46m to build the Millennium Stadium whereas the Football Association were given £300m but still haven't demolished Wembley, that's the difference.

"The RFU have got so many income streams like the City of London and huge club and business concerns. We are struggling to compete."