GWENT'S Welsh Rugby Union District A clubs have refused to take a line publicly on what they believe should happen in the wake of the 'Ruddockgate' situation.

Representatives of the Gwent clubs - District A is the biggest in Wales with 44 - met WRU chief executive Steve Lewis and chairman David Pickering on Friday night at the Celtic Manor Hotel as part of the pair's 'Red Zone Roadshow' and then had their own meeting last night.

But afterwards they refused to comment on their attitude and whether they believe Lewis and Pickering should be backed or whether an extraordinary meeting of all 245 clubs should be called.

But it is believed that many clubs still want to hear from Grand Slam-winning Ruddock who they would like to give his side of the story which led to his sudden removal as coach a fortnight ago, less than halfway through the current Six Nations when he had wanted to resign at the end of the tournament.

Other districts also want to hear from Ruddock which makes the likelihood of an EGM around late April or early May even more likely.

It also increases the chances of a vote of no confidence in Lewis and Pickering over their handling of the affair, with echoes of the past when previous chief Denis Evans and the entire committee were removed at an EGM back in 1993.

The result of all that would be utter chaos and would put Welsh rugby in limbo for months both on and off the field with caretaker coach Scott Johnson set to return to his native Australia within weeks for family reasons.

The latest suggestion in the efforts to keep Johnson, who the players are desperately keen to retain, is to offer him a six months sabbatical to return home and attend to his domestic affairs and come back to Wales for the Autumn internationals and take them through to next year's World Cup.

That compromise would also involve appointing Leeds chief and former Wales captain Phil Davies as director of rugby, taking the squad to Argentina in the summer and then working alongside Johnson, who could also be given the added carrot of developing the Wales under-19s and under-21s.

There is, meanwhile, no certainty that Ruddock would appear at an EGM if it is called, especially as he asked for confidentiality over the whole issue.

The new secretary of the District A clubs is Pontypool's Terry Vaux, who served as a member of the old WRU committee for over 20 years and was also a member of the International Board.

He failed to gain a seat on the new WRU board, but has been involved as a citing officer for top matches where his profession as a solicitor has been beneficial. He succeeds Les Gardner of Risca who died recently.