WELSH rugby has been thrown into more chaos by the surprise decision of WRU group chief executive David Moffett (pictured) to tear up the loyalty agreements with the premier clubs at the end of this season.

It is his latest, and most controversial, move to try to force through his four-team plan for next season.

Moffett has a tight deadline of April 2 by which time he has to inform ERC of the number of Welsh sides in European competition for next season.

That may prove impossible with Llanelli and Cardiff set to challenge Moffett's ruling in the courts.

Moffett could insist on four, inform ERC of that and then find his decision to end the loyalty agreement overturned in the courts which would result in bedlam.

The likely outcome of all that would be for nine clubs to remain at premier level next season, with reduced funding from the WRU, benefactors reducing their commitments and leading players quitting for better offers from England and France in particular.

In one sense Moffett had already torn up the WRU loyalty agreement with the top clubs because they had already been told they would receive just £50,000 each next season as revised semi-professional entities in the new 16-team premier or first division.

The funding for four provincial teams has been fixed at £1.8m per region.

But Moffett's latest move still has implications for Gwent clubs Newport and Ebbw Vale because they are subject to loyalty agreements.

Vale have existed as a premier club for the past few years only through their loyalty agreement with the WRU.

Vale chairman Marcus Russell, currently in Berlin on business, said briefly today: "This is the first I've heard of it, I can't make any comment."

Newport benefactor Tony Brown was in a Bisley board meeting this morning, but he is a known supporter of four teams and is informing club shareholders and season ticket holders at a meeting next Wednesday of the plans.

Brown insists Welsh rugby can afford only four sides, and the merger with Ebbw Vale as a Gwent provincial team is well advanced, the clubs simply awaiting the green light from Moffett.

Meanwhile, there is growing uncertainty among the players. Some are coming out of contract and none has been offered anything because of the lack of any firm agreement.