Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for International Relations and Welsh Language – in the Senedd at 2:36 pm on 6 March 2019.
Thank you, Llywydd. I’m sure that supporters the length and breadth of the nation have been following developments in the world of rugby in Wales this week with a mixture of confusion, excitement, hope and fear. Residents of north Wales will be delighted there’s a possibility they will receive a professional region at last, which would mean that rugby would be entirely professional on a national level, providing opportunities to develop young players for the future. But, there was a different response from supporters of the Ospreys and Scarlets with concerns that the plans would destroy the identity of the teams that they’ve followed for a long time, or would damage the game at a grass-roots level. I’d like to ask the Deputy Minister what discussions have been held between the Welsh Government and the Welsh Rugby Union about these plans and whether there is truth behind the report that the union has asked for financial support from the Government to continue with these plans.