Roger Lewis does not want a repeat of the player-release row

Welsh Rugby Union chief Roger Lewis insists the proposed new Participation Agreement with Wales' four regions will not be affected by their legal battle.

The WRU took the extreme step of taking its own regions to the High Court to ensure they won the player-release row.

But regions boss David Moffett says the relationship between the regions and the WRU is at an "all-time low."

Lewis insists, though, that the WRU's injunction will "positively impact" on the new agreement to start next season.

The governing body's Participation Agreement with its four regions is a legally binding document on governance of the game in Wales including the release of Welsh players to the national squad and funding for the regions. The current deal ends this season.

But the bitter infighting between the WRU and the regions - that escalated due to Welsh player release for the autumn Tests - and the concluding court battle gives the impression that relationships between the two parties have been detrimentally affected.

But WRU group chief executive Lewis said: "I hope the court order will positively impact on the new Participation Agreement.

The way in which the WRU went about it has now caused a widening gulf between them and the regions Regional Rugby Wales interim chief executive David Moffett

"But the new Participation Agreement must ensure that we do not get ourselves into these positions again and that is what I've been working on with the regions for months.

"And I will continue to work with the regions for the coming weeks.

"I sincerely hope this will be the end of the bitter infighting in Welsh rugby, I hope we can put this behind us now and focus on the season ahead.

"We must get the new Participation Agreement right.

"It is a document of 100 pages long, it's really detailed on all aspects of the game and it will take some time but I feel we're very close to reaching a way forward."

Welsh rugby's latest row erupted when Wales coach Warren Gatland wanted his Grand Slam winners for 13 days to prepare for playing world champions South Africa in Cardiff on 8 November.

The regions refused and insisted they would release their players after the final round of EDF Energy Cup pool games leaving just five days for Gatland to prepare his side before the Springboks visit the Millennium Stadium for the first autumn international.

The Blues, Scarlets, Ospreys and Dragons then turned down the WRU's player-release compromise of eight days.

The WRU eventually secured the eight-day deal in a High Court order in a ruling by virtue of the terms of the current Participation Agreement and their membership of the WRU.

The Wales internationals will report to their Vale of Glamorgan HQ on Monday after Lewis threatened the regions they "would be in contempt of court" if they attempted to hold back their stars.

606: DEBATE What a shambles this club v country row has turned into Moffets Ghost

Regional Rugby Wales chief executive Moffett told Wales' Welsh-based players they would be permitted to report to Wales camp with "the blessing of the regions" and said "the regions would get behind Wales".

But Moffett added: "The way in which the WRU went about it has now caused a widening gulf between them and the regions.

"I would suggest that relationships with them and the regions are at an all-time low and what has really tipped them over the edge is the way they went about this."

The court ruling means the Wales squad will be available for training on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week before going back to their regions for the final round of EDF Energy Cup pool games on the weekend.

The Wales players will then be in Wales camp for the entire five days of next week and for November as the Six Nations champions play South Africa, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

Moffett, who was announced last week as the interim chief executive of newly-formed body Regional Rugby Wales, added: "As the judge stated, this ruling has no legal significance and does not set a legal precedent."

The four regions expect to have the draft copy of their new Participation Agreement with the Welsh Rugby Union by the beginning of the autumn internationals.

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