The Welsh Rugby Union informs the Six Nations committee that they will not field an 'A' side this season.

Is the cutback for the best?

---

The WRU appointed former Sport England boss David Moffett last month, with the brief of revitalising the sport in Wales.

He immediately warned that cost-cutting initiatives would "cause pain"; but many will still be shocked by the decision to disband the team.

The side, which has cost over �250,000 to run over the last two years, would have faced costly trips to Italy, Scotland and France in the 2003 Six Nations.

Has the right decision been made? And what does the future hold for Welsh rugby?

---

This debate is now closed. See below for a selection of your emails.

---

The decision to scrap the Welsh 'A' team has to be considered stupid in the extreme. Next to playing for the Welsh international team the 'A' side offered players the opportunity to play rugby at a considerably higher level and gave them the experience needed before going into the first team proper.

David Moffatt is thinking in an Australian way. State rugby gave possible Wallabies of the future opportunity to develop onto the international stage. Even if his provincial plans go ahead there is nothing in Britain to compare with a State Of Origin clash or Super 12.

Scrapping the 'A' team is a serious error of judgement if there is an injury crisis between now and the start of the World cup in 10 months time Wales will end up with a depleted and inexperienced side and will probably go back to the days of elimination at the first stage.
Stuart Hardy, Wales

The 'A' team should stay. There have to be other ways to save �25k, plus they have a very good record over the years!
Gareth, England

It is a sad fact that the Welsh as a rugby nation are a spent force Kevin Ivins, UK

Cutting the 'A' side is too drastic a step. Players such as Dafydd Jones, Michael Owen and Gethin Jenkins have all, ultimately, benefited from the experience gained by playing at that level.

It is not as if our Heineken qualified sides are capable of showing our young players a higher level of playing. At any given European match, how many Welsh qualified players do the top five teams in Wales field?

I know the team I support (Cardiff) is one of the prime offenders in this, but until our top flight clubs or provinces even are able to field a squad of players who are all battling for a Welsh shirt, then the 'A' side should remain. Maybe a few less 'expenses' to certain WRU members wouldn't go amiss!
Vince Harris, Wales

It is a sad fact that the Welsh as a rugby nation are a spent force. Overpaid and overweight players with amateur management has ruined the game and our chances. Let's see if the new broom can sweep clean and refresh the Welsh team.
Kevin Ivins, UK

Get rid of half the hierarchy, stop them having free tickets (along with their families, cats and dogs etc), give the players only one match ticket (the perks date back to when they were amateurs; they have a lot more money now). Put all the tickets accrued onto general sale and let the general fans have a look in.

Have reasonably priced matches in the Millennium (this is taking all the WRU money) so that the seats are full and then the concessions will make MORE MONEY!
Rob Brown, Great Britain

There must be better ways to save money than to axe the 'A' team, meaning that players have no stepping stone between club and country, and also meaning that there is no showcase for upcoming talent to stake their claim for a place in the full team.

Welsh rugby cannot survive on passion - it also needs players who have the ability and more importantly the experience to win games. We need a strong Wales team because it will make England play better!

I'm sure a large part of the �250K could have been recouped by selling ALL the seats in the stadium rather than giving them away to guests, clubs, the blazer brigade etc.
David Priddy, UK

If the WRU and the smaller clubs had listened to the big six last season then all this would have been sorted already Jason, Wales

The premier clubs should swallow their pride for the sake of Welsh rugby. It is time to put aside the petty rivalries and tribalism that is hampering the game. Does Stuart Gallacher really believe that Llanelli won't benefit from a merger because the Scarlets are far from perfect? I think every Welsh fan has had their guts full of being soundly beaten every year by England in the Six Nations. Let's stop the rot.
Simon Cromwell, Wales

It's simple. We need four provinces in South Wales. Personally I think they should be placed in Llanelli, Swansea, Cardiff and Newport. It makes sense; these are the four biggest towns/cities in South Wales. The best 120 players will be selected by the WRU and split into the four provincial sides - regardless of what club they play for, as long as the best Welsh players in each position are playing for a province.
Tom Henderson, Wales

If the WRU and the smaller clubs had listened to the big six last season then all this would have been sorted already and the WRU would not have needed to spend a reported �200,000 on Moffett's wages, thus saving the 'A' side.
Jason, Wales

Anything done to improve Welsh rugby must be a bonus as the players' performances over the past few years were not what one would have expected of international players. Their fitness was more like course rugby players with skills just marginally higher. Let Mr Moffet do what he has to do to get Welsh rugby back on track.
F.R.M., England (Exile)

Wales cancelling all the 'A' fixtures is madness Frank Nicol, Scotland

This is a ludicrous decision! Wales 'A' have in recent seasons played with more organisation and skill (under the leadership of Mefin Davies) than the 'first' team.
David Griffiths, Wales

Ieuan Williams (below) is right. Where has the pride gone from the Welsh game? If Wales lose the 'A' side, then we may as well give up trying to play at the highest level. Without the second string, there will be a serious dearth of talent available.
Hywel Williams, Wales

It's a disgrace! Don't look at Moffett's past and say he must be good, look at what he's doing now and it's wrong. Sack him and the WRU blazers and start again with every electable office up for election.
Ceri Davies, Wales

The proposals have nothing to do with developing the game in Wales and everything to do with money. As a Pontypridd supporter, I for one will not pay to watch a provincial side in Cardiff. And I wonder how may of those people out there who are in favour will put their money where their mouth is and actually go and pay to watch a game (not that many)?

What hurts the most is that no-one has asked the supporters of the Premiership's sides what they want nor spoken to the players. If the plans do go ahead, then I do feel that the game in Wales will be dead within 10 years.
Mark Waughington, Wales

Every Welsh coach who has been involved with the international side over the last 15 years has said that there must be an intermediate step from club to International rugby. The 'A' side provides this perfectly. To get rid of it is ludicrous. There must be some other way to save money.
Dewi Pritchard, North Wales

Given a choice, the WRU will always make a mess of it! Peter Squires, Italy

There is no way a small organisation like the WRU can deal with a multi-million pound stadium. If they sold it there wouldn't be so many problems. Anyone have Sam Hammam's number?
Benfranco Cozoni, Wales

There are no quick fixes. Cutting the 'A' team now will save some money. Welsh rugby must start making money. David Moffet could be our saviour. Let him do his work. Some of the changes will hurt, but not as much as the inevitable 100 point drubbing at Twickenham.
George, Wales

Wales cancelling all the 'A' fixtures is madness. How are they supposed to develop player for the full International side? The results in the Six Nations and World Cup will expose the Welsh set up. I find it very sad.
Frank Nicol, Scotland

Given a choice, the WRU will always make a mess of it! How can they claim they want to develop the game, supposedly our national game, and then abandon one of its most effective development tools? We are a joke in the rugby world and will remain so while this bunch of amateurs are running the game.
Peter Squires, Italy

Moffett has a job to do, we must support him at least in the short term for the sake of Welsh rugby Graham Barnes, Canada

Why not just scrap Welsh rugby all together? And at the World Cup pick players who are Australian but have a Welsh grandparent. That will save the WRU on airfares!
Andrew, New Zealand

The suggestion of selling the stadium is a good one, however has anyone checked that it could go ahead. As Lottery money was used to finance the building, the Lottery commission stopped the WRU having a stadium sponsor and allegedly stopped WRU originally buying Cardiff's ground to build a better stadium. So would allow the stadium to be sold?
Chris, Wales

I think it's bad news for Welsh rugby that the A side have been disbanded. The WRU have been paying the "top" stars too much money for the performances they have put in. At least with the A side we always get a good game. It should be an honour to play for Wales not just a chance to pick up a pay packet.
Ieuan Williams, Wales

I understand the need for the WRU to save money, but scrapping the 'A' team isn't the way to do it. The gulf between club and international Rugby will now become wider than ever for any new player picked to play in this years Six Nations.

The WRU may finally stop losing money when the amateurs who currently 'run' the game in Wales do the honourable thing and resign to be replaced by a professional body who have the interests of Welsh Rugby at heart, not endless freebies, 'fact finding' trips abroad and executive buffet lunches.
John Reynolds, UK

Tough decisions need to be made Matt Davies, Wales

Whilst moth-balling the 'A' Team will save money, it is not in the best interest of Welsh rugby. Moffet's stated aim is to return Wales to the top table of world rugby, so lets hope the 'A' Team situation is temporary.

However Moffett is doing the correct thing by disbanding the old boys network that has clogged up the WRU for years and is incompatible with the professional era. A streamlined efficient WRU in partnership with the clubs, with shared and clear aims and objectives working within a reasonable budget is the only way forward.
Barry, Wales

I am an avid supporter of Welsh rugby and generally see at least one Six Nations match live every year. I make it a point to watch the "A" team but must admit that the crowds are small and it is a losing proposition.

Unfortunately, the financial bleeding has to stop somewhere and this measure will save �250,000. David Moffett has a job to do and he seems willing to use a broad sword to achieve his financial goals, we must support him at least in the short term for the sake of Welsh rugby.
Graham Barnes, Canada

Getting rid of the 'A' team goes against all logic Gavin, Wales

It would be ludicrous to disband the 'A' team as this is and has been a solid platform from which players could establish and determine whether they are ready for full international duty.

Instead of cost cutting the future of the game depends on the grooming of existing and future talent within the club structure. This course of action simply puts soccer as the favoured sport to follow, as Welsh rugby has become stale, petty and exceptionally insular. Provincial rugby is the way forward.
Alan, Exile in England

Welsh rugby seems finally to be sorting itself out. David Moffett has forced it to face up to some questions it has consistently refused to address since the dawn of professionalism.

The current structure of the game does nothing to benefit Welsh rugby as a whole, and the sooner a provincial structure is established backed by a revitalised, more competitive club structure the better for every follower of Welsh rugby.

Tough decisions need to be made and all involved need the courage to make them. Good luck.
Matt Davies, Wales

Getting rid of the 'A' team goes against all the logic of developing a top-class international side. Where else do players have the opportunity to prove they can make an intermediate step up from club rugby (until we have provincial rugby that is!).
Gavin, Wales