Wales and Lions centre Mark Taylor has been appointed as the players' representative at Swansea.

His brief is to to look after the interests of squad members whose jobs could come under threat should Welsh rugby move to provinces or super clubs next season.

Taylor says that the players met as a group to air concerns about their being left out of the decision-making process.

"It's a case of protecting people under contract who may not get a place in whatever structure is in place next year," said Taylor, who combines his rugby career with work as an accountant.

"There's an awful lot of people potentially out of a job next May. We have to make sure they are not just cut adrift."

Brown says Newport and Ebbw Vale are close to agreement

BBC Wales understands that the next meeting between the clubs and WRU Group Chief Executive David Moffett is scheduled for 8 January.

Newport owner Tony Brown has suggested that his club and Ebbw Vale are prepared to join forces for European and Celtic League competition.

They would be likely to play their games at Rodney Parade, but Brown was prepared to concede the loss of the Newport name for the joint side.

Brown said that the final details need to be ironed out, but that "the Newport Steelers or the Gwent Steelmen doesn't sound too wide of the mark."

He also urged west Wales clubs Neath, Swansea and Llanelli to put their arguments aside and try to reach similar agreements.