New-Look Pro Rugby Wales Takes Regional Rugby Forward

Regional Rugby Wales (RRW) the organisation that represents the interests of four Welsh Regions in the professional game will be renamed as part of its strategy to strengthen the development and performance of the professional game in Wales.

Pro Rugby Wales will now replace RRW as the name of the organisation that leads and protects Welsh regional rugby’s interests inside and outside Wales as a clear reflection of its future vision and strategy.

Having signed the Rugby Services Agreement (RSA) with the WRU at the end of August and with a new European tournament structure underway, Pro Rugby Wales is setting out a clear statement of strategy and intent on behalf of the four Regions to deliver sustainable and competitive professional rugby in Wales.

Chief Executive of the new Pro Rugby Wales Mark Davies said: “The new Rugby Services agreement and the European Competition structure combine to provide all four Regions with a more stable commercial platform. The additional funding streams now in place will help us to focus responsibly and intelligently in building strength in depth in our squads and further improve our development and retention of Welsh talent.

“But whilst we have taken some of the immediate pressure off our businesses, in professional sport it is impossible to stand still as our competition moves on and develops very quickly. It is essential that work together and push hard to develop revenue and reduce costs across all four businesses.

“Practically, though contractually we are defined as Regions, to our supporters and sponsors we are their clubs, to our coaches and players the jersey they commit to every week. In fact, what we actually represent is the professional game in Wales – the four Welsh professional squads who play in the Pro12 league.

“So Pro Rugby Wales simply describes what we are and what we do. For any potential commercial partner, that’s a clear position to understand.”

Chairman of Pro Rugby Wales Robin Cammish said: “Over the past 12 months the leaders of the professional game in Wales have seen the benefits of proactively collaborating together, and we have now all committed to continue to work effectively together in the future.

“For the first time ever we now have full responsibility from the youngest aspiring teenager joining a regional academy, through to a senior professional selected to play for the British and Irish Lions. In the words of a former Lion; “it takes the regions five years hard work and investment to turn a player into an overnight success”.

“We understand the vital importance of investing in the development of the game at all levels and in order to do that Pro Rugby Wales will act as a strong, commercial voice for the Welsh Regions as a key stakeholder in Europe and the PRO12 as well as representing the professional game when working with the Welsh Rugby Union”.

“The Welsh Regions are united and determined in their desire to take the game forward with a common purpose and shared strategy; that strength was fully recognised earlier this year with a clear vote of confidence from a successful global business BT Sport as we secured the largest joint sponsorship in the history of the four Regions.”

Pro Rugby Wales will be officially launched this evening (Tuesday 28th October) at the 40th anniversary Lloyd Lewis Award ceremony and Welsh Rugby Writers’ dinner at the BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park, which is being sponsored by the Four Welsh Regions.

Pro Rugby Wales and the four Welsh Regions, the Scarlets, Cardiff Blues, Newport Gwent Dragons and Ospreys currently comprises of:

• 4 Professional Rugby Sides in top two levels of European Competition
• 4 Semi Professional Sides in Domestic League and B&I Cup
• 4 U18 Age grade sides; 6 U16 Age grade sides; 4 Ladies sides
• 200 Contracted Professional Players
• 80 Contracted Academy Players
• 120 Contracted Semi Professional Players
• 120 Age Grade Players
• 80 Ladies players

Key facts: regional rugby

• Close to half a million supporters enjoy professional rugby every season by attending regional rugby games in Wales
• There are more than 15,000 season ticket holders in professional regional rugby
• The collective TV audience for the Regions is more than 20 million
• More than 100,000 supporting Welsh regional derbies last season
• The Regional organisations turnover more than £35m/annum
• Regions provide a direct Economic contribution to the Welsh economy of over £50m/annum
• Regions provide employment opportunity for approaching 1000 people in full time, part time and casual roles, including over 600 Professional and Semi professional Rugby Players and over 50 Professional Coaching, Conditioning and Medical staff.

The new Pro Rugby Wales brand was designed in-house by a graphic designer and will be used in all future communication. Brand guidelines and the new logo are available from the Pro Rugby Wales website which has undergone a first stage update in line with the brand launch see www.prorugbywales.com.

BIOGRAPHIES PRO RUGBY WALES EXECUTIVE

ROBIN CAMMISH

Robin is the CEO of QP Group, a global change and supply chain founded in 1995 enjoying a successful growth working with blue chip clients. A 25-year though and practice leader in organisational development and process improvement, Robin successfully led the global business improvement programme at SmithKline Beecham. Robin has also held senior line management positions in numerous other sectors including automotive, electronics and consumer goods. QP Group has been consistently been recognised as leading its field through global industry leading awards including 2002 UK FastTrack 100 fastest growing businesses. Robin is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing with a BSc in Geography and Zoology. He now lives and works from West Wales and is Chairman of Kidwelly Heritage Trust.

MARK DAVIES

Aberdare-born, Mark was previously with Honda UK for 20 years before joining the Scarlets. He headed up both of its UK car and motorbike businesses with his most recent role as Head of Honda Motorcycles in Europe. He set the 2020 vision for the European market motorcycle business and was also previously General Manager of the Honda UK car business with a turnover of £1.5billion.

ALAN WHITELEY

Alan Whiteley graduated with a first from Cambridge Universit
y in Law and went on to take articles with Phillips and Buck which later to became part of international law firm Eversheds. He became the youngest national partner of the corporate law group in 1989, heading up the corporate divisions in 1998. In 1999, Whiteley furthered his corporate finance expertise setting up his own firm and become non-executive director of a number of high profile businesses. He was Chief Executive of Cardiff City FC from 2011 to 2013. Currently, he provides corporate consultancy to a number of different organisations and is Managing Director of an Education and Sports Company.

Board of Pro Rugby Wales.

The Board of RRW consists of some of Wales’ most experienced business leaders and along with the directors of each of the Four Regions have hundreds of years of combined experience in running some of the country’s most successful businesses, from blue chip companies such as Tesco and Honda to iconic Welsh brands such as Penderyn and Peter’s Pies. The business acumen they collectively bring to the regions, and Welsh rugby, is unrivalled in Wales. For full CVs please visit www.prorugbywales.com.

• Nigel Short – Scarlets Chairman
• Jon Daniels, Chief Operating Officer, Scarlets
• Andrew Hore, Chief Executive, Ospreys
• Roger Blyth, Chairman, Ospreys
• Martyn Hazell, Chairman, Newport Gwent Dragons
• Gareth Davies, Chief Executive, Newport Gwent Dragons
• Peter Thomas, Chairman, Cardiff Blues
• Richard Holland, Chief Executive, Cardiff Blues
• 3 Pro Rugby Wales Executives; Robin Cammish (Chairman), Mark Davies (CEO), Alan Whiteley (Independent Director)