Warren Gatland wants to cull the number of oversea’s players in Wales
As per reports on Wales Onlines website, Regional Rugby Wales, the body which represents Wales’ four professional regional teams, Scarlets, Cardiff Blues, Dragons & Ospreys, wanted the WRU to ratify a rule that would allow each of their teams to play up ten non Welsh eligible players per game.
However, on the insistence of Warren Gatland, the Welsh coach, the number of non Welsh players cleared for playing for the Welsh regions during the Guinness Pro12 fixtures next season will be capped at eight, although this is predicated on at least two of those players expressing an interest to represent Wales via the residency rule further down the line.
Had the RRW request been granted, then there would only have been twenty vacancies for Welsh players during any given round of next season’s pro12-nearly half of what would have been allocated to oversea’s players.
Gatland insist’s that a select number of foreign players, with the requisite qualities would be welcomed with open arms but insisted that journeymen who would stunt the development of younger and potentially better Welsh players should not be considered by the regions.
In return for his stipulation, Gatland agreed to cut the Welsh score squad from 45 members to 38
In an interview earlier this year, the Kiwi stated that, in a perverse, vicarious way, the relative lack of finance available to the Welsh regions may be of benefit to the national team
“Because of the financial pressure the regions have been under, we have not seen so many overseas players or players from outside of Wales being here and potentially stopping these players coming through,”
Gatland added: “That’s been a big benefit for me as a coach in picking them. There’s no history with them in terms of losing to New Zealand or South Africa.
“They come in with an attitude of we might be young but we’re good enough. And that’s exactly what we’re looking for, it’s great.”