The Welsh Rugby Union have turned down an invitation to enter a reformed Wales A team into next summer's Barclays Churchill Cup.

One place has become available in the development competition after the New Zealand Maori withdrew to play in the Pacific Nations Cup.

But the WRU, having identified sevens and the Under-20s as their key development tools, decided against sending an A team to North America.

The key issue would appear to be player resources, with the WRU already committed to a Test tour of South Africa in June 2008 plus two sevens tournaments and the Under-20 World Championships.

WRU chief executive Roger Lewis told PA Sport: ``The Welsh Rugby Union was kindly asked to consider participating in the 2008 Churchill Cup.

``We have given serious consideration to this invitation at executive level but feel that, at this moment in time, it would not be in the best interests of the game in Wales.

``June 2008 will be an important month for Welsh rugby, with elite teams competing in various competitions around the world, with our national team travelling to South Africa on an important summer tour, our sevens squad competing at the London and Edinburgh Sevens and with the inaugural IRB Under-20 World Championships taking place.''

Financial pressures forced Wales to abandon the A-team concept in 2003 and they are now the only home union who does not field an international second-string side.

The England Saxons, Ireland A and Scotland A all compete in the annual Churchill Cup, alongside the Test teams from Canada and the USA.

With the WRU still around £45million in debt, entering the tournament, which will return to North America in 2008 after being staged in England this summer, would be an added expense on top of their commitments elsewhere.

Wales have been accepted into the International Rugby Board's core sevens group and will compete at every World Series event this season.

But Lewis is known to support the idea of reforming the Wales A team and he indicated that could be on the cards in the near future.

Lewis said: ``We would give serious consideration to another proposal of this kind in the near future, should the invitation arise.''