News in Brief
Gatland under pressure from regions
Warren Gatland has come under pressure from Wales' regions
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- Regional Rugby Wales chief Stuart Gallacher has called on Wales coach Warren Gatland and the WRU to back up their hard-line selection policy in the season ahead. Gatland has previously stated his preference for international players to ply their trade in Wales, but Gallacher believes that this is not enough as the regions struggle to keep hold of their marquee players.
The regions and the WRU are currently embroiled in another dispute over player release for the autumn internationals, with the two parties at loggerheads over Wales' Test against the All Blacks on November 7, which is outside of the IRB's designated Test window.
"The four regions supported the WRU's revised player selection policy when it was introduced last year, but it appears as though the policy may have since been abandoned," Gallacher told Wales on Sunday. "We have seen a number of high-profile players move out of Wales over the course of the last season and there has been no word from the WRU on whether this will have any impact on selection for the national team in future.
"Welsh players already command a premium in the marketplace and we are seeing squad costs increase at an annual rate of about 20% . Even young players who have just moved through our academies are able to achieve a comparatively massive premium overnight, after being selected to play for Wales. If players are not going to be encouraged to remain in Wales, this is going to make keeping Welsh players in Wales even more difficult than it is at present, let alone trying to deal with the impact it will have on the development of younger players."
- Ospreys and Wales centre Gavin Henson is expected to return to pre-season training on Monday after recovering from the ankle injury that ruled him out of contention for the British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa. Henson will be followed back in to action by the regions' fit Lions tourists on August 10. Prop Adam Jones is facing six months out after undergoing surgery on his dislocated shoulder however.
- Natal Sharks will have to wait until Monday to learn the extent of skipper Johann Muller's arm injury sustained in their Currie Cup loss to Western Province at Newlands on Saturday. If an x-ray shows a fracture as feared, the reigning champions will be forced to do without their leader for the remainder of the tournament.
- Samoa's possible bid to become part of the expanded Super 15 competition could spell the end of the Pacific Islands Alliance and the Pacific Islands touring team. Samoan officials reportedly would prefer to play individual Tests to build a player base, also perhaps alongside a franchise in the Australian conference in the Super 15.
"The body that looks after the combined team is Pacific Rugby Limited, on which the three unions are equal shareholders of," Pacific Islands Rugby Association chairman Keni Dakuidreketi told Fiji Online. "Samoa has expressed its desire to disengage from the PRL."
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1. Max Verstappen ()
