The United Rugby Championship race for the play-offs were exciting right up to the final day, with four positions still yet to be decided.
An incredibly positive sign for the league and the clubs participating in it.
The competitiveness in the URC was growing, attendance records were being broken, and all looked healthy for the league.
Losing a Welsh team
However, on Sunday, May 18, news broke that the WRU were considering cutting one of its regional clubs, taking them from four to three clubs.
Terrible news for Welsh rugby and a decision that could have heartbreaking consequences for one of the clubs; taking away the livelihood of players and staff while also taking a small piece of many fans’ hearts in the process.
This Welsh disaster has now destabilised the future of the URC, as the loss of a club will mean the competition will need to find a replacement.
Yet, every cloud has a silver lining.
The introduction of a new club could help the growth of rugby across Europe and potentially see further expansion in the future.
Conversations have already begun about which club would replace one of the Welsh regions, with two front-runners mentioned from the off.
The two clubs in question are currently invited to participate in the Challenge Cup; it would make sense that this would be the rational next step in their development.
Georgian side, Black Lion, and the South African club, Cheetahs.
There is an argument that it may be easier to just add another South African club to the URC due to the fact there are already four in the competition.
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Case for Georgia and Spain
However, it is more important to bring Black Lion and Georgia into the competition.
They have for a long time been knocking on the door to be included in the elite competitions of World Rugby.
At the time of writing, Georgia are currently higher in the world rankings than Wales, and that is with the nation and their clubs on the periphery. Imagine what they would be capable of at both club and international levels if they were given the chance to compete and develop at the top level.
The major issue with their addition to the URC would be the travel and scheduling for both clubs and fans.
It is still an issue with the South African clubs in both the URC and European competition, and this is another headache organisers and fans may not wish to contemplate.
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The return of the Exiles?
A possible solution to this may be the introduction of an English club in the competition.
It was suggested that London Irish would be willing to join the competition as they were struggling to come to an agreement to join the English domestic competitions.
Their introduction may be beneficial for both the URC and London Irish, financially and for the overall competition.
It would help grow the product in England, give life to a club that are no longer in existence and offer another unique piece to an already colourful competition.
These three options all have their merits, but they also have their detractions.
Yet, the addition of another club could lead to further growth of the competition, which could help further the development of rugby in Europe.
It would be incredibly unlikely for the URC to consider a Portuguese or Spanish club to fill a void left by a Welsh region currently, but in the future, it could be a possibility.
Both Iberian nations want to develop the sport in their respective countries.
Spain are interested in hosting the 2035 World Cup, and this spectacle would be made better if they had a side and a club competing at the highest levels of the sport on a regular basis.
Adding a second division?
To incorporate this, the URC may look to create a second division full of clubs from across Europe and South Africa and bring promotion and relegation into the competition.
This would help the development of the sport and Tier 2 nations like Georgia, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands, to name just a few, through club rugby.
While other nations like Italy, Scotland, England and South Africa may consider entering their other clubs into the second division to further their own nations’ development.
The French domestic league is the envy of world rugby, and a key reason behind this is the belief that in a few seasons, you can go from playing in the second division to winning elite competitions like La Rochelle.
The possibility of being promoted, along with the looming fear brought about by relegation, raises the stakes and, with that, the excitement of the competition.
While current URC clubs may be against such a move due to the financial impacts brought about by a potential relegation to a second division, it could only help the competition and the excitement around the league.
The loss of a Welsh region would be terrible in the present for the URC; however, it could be seen as a blessing in disguise, as it could help the growth of the sport in Europe and elevate the competition to unseen heights.
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/opinion-welsh-disaster-destabilises-the-urcs-future-but-opens-up-exciting-opportunities-and-further-expansion
