Women's rugby not to blame for region axe - WRU — SkimNews
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- WRU women's rugby director Nadine Griffiths called claims that the women's game is draining the men's game "embarrassing" and said the women's programme generated £1.7m last year for the governing body.
- The WRU operates five separate budget lines — men, women, Principality Stadium, community game and a fifth — meaning the women's programme is not funded from the men's budget, according to Griffiths.
- Plans to axe one of Wales's four men's professional regions — most likely Scarlets or Ospreys — have stirred hostility, but Griffiths argued the women's game has more commercial growth potential than the men's, which she said is "hitting ceilings" on ticket revenue.
- The Wales women's senior side are without a win in their last nine Tests and have slumped to an all-time low of 13th in the world rankings, with Griffiths acknowledging "we can't hide from the fact that results matter."
- Wales open their WXV Global Series campaign against South Africa on Friday, September 18 at Cardiff Arms Park, with head coach Sean Lynn selecting eight uncapped players in his squad.
- Griffiths, a former international in post since June, said the WXV tournament offers "a brilliant opportunity to test our progress" against three higher-ranked opponents before Wales travel to Japan for two Tests in October.
Why it matters: The WRU is actively defending its women's programme from online criticism at a moment when it is preparing to cut one of four professional men's regions — most likely Scarlets or Ospreys. Griffiths' argument that the women's game is commercially undervalued (£1.7m revenue and rising) while the men's side is "hitting ceilings" reframes a cost-cutting controversy as a growth-vs-stagnation story, though the senior team's 13th-place ranking and nine-Test losing streak undercut the pitch for now.
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