EBBW Vale Rugby Club's future is hanging by a thread as they go into vital meetings today.

Ebbw Vale chief executive Tony Dilloway was meeting Glanmor Griffiths, pictured, this afternoon ahead of a club board meeting tonight.

A financial crisis has arisen partly because of the fixture list for next season which leaves them months without meaningful home fixtures in both the Celtic and Welsh League competitions.

It means the club has little cash flow and forecasting a loss of £350,000 for next season.

That means meltdown if no-one comes to their aid and tonight's board meeting could even take the horrific decision to wind the club up with all it's implications.

The Russell brothers, Marcus and Paul, who have put big money into the club for years, feel unable to pour any more in and Ebbw Vale have appealed to the WRU for financial help to at least see them through next season.

But it is believed the WRU have turned them down and that Griffiths will inform Dilloway of their decision today.

The WRU are in no position to help because they are deeply in debt themselves, owing at least £50m on the Millennium Stadium and without major sponsors.

And they have already turned down a plea for financial assistance from Swansea this summer. So after refusing one leading Premier club any help, they would face the wrath of the rest if they now helped a rival, even if they were in a position to do so.

The WRU gave Ebbw Vale match funding on a share issue two years ago amounting to £240,000 after doing the same for Llanelli and Pontypridd.

And when Ebbw Vale said they could not meet their obligations in the European Shield competition, the WRU stepped in then to help the club.

The position for Ebbw Vale RFC is grim following the closure of the town's steelworks, the loss of the mining industry and the town's football club.

The rugby club may now have to turn to Blaenau Gwent council for assistance.The council own the ground and the clubhouse, and the rugby club could ask them to waive the rent they pay on the clubhouse for a year or re-define the terms of the lease or both.

The future of all the players, coaches and back-room staff is very much on the line.