Wales boss Wayne Pivac open to cutting a region

The Professional Rugby Board – a body featuring representatives from the Dragons, Cardiff, the Ospreys, Scarlets and the Welsh Rugby Union – met last week to discuss a report that had put forward a number of proposals.

The most eye-catching was the one to cut a region, an idea that has since been dismissed by a raft of high-profile figures in the pro game including Dragons chairman David Buttress and director of rugby Dean Ryan.

READ MORE: Buttress on funding four strong regions

Legendary Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones said: “This recent one now about talking to go to three regions, it reeks of sorting out a balance sheet rather than improving the game.”

But Pivac, who was involved in discussions to merge the Scarlets and Ospreys when boss in Llanelli, didn’t rubbish the idea.

“It depends on how you rate the player pool and how many players you think are capable of playing international rugby,” said the New Zealander.

“Are we paying players that aren’t really at that level? So there’s a lot of factors to take into account.

“You could also say that if you reduce the number of teams like Scotland you might have a couple of competitive teams. There’s an argument both ways, I think.”

Critics of the idea would point to the need for increased funding to be competitive and ensure that there are sufficient quality players coming through.

What everyone can agree on is the need for a long-term plan to avoid the annual crisis about budgets and direction.

“If you look at the teams that have been dominant in the club scene, Saracens, Crusaders, Leinster, and you look at their national teams and they are all aligned, so I think it is very important we get that alignment,” said Pivac.

“It certainly helps the national team. We have probably been in silos for a long, long time. Warren [Gatland] used to talk to me about that sort of thing and I don’t think a lot has changed in the eight years I have been here.

The sooner we can get full alignment and everybody working for the common good then I think that has got to be a positive not only for the national team but also for the clubs.

“I know there are a lot of people who have got their heads down at the moment and trying to get the best possible solution for everybody going forward in Welsh rugby.”