Six Nations Wales against England match on after strike threat averted

Wales’ Six Nations match against England in Cardiff will go ahead after potential strike action from Welsh players over a contract dispute was averted.

Players had gathered at Wales’ training base in the Vale of Glamorgan to discuss a range of issues with Professional Rugby Board members, with many of them out of contract at their regional teams at the end of this season.

The threat of players taking Six Nations strike action occurred as a result of a new six-year financial agreement between the Welsh Rugby Union and its four regions not being confirmed while no playing budgets had been finalised.

But interim WRU chief executive Nigel Walker said: “I’m pleased to announce that after extensive conversations and discussions over the last week the Wales-England game will go ahead as scheduled.

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“It’s important going forward that we continue the dialogue over the last week or so, but not under the circumstances we’ve had over the last week or so.

“Ken (captain Ken Owens) and I and some of the senior players will be meeting more regularly than perhaps we have in the past.”

Owens said: “We are obviously happy. There has been huge frustration over the last number of months that it got to this stage.

“We felt we had to make a stand, but the conversations that have taken place over the last 10 days or so have shown that some positive resolutions can be found.

“The players are satisfied, hence why the game is on on Saturday.

“It has been very tough, hugely frustrating. It has been a difficult period, but we have fronted up in training and prepared as we would for any test match and we are looking forward to getting out there and going toe-to-toe with England.

“Of course, it has been a distraction with everything that has been going on, but I have got to commend the players’ professionalism in this.

“When we have crossed that white line at training, we’ve done our work as professional players. We are really ready for Saturday.”

The players wanted the minimum 60-cap test selection rule for those based overseas to be scrapped, allowing them to still be selected for Wales, regardless of where they’re based or how many tests they’ve previously played for their nation.

While a barrier remains, the test selection rule has been amended.

“With regards to the 60-cap rule that rule is still there. But the number of caps has been reduced to 25,” Walker said.

Players and agents will also have the option of a fixed contract or a fixed and variable deal instead of the previous offer of 80% salary as basic pay with 20% made up in bonuses. Walker apologised to the players.

“Ken has used that phrase ‘laughing stock’, I’ll let other people decide whether we are a laughing stock,” Walker said.

“It’s been an unedifying period for us, there are no two ways about it. It is my job over the next six months to make sure we’re not having conversations like this in the future.

“I understand the position the players were in and we at the PRB shouldn’t have put them in that position.

“So, once you recognise you put them in a difficult position and they responded the way they responded, you know you’ve got something wrong.

“We are going to make sure we don’t get into this position again.

“There’s a number of things we’ve got to do to ensure this dialogue continues from here on in and any issues are dealt with swiftly.”