By Jacob Hall, Second Year, Comparative Literature and Cultures and French
Continuing on from the previous article, Jacob Hall dives deeper into the reasons behind Wales' fall from grace - for which we must first cast our minds back to 2019 ...
Wales' “golden generation” was on full display, winning the Grand Slam and ascending to No.1 in the world rugby rankings. In 2021, just two years later, they secured their sixth and most recent Six Nations title.
The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) was in good stead, and all eyes were set on the 2023 Men’s Rugby World Cup in France. Filled with hope and anticipation, they went into 2022, blissfully unaware of the turmoil that would unfold…
This year’s Six Nations saw Wales narrowly beat Scotland and lose to the rest, including Italy – giving Gli Azzurri their first win in the tournament in 36-matches – that’s seven years! The following year, Wales, bruised from placing 5th at 2023 Six Nations, receiving a battering from reigning world champs South Africa where they conceded 52 points, limped to the World Cup in September.
On paper, their group was a tricky one. They pipped a 32-26 victory against a physical Fijian side, proved too strong for Portugal, gave former England boss Eddie Jones’ depleted Australian side a thumping, and cruised past Georgia. However, when their first test came, facing Los Pumas in the Quarterfinals, they threw away a lead and exited the competition.
They would not win against another nation for 21 months…
Fast forward to 2025, their 31-22 victory over Japan in July rectified their 24-19 loss just a week prior and ended an abysmal 18-match losing streak including a winless stint – the first time since 2003 – in both the 2024 and 2025 Six Nations.
In February 2025, 14 consecutive losses in, Warren Gatland was relinquished of his role in his second tenure as head coach following Wales’ loss to Italy. However, under Steve Tandy’s jurisdiction, the same old problems persist.
They still haven't won a Six Nations game since 2023 when they beat Italy 29-17 at the Stadio Olimpico and at present, Wales sit in a sobering 11th place in the world rankings. What once was viewed as a mere bad patch has manifested into something far worse, which has the capacity to derail Welsh rugby for years to come.
Financial Ruin
The Welsh Rugby Union has been tinkering on the edge of a financial crisis, which is threatening the very foundations of the country’s most popular sport. “What Covid proved beyond any doubt was to expose the unsustainability of Welsh rugby, as it was,” says rugby journalist Peter Jackson in ITV’s documentary Laughing Stock: The Collapse of Welsh Rugby. The Welsh regions do not obtain the same lucrative TV deals as Top 14 or Gallagher Premiership sides. Therefore, revenue from ticket sales and hospitality form a large chunk of the WRU’s income which the pandemic immediately wiped out, posing major financial issues. On the verge of bankruptcy, the Welsh Rugby Union asked players and staff earning over £25,000 to take a 25% pay cut for three months in 2020. Furthermore, the WRU sold a 14% stake in the Six Nations and a 28% share in the URC, receiving circa £60 million from these two sales. This short-term benefit came with costly long-term debt but was vital to ensure the survival of Welsh rugby in a ‘financial reset’.
The Effects
These unprecedented times have had a ripple effect on the four Welsh clubs: Cardiff Rugby, Dragons, Ospreys, and Scarlets, which will be reduced to just three teams by 2028. Resources spread too thinly coupled with the difficulty of financing all four teams is impeding their success. Three teams, on the other hand, will have more resources and more money, with “per-team budgets [rising] from £6.4m to £7.8m.” according to Addleshaw Goddard. Therefore, the remaining three sides will be better equipped to compete with their Irish and South African counterparts, following a steady ‘slump’ over the past decade or so for the domestic game.
Despite placing well above both Scarlets and Dragons in the United Rugby Championship league table, it has been hinted that Swansea-based side Ospreys will be the doomed team. Therefore, Ospreys stars and Welsh Captains Dewi Lake and Jac Morgan are both leaving for Gloucester come the end of the season. This further rubs salt into the wound for Welsh fans, connoting a wider issue regarding the loss of Welsh talent to non-Welsh sides, many of whom have higher budgets and a greater presence in the European competitions.
This speculation has left many Ospreys fans outraged, urging others “to boycott Wales games and not give any money to the WRU.”
Perhaps this movement gained some steam, since in the uppermost stands in their bout against France on matchday 2, the official attendance was marked as just 57,744 in the 74,000-capacity stadium – yikes! This poses significant issues since over 50% of the WRU’s turnover comes from these international games.
The hard truth is that as of late, Wales have become accustomed to losing on the field, yet the loss of confidence from the fans, with many venting their frustration on social media, is an entirely new sensation. This being said, this poor attendance has been put down to a variety of reasons: the extortionate ticket prices which cannot be justified due to poor performances, the cost-of-living crisis, and, as one fan stated, the fact that there is “no buzz around Welsh rugby.”
However, it felt like Wales fancied their chances against Scotland, and there was certainly a contagious buzzing atmosphere rippling through the fans. The Principality was all but packed to the rafters – a refreshing sight reminiscent of the glory days…
Loss of the “golden generation” and the academy system
Ok, I concede, few will be able to recollect the actual glory days, which undoubtedly unfolded in the 1970s. Spearheaded by perhaps the greatest Welsh rugby player of all time, the elusive scrumhalf Gareth Edwards, they won 8 Five Nations titles from 1969-79, winning the Grand Slam in 71’, 76’, and 79’. Although not quite reaching these heights, they weren't too bad when they won the 2019 Grand Slam either when they were on a 14-game winning streak. Although the Welsh domestic game was suffering in the late 2010s, on an international level, the cracks were patched up by this generation of superstars. Consequently, the dire performances in the last few years can be attributed to the fact that almost all of the “golden generation” have retired in quick succession.
These players acted as the very foundations of the squad, and have simply not been replaced. Rugby correspondent Stephan Thomas gives an in-depth analysis on what went right, and then wrong, with the academy system in the WRU for Wales Online.
In 2005, the Welsh Rugby Union received £1.62 million in Objective 1 funding from the EU Structural Funds Program. This was used for a wider £3.66 million program, largely involved with the creation of regional academies for each of the four regions. Overseen by the WRU and headed by a national academy, this created a generation of superstars. When the funding ran out in 2012, a national academy was established, yet it only lasted for 2 years due to harsh criticism and cost cutting aims. Therefore, in 2014, each individual region in Wales then took on sole responsibility for the academies.
There was not as much money to invest in the creation of player pathways, engendering a stark lack of promising youth development .On the other hand, well-developed academies have been a priority of other Tier 1 nations, who have a near-steady stream of promising young talent rising up through the ranks. Consequently, this inefficiency gave rise to the announcement in October 2025 by the Welsh Government that a new national academy would be established.
In a detailed and analytical report from the WRU titled The Way Forward in Focus, it is stated that:
“The creation of a National Academy, supported by Player Development Centres across the country, marks the start of a unified and high-performing pathway designed to give every young Welsh player the chance to reach their full potential.”
Owing to the current crisis, it is possible that the younger Welsh generation will be drawn away from the game entirely. However, I believe that this passionate, little country will weather the storm, and come out the other side. The country has a rich and deep passion for rugby, deeply woven into the fabric of Welsh culture itself, and a rough period cannot change that so easily.
Only time will tell as to how successful the reformation of the game in Wales will be, yet one thing is certain, it is long overdue. Perhaps things will get worse before they get better, but I truly believe that things are looking up for Welsh rugby.
So, what do you think? Will the Red Dragon roar again?
Featured Image: Instagram @welshrugbyunion
