Alun Wyn Jones says it is hard to deny the "very real" possibility of Wales players striking ahead of their Six Nations match against England, but insists it is "the very last option" for beleaguered stars.
Head coach Warren Gatland said he would not support his players if they decided to strike ahead of the England match, but did confirm he was supportive of their stance and had urged them to have a stronger voice over the years.
The Welsh game has been rocked by the news players will meet to discuss possible strike action amid the ongoing uncertainty over their futures. The threat of the clash with England being in doubt has only intensified after senior players met with the Welsh Rugby Union on Wednesday - giving them a week to resolve their dispute with a list of demands.
Jones, speaking at Wales' first press conference since the news broke on Tuesday, thanked the public for their support on behalf of all the players in Wales before insisting a strike was the last thing anyone wanted. However, he added that it was the result of being mistreated for the last 18 months.
"We're fortunate that we're all involved in a sport and a job we love," he said. "To fathom the fact we might not do that because of the severity of the situation is very real, but it's the last thing we want to do.
"I can tell you every player wants to play rugby. We're fully aware of the privilege that we have, whether that be regional or international, but we can't be under the guillotine and be used in the emotive side of things when ultimately this is a career and a job.
"Again, being caught in the middle and held to ransom at times on other people's issues, with the same people in the region who have issued these contracts now being the ones to try and get out of it, it's hard to fathom, having been involved in the game for such a long time."
Would you support Welsh rugby players taking strike action amid contracts turmoil? Have your say here
When asked if the possibility of strike action was a real one, he said: "I suppose it is. It's hard to deny, but it's the very last option. There are people who are really impassioned.
"Ultimately, if you treat people badly for long enough, you get to where we find ourselves. Again, we realise what we do and how fortunate we are to do it, but if this was any other line of work or any other industry for this period of time with this amount of uncertainty, you'd get the same reaction.
"We're very respectful to society as a whole. But it comes to a point now where the game in Wales has to make a decision in which way it wants to go."
Adding that there was an element of sadness that things had reached this point, Jones said: "You don't want to see guys in their early 20s not knowing where their career is going to go.
"You want to enjoy it and have opportunities, but they're curtailed at the minute with some of the conditions and the unilateral decisions made without negotiation. You're almost boxed in as a player with no option which isn't ideal for anyone."
Gatland insisted he was preparing for the clash with England as normal as his players try and resolve an issue that has many of them sweating over their immediate future.
And while he wouldn't go as far to support strike action, he did back them to have a bigger say in discussions around Welsh rugby.
When asked if he would support his players if they decided not to play against England, Gatland said: "No. I completely support the stance that they're taking in terms of wanting to get some resolution of the issues that they have, but I think there's a lot more involved, a lot of things at stake in terms of ensuring that that fixture does take place.
"Like I've said, I'm supportive of the players and the things that they're trying to do, and my role is just to prepare the team for next week."
He added: "I'm in complete support of the players in terms of the WRPA, which to me in my time here has been incredibly weak as an organisation, and I've stressed on a number of occasions to the players that they need to be stronger, they need to have more voices, they need to be around the table from a consultation point of view.
"From that regard, I think it's a huge positive for the players and that relationship with the union going forward because they need to be part of all the discussions that take place.
"I'm sure the players, like us, would like things resolved hopefully as quickly as possible."
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