May has been a horrible month for many players in Welsh rugby.
After receiving the dreaded tap on the shoulder, they have effectively been told they are out of a job. The game in Wales is facing tough times and slashing squad numbers is being seen as one of the solutions to the current structural and financial issues.
There are 20 players leaving the Dragons, 12 are heading out the door at Cardiff and nine at the Scarlets. Even before the Ospreys confirm their numbers, that's 41 players. There are those who are fortunate enough to be moving straight to a new club, but that is not always a the case.
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There has been an uncompromising cull in Welsh rugby.
It is a time of year where uncertainty lingers in the air and it can follow players, who have bills to pay like everyone else, around like a cloud. That said, it also has to be accepted that this is an uncomfortable reality of professional sport, not just limited to Welsh rugby.
But there is a certain way of handling things. The most important thing is that players get early notice because it gives them a greater chance of finding a new employer before other teams finalise their squads for the following season.
That has been a source of great frustration of late, with players this year finding out that they are being cut far too late to do anything about it. Dragons chairman David Buttress recently pointed to the uncertainty over budgets as a reason why players have been told so late but accepted: "We have to own our part in it and do better."
A former Welsh rugby coach told WalesOnline: “We would tell players in November and December. We didn’t tell anyone after January because we knew players would find it hard to get a club. We wanted to give them the best possible chance.
“That isn’t necessarily the best thing to do in terms of short-term results because you could lose 40 percent of your dressing room but, long term, it’s the right thing to do.
“As hard as it is, you have to tell people as soon as you know. It’s a killer for you personally, if you’re looking at some player that you know you’re not going to keep and you sit on it for a week or two.
“Once that decision is made, you just have to bring him in, be empathetic and explain to him why.
“They’re really difficult conversations. They’re horrible to have but you have to have them. Telling people in May is madness.”
A player, who has been on the other side of the desk, added: “You want to be told as soon as possible so that you can make plans because you’ve got bills to pay. The most important thing is honesty and that you get a reason why.
“Because you can act on that and get better as a rugby player or a person. That honesty is vital.
“It’s definitely a worrying time but it’s part and parcel of the job. You get paid well to do what you do but sometimes you may not have a club. There are three other regions, so there are options but if those three regions don’t come in for you then it gets more difficult.”
While all sides accept that it is sometimes a necessary evil and players go into their careers with their eyes open, it can still come as a shock when the news is delivered. And the gravity of the situation is not lost on the coaches either.
Younger players may well find another club but for those who are of the slightly older age profile, it could be the end of their careers and their lifestyle as they know it.
The coach added: “I’ve had guys break down in my office. When I told certain players, they knew it was the end for them as a professional rugby player and that’s a big thing to take away. It’s their dream.
“Some of the players are not set up for life after rugby. If they’re earning £50,000 as a pro rugby player, then they might have to start a new career on £25,000, so you’re taking away their livelihoods, their standard of living.
“But at the end of the day, it’s professional sport and you have to try to get the best possible talent that your resources can afford.”
This worry is not infrequent, either. It is something most players will have to face every 18 months. Typically, contracts are handed out on a two-year basis, so there is one year of absolute security and then the anxiety begins to creep in at the start of the final year of the contract.
"Rugby’s brutal like that," the player quipped.
Though the parting of ways is often amicable as long as it is handled the right way, there is a 'trap' that some coaches can fall into, which is blindly offering a player a reference regardless of what their actual assessment of that individual is. In which case, once again, honesty is the best policy.
“I would always say to players that I’m not going to give a reference to somebody that doesn’t warrant one," said the coach. "Some people say that’s too honest but it’s better for them to know that they shouldn’t be telling another coach to ring me for a reference.
“Because you either become a liar or you tell the truth and then it gets back to your dressing room via the agent.”
Agents will always be working away in the background trying to find options for their players if it looks like a new deal isn't going to be forthcoming at their current club. But it is impossible to commit to new things unless you know your current situation is definitely reaching an end.
So what do the agents make of the situation?
A player representative recently told WalesOnline: “People think playing rugby for a living is fun all the way, but it’s not. The stark reality for any professional rugby player is that the standard contract is for two years. It means that effectively a player potentially finds himself looking for a new job once every 18 months. There’s crippling uncertainty.
“It’s not in line with other walks of life. If you learn your trade or go to college and get other qualifications, you might move around for better opportunities, but in rugby, no matter how good or bad you are, you know within a couple of years you risk being seen as surplus to requirements and a lot of the time because of circumstances you can't control.
"In that respect, it’s the same for a British and Irish Lion as it is for an academy player who’s worried about whether he’ll be able to further his career.”
