Former Wales and Lions captain Sam Warburton says he will fully support Wales' players if they refuse to take the field against England.
Warburton insists he would not sign one of the proposed new contracts being offered by the Welsh Rugby Union and regions that will see many players take significant pay cuts. He also says players have told him they feel "shafted" and has claimed Cardiff and one other region have recently been close to going into administration.
Writing in his Times column, Warburton said: "The players clearly do not feel valued by the WRU and that has affected their performances on the field, and I can see why. I would be the same. They will be thinking: “Why are we busting our guts and putting our bodies on the line just to line other people’s pockets when we are expected to take pay cuts?”
"I know from speaking to some of them this week that this issue has been really bugging the Wales players, and the feeling is so strong that the threat to strike is very real. They feel like they are, for want of a better expression, being shafted. So, I totally support the players and their threat to strike should some sensible agreement not be reached. If I was still playing, I would not sign these new contracts."
Warburton claimed players are unhappy none of the coaches or staff (at the regions or the WRU) are going to be on this type of contract, with many asking “why is it just us?”
He continued: "They have already taken a hit after Covid and you can understand their frustration when they hear that apparently a lot of the money the WRU received from CVC has been used for capital projects and not invested immediately in the professional game.
"My feeling is that the WRU almost want to drive the regions into administration, so they can take them over (they already own Dragons). I know for certain that last month, if it hadn’t been for the generosity of the long-term benefactor Peter Thomas, in helping pay players and staff, Cardiff would have followed Wasps and Worcester Warriors into administration. I’m also pretty sure that at least one of the other regions has been in the same boat and has been similarly saved in the short term.
"The regions are trying to live off money from an old agreement with the WRU because the money from the new agreement hasn’t come through, even though they are supposed to be in year one of it. They simply can’t cope. The hope is that the new chairman and interim chief executive, Ieuan Evans and Nigel Walker, change the WRU’s stance quickly and try to help the regions, but if they don’t, then I fear that we could see all the regions fold and have to be taken over by the WRU."
WalesOnline reported on Wednesday a proposal for English side Ealing to merge with or replace a Welsh region in the United Rugby Championship has been discussed as one potential option. You can read more about that here.
Would you support Welsh rugby players taking strike action amid contracts turmoil? Have your say here
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