Sam Warburton says club rugby must “reset expectations” if it is to recover from its car crash of a season.
The domestic game in England and Wales is in dire straits financially, with Premiership trio Wasps, Worcester and London Irish having gone bust.
Across the Bridge the four professional sides have been forced to radically tighten their belts simply to keep the game afloat.
Former Leicester chief executive Simon Cohen has warned of more pain to come, Wales boss Warren Gatland says he would not have retaken the job had he known the scale of crisis facing Welsh rugby.
It is a far cry from Warburton’s glory days leading Wales to Grand Slams and Six Nations titles and the Lions to both a series win in Australia and draw in New Zealand.
He acknowledges the current model “isn’t working” and rugby is “at a crossroads”, yet says he has had enough of negativity dragging the game down.
Warburton said: “This is one of those moments where we need to re-evaluate where the game is at. What has happened this year is an indication that change is needed along with a reset of expectation for players.
“That doesn’t mean the game is doomed. I remember post 2021 Lions tour there was a similarly downbeat mood. It wasn’t an attractive tour to watch, the games were only really for diehard rugby fans. Rugby came through that and people regained faith in the 15-a-side game.
“But as a sport we have to accept that until we make the game more commercially viable player earnings can’t be what they have been. It’s completely obvious it’s never been sustainable. It was only a matter of time before this happened.”
Warburton lays much of the blame for player contracts “spiralling out of control” with a failure of communication.
“Players don’t get told how the business works, you see what your market value is and you demand it,” he said. “Going back 5-10 years had players been clued up I think there’d (now) be more understanding and sympathy to tough decisions being made.
“It is only once expectations are reset that players can move on. Fair play to a number of Welsh lads who were recently sent contracts worth “30 per cent” of what they were on.
“It’s still good money in the real world but compared to what they were earning it’s a massive change. A lot have accepted it. They’ve taken perhaps the biggest step to help the game become more sustainable.”
Warburton calls for a “growth” rather than “survival” mindset to drive rugby forward. He says a World Cup semi-final should be a realistic expectation for Wales and wants the club game to think big.
“Some people have slammed me for saying we need a region up north, but look at the interest in Wrexham FC,” he said. “Rugby needs to tap into every possible resource.
“What is the best possible scenario, financially and for the long-term growth and prosperity of the game, rather than just going into this survival mode. Why can’t we reset and ask ourselves how great can we be?”
Sam Warburton is a Dove Men+Care ambassador. To find out more, follow @DoveMenUK Twitter or visit Dove.com/uk/men-care
