Former Wales international Tom Shanklin has backed Welsh players' strike action threat and admitted he's embarrassed by the contract controversy that's engulfed the game.
Players have set the Professional Rugby Board, made up of the WRU and four regions, a deadline of Wednesday to address their key concerns around proposed new contracts that will see salaries cut across the board.
The main concern for many though is finding a way to lift the contract freeze that has been in place for months, leaving between 70 and 100 players in limbo as they don't know if they have a deal beyond this summer. That freeze can only be lifted when the regions and WRU finalise a new six-year funding deal that was verbally agreed two months ago. You can read an explainer on why there has been such a delay and what happens next here.
