WALES

News | Profile | Anthem | Fixtures | Results

London Welsh solider on

Thursday 31st July 2008

Having fought to survive in the professional era London Welsh, once giants of the game in the 1970s, are preparing to enter the coming season as a professional club.

Since rugby went professional back in 1995 London Welsh have had a rough time. Such names as John Dawes, Mervyn Davies, Gerald Davies and JPR Williams have all graced the famous red shirt in the past, and now Chief Executive Peter Thomas is looking to rekindle the glory days.

For the first time since the onset of professionalism, the club are rumoured to have a playing budget of �1m and have a full-time playing squad for the new season.

"This is the first time we have a full-time professional squad," said Thomas to The Western Mail, despite playing in a largely semi-professional league..

"The reasons for that are two-fold - the standard of National Division One is improving every season and, of course, the Rugby Football Union are talking about restructuring the elite game in England."

The RFU are in talks concerning the development of a two-tier Guinness Premiership, a move that would see England's top flight trimmed to eight teams, with a second tier comprising of the best teams in the current National League One, as well as those clubs cut from the existing Premiership.

"We have to maintain our position and we felt going full-time would helps us do that," said Thomas.

"We saw the influence of the influx of professional players when we finished seventh in the league. We finished as the highest placed part-time side in the division last season."

Despite a full-time squad London Welsh are competing against sides in a far superior financial position to them, such as Leeds.

London Welsh only receive �150,000 from the RFU's central funding scheme and are up against sides relegated from the Premiership who receive a parachute payment of around �2m.

"We have to have an ambition to get into the Guinness Premiership," said Thomas.

"But that is easier said than done and, in lots of ways, it's easier to stay in the Premiership than actually get there.

"We do have a unique 'London' and 'Welsh' brand and, apart from Harlequins, are the only London-based side in English rugby's top two divisions.

"Wasps play out of High Wycombe, Saracens are in Watford and London Irish are now in Reading.

"So we know there is room for more than one London-based club in the Guinness Premiership. We know we have so much to offer English rugby and, of course, Welsh rugby."

The club has been linked with big-money take over bids, most notably from millionaires Tim Griffiths, a member of the Scarlets board, and Ian Pugh - yet as it stands London Welsh continue to exist as they have always done so.

The one big change this season is the influx of several new Welsh faces, to join the likes of club captain and former Wales U21 player Jonathan Mills.

Players such as former Dragons fly-half Aled Thomas and ex-Ospreys lock Mike Powell all part of the new-look squad, whilst Matthew Jones, the former Ospreys fly-half, used his short stint at the club to win a new contract with Worcester Warriors in the Premiership.

"All the players who come here tell us the standard of rugby is higher here than it is in the Welsh Premiership," said Thomas.

"We have strong links with Saracens and London Wasps and players know they can put themselves in the shop window by playing here.

"We certainly won't stand in their way if a contract with a Guinness Premiership club came their way."

Added to that former WRU National Skills Coach Danny Wilson has arrived at Old Deer Park as the clubs new Forwards Coach for the coming season.

Whilst all these signings and developments are a step in the right direction it does not hide from the fact the club are not what they used to be.

Back in the 1970s London Welsh provided seven players to the historic 1971 British and Irish Lions side who claimed a series victory over New Zealand.

John Dawes, who is now London Welsh president, JPR Williams, Gerald Davies, Mervin Davies, Mike Taylor, Mike Roberts and Geoff Evans all played their part in writing the club's name into the rugby history books.

Those names are but a few who grace the clubs honours boards, with London Welsh having produced 177 Welsh internationals and 43 British and Irish Lions.

Such an illustrious past can often prove a heavy burden for current players to carry, and Thomas admits the 'good old days' do make it hard for the club to move forward.

"We do suffer because people do look back to that time," said Thomas.

"We all like to look back, rather than to the future.

"We know we do have a great brand and, if we are all being honest, the great sadness is that we didn't plan for the future back in the seventies and get our own ground.

"We didn't make the most of the money we were generating then and we are still suffering because of that."

First on the agenda for Thomas and London Welsh is a new ground, with their current stadium at Old Deer Park not matching the high standards required of clubs now.

A fine past they may have, but their future is in the balance and it is down to the current crop to ensure it is a bright one.