Wales sports minister meets WRU after fans' fears

Fychan went into further detail on meeting with the WRU on the latest edition of BBC Wales' podcast Walescast.She said it was a good conversation, with WRU chief executive Abi Tierney present."I don't think it'd be any surprise that I've received a lot of correspondence from both Scarlets and Ospreys fans," said Fychan."It was an opportunity for me to again reiterate the importance of the WRU properly engaging with communities."Fychan stated the Welsh government did not have an opinion on whether a reduction to three sides was the way forward because the WRU is a private company.But she added: "I was very clear in terms of this new culture and sports strategy for Wales that the future of rugby as a community game is really important as well as that professional side and that I wanted to see, as part of the proposals that they have, how are they addressing those historic concerns."Fychan said the WRU gave her some "positive news in terms of what's been happening with women's rugby here in Wales"."That was positive to hear that especially because of what happened a few years ago and the concerns around that," said Fychan."But clearly people in Wales, and especially those Scarlets and Ospreys fans, currently feel they're not being listened to."There's that disconnect which is I think a huge concern between the WRU and the communities that they seek to work with."So, it was an opportunity to say 'please work with them' because people are concerned about the economic impact of the closure of either club as well."It is has been another bruising week for the WRU with a concerted attempt to try to oust the board, featuring a plea by former Wales captain Jonathan Davies.This came after the same calls from businesswoman and former Cardiff board member Hayley Parsons, while former Principality Building Society chief operating officer Rob Regan has offered to oversee an interim board.The WRU board released a statement on Saturday and, while it did not directly address calls for its members to resign, it stated that "personal insults and attacks that have become far too commonplace are unacceptable".The board also said "there is no realistic prospect of the game generating enough revenue to fund four professional teams in the country beyond 2028".Welsh rugby's governing body has recently doubled down on outlining its plans to cut the number of professional teams from four to three by 2028, with WRU-owned Cardiff and privately backed Dragons set to be given licences.That announcement has plunged the futures of Scarlets and Ospreys into doubt, with the west licence either being awarded to the Llanelli-based side or their Swansea-based rivals.WRU chiefs have said the process to decide the framework for the final decision will begin in December and finish before the end of the 2026-27 campaign.Scarlets managing director Jon Daniels has insisted there are no plans for a merger with Ospreys and called for greater transparency from the WRU.Ospreys have since responded by stating they believe four professional sides is the way forward, telling the WRU its plan to reduce a team is wrong and not inevitable.