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Wales CANCELS their team’s announcement for the Six Nations clash against England amid threat of strike action… with Saturday’s game still in doubt after talks stalled with no resolution in sight
- Wales were scheduled to announce their squad for the match against England today
- They have now canceled the announcement, pushing it back to later this week.
- The players threaten to strike and Saturday’s game is in doubt
Wales canceled its planned team announcement for Saturday’s Six Nations crisis with England at 11am on Tuesday as its players continue to threaten strike action.
Head coach Warren Gatland had planned to name his team for the Principality Stadium clash at noon, but that has now been pushed to later in the week.
The rescheduling is the latest development in what has been an unprecedented week in the 142-year history of Welsh rugby union. It is no exaggeration to say that the country’s national game is in chaos.
Welsh Six Nations players are still threatening to strike over the England match as the Welsh Rugby Union and its four regions have yet to officially sign a new six-year funding deal.
The result of that has been contractual uncertainty for those Welsh players whose contracts expire at the end of the season.
Wales head coach Warren Gatland has canceled his team’s announcement for Saturday’s game.
Welsh players have been threatening a strike due to uncertainty over contracts.
On Wednesday, all Welsh professional players will attend a crucial meeting with representatives of Welsh Rugby’s professional rugby board, where discussions will focus on how to avoid a strike.
The players want the abolishment of the controversial 60-cap rule, the removal of a variable element from their contracts, and a player voice at the PRB level.
Only one of those requirements has been met so far, so the strike threat issued by the players and as first revealed by Sportsmail is still very real.
If the players go on strike and the England game does not take place, it would cost Welsh rugby close to £9m.
Wales’ decision to delay their team’s announcement of their planned Tuesday lunchtime schedule should be seen as a reflection of the fact that England’s game remains a huge doubt.