Scarlets chairman Simon Muderack makes the case for an Anglo-Welsh league and why his Llanelli-based team deserve to be part of it
and United Rugby Championship are heading towards a merger and his Welsh region deserve to be a part of it.
Muderack believes the idea is being given impetus now by CVC Capital Partners, the private-equity firm who have a stake in each of the existing leagues. “On top of that, you’d have some cross-conference fixtures. And both conferences would come together for the play-offs.” Still the man who has held his role at Scarlets since 2020 – and Muderack reckons that, before the Covid pandemic, only his region in Wales and Exeter Chiefs in the Premiership were making money – is adamant the league set-up would benefit from an overhaul, even if the devil might take the hindmost.
In the spirit of spitballing, he thinks the French clubs could get involved at the season-ending shootout that would appeal to a one-off broadcaster such asBut what if CVC’s financial modelling determines that certain teams’ numbers don’t add up, whether it’s hypothetically Zebre from Italy or Newcastle in England or Dragons or Scarlets or someone else?
Scarlets have 3,500 shareholders dating from the early days of professionalism – “almost everyone in Llanelli bought 100 shares,” says Muderack, who was brought up in the town – and a group of benefactors who have put in the lion’s share of the capital required to support the business, and own 85 per cent: eight to 10 people who regard themselves as “custodians” and have included Huw Evans, Nigel Short, Ron Jones and Philip Davies.
“Despite the result last Saturday there’s a good feeling around the club, with a bunch of young boys putting their hand up,” he says.
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