Former Wales captain Sam Warburton says the Welsh Rugby Union should not prioritise spending on grassroots to solve the problems of Welsh rugby.
Instead the ex-British and Irish Lions captain says the solution lies in investment in the professional game."I just think you've got to invest more in the pro game and then the interest will naturally come," said Warburton.
"Let's go Premier League football, if you look at them as businesses. If you said to Arsenal, where is the majority of your budget spent, it's on the first team. If you actually looked at their income it's on the first team. And yes of course you do community, of course you support grassroots. Ospreys are the only Welsh professional side to beat a non-Welsh team in 2024 as the regions have struggled with reduced finances and questions over whether the country can sustain four teams in the United Rugby Championship .
"What does good look like? Why can't we have a region up north and declare we're going to have a region up north who can play in the URC in five years? There's 900,000 people up there who feel very neglected.
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