Last week, the details of the first season of the new Super Rygbi Cymru were announced.
The competition is set to bridge the gap between the community game and the professional game in Wales and to offer opportunities to young players and those who might have missed out on professional deals.
It has come after many months of debate on the format of the competition and which teams were going to compete.
Nine teams were confirmed out of the 13 teams that played in the 2023/24 Welsh Premiership, with Pontypridd and Merthyr opting against the new competition.
There was slight debate regarding the final spot in the league between Cardiff and Neath, with the Welsh All Blacks posting several videos and statements regarding their application after the Blue and Blacks changed their minds after originally not applying for a place.
So, what does Super Rygbi Cymru entail, could it work to be a successful development pathway for the professional game?
How does it work?
There will be three trophies up for grabs in Super Rygbi Cymru (SRC), the SRC trophy, the SRC cup and the Challenger Shield.
The SRC trophy will be awarded to the winners of the league after 17 rounds of regular season matches before a knockout process. Alongside the knockout phase, there will be a wildcard round, it would allow teams near the bottom of the table to sneak through to the quarter-finals.
Similarly to the Welsh Premiership Cup, the SRC Cup will begin with a round robin phase with two groups of five teams, with the top placed side in each group meeting in the final. There are only five rounds of the cup competition which will begin at the end of January and continue throughout the 2025 Guinness Six Nations.
The Challenger Shield will add further competition towards the league campaign.
As winners of the 2023/24 Welsh Premiership Cup, Llandovery will be the inaugural holders and will defend it in their first home game against RGC in round 2.
If the Drovers were to win, they would keep hold of the shield and defend it during home matches. But if the north Walian side were to pick up an away win, they would put it on the line against Pontypool in round 3.
Does the competition benefit younger players?
We have seen a lot of talent come through the Welsh Premiership over the years, with some making the step up to the professional game.
Most recently, Llandovery’s Macs Page made his Scarlets debut in the URC win over Zebre on May 17, players such as Alex Mann, Mackenzie Martin & Harri Ackermann have all featured in the semi-pro league before stepping up to play regional and international rugby.
Morgan Morse and Dan Edwards both featured for Swansea throughout the 2023/24 season before earning professional contracts with the Ospreys.
Super Rygbi Cymru seems to have the right things in place to aid the development of young players, either academy players or club players who might have missed out on deals at academy level.
The continuity of playing regular rugby every week could be a huge plus for players and the four regions.
Dragons head coach Dai Flanagan made a point earlier in the season regarding his younger players needing regular game time, with scrum halves Morgan Lloyd and Che Hope featuring heavily for Newport and Pooler last term.
Another point to note would be there’s plenty of silverware on offer, which can only be a good experience for players to play meaningful matches instead of ‘dead rubbers.’
Whilst it could look weird seeing a team that could finish bottom yet could win the league through the knockout stages, the main focus of the competition is develoment and giving chances to young players.
Which players could we see in the SRC?
Of course, teams are still trying to work out their squads ahead of the first SRC season but there will be a lot of player movement before the second weekend of September.
With the current state of professional rugby in Wales, the four pro teams have had to rely heavily on younger players throughout the last 12 months, it feels like the league could target the current crop of Wales U20s players, who won two matches in the 2024 tournament as they beat Scotland and Italy.
The SRC could be a real platform for someone like Harri Ford at RGC who has been learning and playing well in the Welsh Premiership, Dragons duo Walker Price and Harry Rees-Weldon could benefit from regular game time at this level.
Ospreys prop Kian Hire would be another who could do with experience ahead of being drafted up to the regional game, the 19-year-old has featured for the Whites and Wales U20s and this could be a stepping stone for his development.
It will be intriguing to see what the squads look like once September rolls around and a fresh start for 10 teams in a new competition.
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