Former Wales captain rips into 'money-wasting' regions and 'pathetic' league in explosive radio attack

Former Wales captain Paul Thorburn has called upon Welsh rugby to rip up the professional structure in this country and start again in a stunning attack on the regions.

Following Wales' surprise defeat to Italy on Saturday, the former full-back has come out to place most of the blame for Welsh rugby's struggles at the door of the four professional clubs, saying some of their decision-making over the years "beggars belief". He also pointed to the Irish model of four teams being owned by the union as the way forward for rugby in this country.

Speaking to BBC Radio Wales a day after former WRU chairman Gareth Davies called for the WRU's constitution to be ripped up, Thorburn aimed much of the responsibility at the professional teams, saying: "I think there's a lot of truth to what Gareth is saying in relation to the structure.

"But I don't think we can just blame it on the fact that the regions would like to have much more control over the game than they do at the moment, as this is about Welsh rugby as a whole. We've got to look at the whole infrastructure.

"There are serious problems at grassroots level. Clubs that were the rockbed of the game are either no longer in existence or not fielding teams that would suggest there's a conveyor belt of talent coming through. There's serious structural issues. Some of the blame need to be put at the regions.

"They will be very critical of the Welsh Rugby Union, but for all intents and purposes, they've largely been in control of their own destiny and they have a lot to answer for. I've been involved with the regions and the Welsh Rugby Union.

"Some of the decisions of the directors of the regions beggar belief. Some of the appointments they've made with coaches or directors of