The man who brought regional rugby to Wales calls for it to be scrapped and admits it's 'not fit for purpose'

The man who brought regional rugby to Wales has called for it to be scrapped and replaced by a new four-club elite of Newport, Cardiff, Swansea and Llanelli.

David Moffett was the driving force behind the birth of the regions in 2003 during his time as chief executive of the Welsh Rugby Union.

But he insists the system he introduced has not worked, with the public failing to buy into it, and that it’s time to stop flogging a dead horse. He says he now understands the parochialism of Welsh rugby better than he did some two decades ago.

He has also called for Wales’ four professional sides to play in a new Celtic league, without South African or Italian teams on board. The New Zealand-based 74-year-old has taken to social media to air his views, amid the crisis currently facing the Welsh game. You can also read his thoughts on former Wales coach Warren Gatland here.

“I think we can all agree regional rugby, as originally conceived, is no longer fit for purpose, other than to prepare players for the international team. The fans voted with their feet from the very beginning. It’s time to stop flogging a dead horse,” he said.

“The solution is ditch the regional concept and have four teams - Newport, Cardiff, Swansea and Llanelli. Offer them club contracts with criteria and KPIs, then WRU gets out of the way and lets them run themselves in a league without South Africa and Italy. Four Welsh, four Irish, two Scottish, home and away.

“I am just being realistic. The regional system has not and will not work in Wales. The Welsh are way too parochial for that. The public will not buy the regional concept. The people who really matter have a say every single day. The fans have spoken and you ignore the fans at your peril. That’s