Wales players ‘had to make a stand’ with strike threat, says captain Ken Owens

Ken Owens believes that Wales’ players “had to make a stand” after a threat of player strike action was withdrawn and the go-ahead given to Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations clash against England.

Three days before the scheduled kick-off in Cardiff, contractual chaos still held centre-stage as more than 100 players gathered at Wales’ training base in the Vale of Glamorgan for a pivotal 80-minute meeting with Professional Rugby Board members.

Every professional player in Wales rugby was invited to the summit gathering, which also included Welsh Rugby Players Association representation.

Had a strike gone ahead and the Principality Stadium showdown been called off, the Welsh Rugby Union would have faced missing out on around £9million, but that nightmare scenario has been avoided.

Many players are out of contract with their regional teams at the end of this season, yet fresh deals could not be offered in writing until a new six-year financial agreement between the WRU and its four regions was confirmed, with no playing budgets having been finalised.

Wales players, meanwhile, wanted the contentious minimum 60-cap Test selection rule for players plying their trade outside the country to be scrapped, a voice at PRB meetings and a review of proposed fixed variable contracts that see only 80 per cent of salary guaranteed, with the remaining 20 per comprising bonus-related payments.

The PRB, negotiators for the professional game’s future in Wales, met on Wednesday morning before heading into crunch discussions with players, including Wales stars like Owens, Alun Wyn Jones, George North, Liam Williams and Rhys Webb.

Revised proposals are a reduction from 60 caps to 25 caps, with immediate effect, WRPA chief executive Gareth Lewis