Principality Cup revamp expected

Bridgend provided Garndiffaith's prized cup scalp

A Welsh Rugby Union general committee meeting originally scheduled for Thursday evening has been postponed because a number of key members have travelled to France with Wales' teams.

The meeting is now expected to take place next week and is likely to give the go-ahead for a change in the Principality Cup structure in regard to the involvement of the Premier clubs.

Currently the Premier clubs enter the competition at the last 32 stage, but it is believed that one of the key changes will be the seeding of the top eight clubs who won't enter until the last 16.

It is also expected that those top eight clubs will all be drawn away, thus avoiding each other until at least the quarter-finals.

A spokesman for the Cup sponsors, the Principality Building Society, said the union has made them aware of fixture congestion issues, but declined to comment on whether sponsorship could be reduced until the union has taken a firm decision.

We enjoy our cup runs like everybody else

  Bryn Parker
Garndiffaith team manager

The changes are designed to ease the number of club matches that Welsh internationals play and will meet with the approval of national coach Graham Henry.

If the Garndiffaith team manager, Bryn Parker, is representative of the view from the lower division clubs, then the opportunity for a longer cup run will be welcomed.

"It doesn't surprise me in the least that this is coming about," Parker said, "especially with the changes that Graham Henry wants.

Finance

"As far as the smaller clubs are concerned, we enjoy our cup runs like everybody else. It's a bit of glory for the players and it's a bit of finance for the clubs."

Garndiffaith reached the quarter-finals in the 1997-98 season, beating Bridgend, Rumney and Llanharan before losing to Seven Sisters.

But Parker believes that the decision to have the seeded clubs play away could have important financial repercussions for the rank and file.

"Even if the clubs go that far, the problem is with the finance. Everybody who gets through to the last 16 against a big club will look to play away - with a larger crowd it is more finance for the clubs.

"However, anything that's going to increase the chances of Wales doing well we're all for."