The keyboard warriors who mainly savaged Welsh rugby’s plans for reform have been told: Come up with something better.
Fans – many of whom reacted negatively to the Welsh Rugby plans put forward last month - have now been handed a direct voice in shaping the future of the professional game, with the WRU launching a month-long consultation process.
It will help the decision as to whether the country retains four professional teams or is reduced to just two.
The governing body has opened an online survey on its One Wales platform, inviting contributions from across the game – from grassroots volunteers and lifelong season-ticket holders to Wales international-goers, or more casual followers.
The consultation will also include meetings with the four professional clubs, Cardiff, the Dragons, the Ospreys and the Scarlets, alongside sessions with players, supporters’ groups and politicians.
At the heart of the exercise is a radical proposal that would cut the professional game in half, replacing four clubs with two and bringing greater centralisation.
The WRU’s “optimal structure” also includes two professional women’s teams, a national training campus and an expanded Super Rygbi Cymru competition beneath the top tier.
Although the Union stresses no decision has yet been made, its preferred model remains a two-club system – a scenario that has sparked concern for jobs, communities and the identity of Welsh rugby regions.
Yet WRU officials insist the consultation is not simply a tick-box exercise, but a genuine opportunity for fans to shape the future.
“This is an open invitation to everyone who cares about Welsh rugby," said WRU director of rugby and elite performance Dave Reddin, who is overseeing the process.
"The survey is easy to access, and it’s designed for everyone involved in the game in Wales, whether you’re a lifelong season-ticket holder, a club volunteer, or someone who follows Wales from afar, your opinion counts.
"We want as many people as possible to take part, because the future of our sport belongs to all of us."
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The survey, which runs until September 26, includes multiple-choice questions on issues such as funding priorities, fan engagement and performance targets, but also allows for open-ended answers.
It is, in Reddin’s words, “the opportunity for anyone with an interest in Welsh rugby, to express their view on the proposals we have shared and importantly suggest ways we can improve them as well as alternatives.”
He added: “The feedback we receive will help guide key decisions about the future shape of elite rugby in Wales.
“We have an opportunity to build solid foundations for the future of the game here in Wales, and we can't do that without you, so please take the time to share your views, your opinion counts.”
The consultation has heightened tensions among the professional sides, each of whom has strong arguments for survival.
Cardiff, who went into administration earlier this year before being taken over by the WRU, boast the biggest supporter base and hold a lease at the Arms Park until 2028.
The Ospreys, winners of four league titles in the regional era, currently operate out of Bridgend while waiting for new facilities and can point to their record of success.
The Dragons, long seen as the weakest performers on the pitch, argue they are finally building stability off it, citing new investment, a long-term lease at Ystrad Mynach and links to 73 community clubs across Gwent.
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Meanwhile, the Scarlets, based at the council-owned Parc y Scarlets in Llanelli and the second-most successful domestically of the four, have been the loudest critics of the WRU’s plans.
Backed by local politicians and fresh investment, they have pledged to resist any move that sidelines the region, highlighting their importance to both the regional economy and Welsh rugby heritage.
The stakes are high, not just for the clubs but for the wider game.
A move to two teams would likely concentrate resources and talent, potentially boosting competitiveness in Europe and on the international stage, but at the cost of losing professional rugby in swathes of the country.
Hundreds of jobs could be at risk, while supporters face the possibility of their regional identity being erased.
For now, the WRU insists nothing is decided, with the board set to receive a recommendation in mid-October before taking a final vote later that month.
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Between now and then, fans have been urged to seize their chance to be heard.
“The consultation in general is the opportunity for anyone with an interest in Welsh rugby, to express their view on the proposals we have shared,” Reddin stressed.
“Your opinion counts.”
Whatever the eventual outcome, the WRU has placed some responsibility squarely in the hands of its rugby public.
For perhaps the first time in a generation, the future of the professional game in Wales is not being debated solely behind closed doors.
Supporters now have the rare chance to help decide whether the country’s rugby future is built on four pillars, or just two.
