Rugby Union: Wales to reduce top division by a third

Wales has voted to become leaner to get meaner in the battle to re-establish a once proud rugby nation among the world elite by the time they host the 1999 World Cup.

Yesterday's Special General Meeting of member clubs in Cardiff backed the general committee's recommendation to go for quality rather than quantity, in terms of both number of clubs and level of competition.

Delegates voted 206-147 in favour to cut the top flight, which will now be called the Premier Division, from 12 to eight.

Four instead of two clubs will be relegated from the current First Division next month and there will be no promotion for the top two in the Second Division.

As things stand with five weeks to go, Newbridge, Treorchy and Caerphilly are prime candidates to be losers with Dunvant, Neath, the reigning champions, and Ebbw Vale fighting to avoid the fourth relegation place.

Cross Keys and Llandovery occupy the now obsolete promotion positions with financial compensation left as their main targets in pay-outs that could cost the Union over pounds 500,000.

The case for change, which dovetails with the eight-club Welsh representation in the Heineken Cup and European Conference tournaments in Europe next season, was delivered by Terry Cobner, the Union's director of rugby.

"The clubs have shown they recognise the way forward for the common good," he said. "However, it is not enough in itself just to make the change if our clubs don't now respond, the senior clubs have to respect the responsibility placed upon them."

At the nub of that responsibility is to help develop a national side capable of halting and then reversing a spiralling fall down the international rankings.

"It was a difficult decision which we believe has gone the right way," said Vernon Pugh, the WRU chairman. "It is now up to the WRU and Terry to prove it has gone the right way and that our playing standards can improve.

"We hope that the principal clubs now recognise they will be virtually provincial sides, who must be responsible for developing their own talent with the WRU being the source of financial support."