Rugby Union: Welsh 'payments' to be investigated

THE International Rugby Board has asked the Welsh Rugby Union to investigate comments by players about money in the game during a televised interview broadcast on S4C. Emyr Lewis, the Llanelli flanker who is on the Welsh tour in Western Samoa, said on the Welsh language programme Y Byd y Bedwar: 'There would have to be something wrong upstairs if I was not thinking about money. At the end of the day, rugby is like a second job to us.' Luc Evans, a former international back, said he thought there was no club in Wales that could call itself truly amateur. 'Treorchy look after me,' he said. But Evans denied he was a professional player. 'What I mean is that they provide me with a car to help me get to and from training. They help me in those kinds of ways,' he said. The comments aroused the interest of the IRB secretary, Ken Rowlands, who said that if there had been any breaches of amateur regulations, action would have to be taken. Edward Jones, the WRU secretary, has asked for a transcript, which will probably be handed over to the Union's amateurism committee. The interview with the players formed part of a programme broadcast last week looking at pressures Welsh clubs are facing.