The chief executive of the Welsh Rugby Union has gone public on his thoughts and feelings in relation to the Strategy, which has been a year in fruition, is based on wide-ranging research across Wales – which he and his executive staff have personally undertaken – and has been fully endorsed by the WRU Board.
Phillips believes Welsh Rugby has the most robust plan possible to cover the next 10 year period, but holds that the hard work really starts now – as he and his executive team undertake the detailed work necessary to deliver on its aims and objectives.
“It’s something we have been working on as a team for the past year and longer,” said Phillips, discussing the Strategy which is available to download now on the WRU website in both English and Welsh.
“We’ve involved a lot of people in it and listened to pretty much all of our stakeholder groups.
“We are pleased that we are able to publish a vision and purpose for where we are trying to go in Welsh Rugby.
“There’s a ten year horizon on it and, necessarily, it’s quite high level, but now everything is in black and white in terms of where we are trying to go with the game in Wales.”
Two key appointments for Phillips during his first year in office at WRU executive board level, have been Geraint John (Jan 2016) to the position of ‘head of rugby performance’ and Ryan Jones (Feb 2016) as ‘head of rugby participation’.
Both have key roles in implementing the Strategy, alongside Phillips’ third new executive appointment since taking over the role in October 2016, head of digital marketing and communications, Mark Killingley (March 2016).
“We have the likes of Ryan and Geraint tasked with certain elements in particular and we are all now very much looking forward to them delivering it,” he continued.
“It’s really quite different to what it would have been 10 years ago, with a typically fifteen-a-side men’s game being the main offering then, what we are seeing now is women’s and girl’s rugby featuring much more strongly.
“Already we are seeing our school club hubs really starting to work for us, we are seeing thousands of extra boys playing rugby, the fruits of that initiative are already being seen.
“We are also looking at alternative forms of the game. Sevens rugby is growing, the Olympics gave added profile there, but we are trying to broaden the appeal as much as we possibly can to attract as broader profile of people as we can.
“We are also going to concentrate on things like club houses and ask, how can we invest in those? Help clubs become more a part of their communities.
“I think rugby is more family-centric than it used to be, so that could be things like catering, toilet facilities, Wifi anything make that club a vibrant member of its community.
“The Strategy asks us to think about how we get success for Wales at regional level and right through to the community game but it’s also pretty long term as well.”
Although the WRU has now published its ‘Strategy for Welsh Rugby’, Phillips is keen to point out that this is only the beginning of the process and that review and evaluation will be a key part of the long term success of the strategy.
“Our job now is to broadly stick to the plan and not be distracted day by day, week by week and then, once a year, we will review it and go again,” he added.
“It means so much to us, we are quite a small nation and whether its football or rugby – or any other sport actually – when we can do something on an international stage it gives us all a little bit of a spring in our step.
“We know we have a huge responsibility, we are as desperate as anyone else to be successful and, that’s my point really – we have put together the most robust plan we can and what we need to do now is all pull together and get on and deliver it.”
