This post was originally published on this site.
Reg Clark has been at the forefront of professional rugby for over two decades, shaping the modern game through his current role as chairman and as chief executive of Rhino since 2006.The 68-year-old from the north east of England has led a company whose specialist training equipment and scrum machines are used by leading international teams around the world.
Now, after years spent helping elite players and coaches prepare at the highest level, Clark believes he can play a role in rebuilding Welsh rugby.
JOIN OUR WALES RUGBY FACEBOOK PAGE Latest news, analysis and much more
He was part of the Hollywood-backed consortium that attempted to buy Cardiff Rugby, only for the Welsh Rugby Union to favour a rival bid from Ospreys owners Y11 Sports and Media instead.
The consortium includes prominent Hollywood produces Gareth West, Niels Juul and Mark Williams, along with former Cardiff director Martyn Ryan and Clark.That proposed Y11 takeover ultimately collapsed, leaving the WRU to remove Cardiff from the market. But Clark is urging the governing body to reconsider, insisting the Hollywood consortium has the ambition, expertise and resources to take the club forward.He believes a new ownership model could restore Cardiff’s fortunes and help drive the club towards a move to the Gallagher Premiership, while providing a much-needed boost for the wider future of Welsh rugby.
“I think it is very surprising that the WRU did not come back to us after the Y11 deal to buy Cardiff fell through,” Clark tells WalesOnline.
“We still believe we are the best option for Cardiff and have plans to elevate Cardiff to the next level.
“We have three Hollywood producers in our consortium while Martyn Ryan is highly experienced, extremely passionate about Cardiff and heavily respected throughout the game.
“Mark Williams is the creator and author of Ozark, one of the most successful TV series of all time, while he is also a former US collegiate representative rugby player with Welsh ancestry.
“If the WRU put Cardiff back on the market we are ready to take over.
“We believe we can achieve analogous progress with Cardiff to what Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have achieved at Wrexham by significantly boosting the club and Welsh rugby’s profile.
“The WRU turning the Hollywood consortium down was the equivalent of the FAW stopping Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney from buying Wrexham.
“We have a three-year plan and it would be our goal to get Cardiff into the Prem.”
For generations of Welsh rugby supporters, regular and meaningful fixtures against England’s leading clubs have represented the game’s promised land.The United Rugby Championship may boast high-quality opposition from across Ireland, Scotland, Italy and South Africa, but it has never captured the imagination in Wales in quite the same way as the prospect of a fully-fledged Anglo-Welsh competition.
The history, rivalry and familiarity of cross-border contests continue to hold a far stronger appeal, both commercially and emotionally, than the existing league structure.
Clark believes that ambition is no longer a pipe dream.
“In my view reconnecting Welsh clubs with English opposition would not only reignite supporter interest but also strengthen the commercial and competitive future of the professional game in Wales,” he told WalesOnline.
“The WRU wants to cut the number of professional clubs in Wales instead of being ambitious and looking to grow.
“There is significant interest from the key stakeholders in the English game to potentially bring Welsh clubs into the Prem.
“That would be transformational for the Welsh game and I believe Cardiff should be the leading candidate for this.
“Clearly we believe our consortium is the correct one to lead Cardiff into the Prem in the future.
“But if you look at Red Bull taking over Newcastle and what has happened at Exeter Welsh clubs would be very attractive to similar investors if they were in the Prem.
“Perhaps moving two teams into the Prem and keeping one or two in the URC is the way forward.
“The Arms Park would be full every home game.
“But having two Welsh clubs in the Prem could take our game to the next level and in turn will help Wales become far stronger on the international scene.
“P shares in the Prem is currently rumoured to cost £12/13 million – that could be an excellent strategic investment.”
Clark believes Welsh rugby’s revival will require more than fresh investment; it demands a fundamental shift in mindset at the WRU.
In his view, the governing body must become more open to new ideas, private investment and ambitious partnerships if the game is to reverse its decline.
“I think the WRU needs to drop any demands for complete central control of the rugby because it is not attractive to any serious investor at club level,” he said.
“Things need to change radically and perhaps there needs to be a change of personnel at the top.
“The current leadership at the WRU have very fixed ideas but I don’t think they can push it through.
“You’ve got to take the game with you.”
Clark’s passion for rugby is unmistakable, but it is matched by a firm belief in Cardiff’s untapped potential.
He sees one of the sport’s most historic clubs as a sleeping giant, convinced that, with the right investment, leadership and vision, it can once again become a force in British and European rugby.”My role in the Hollywood consortium has been as an introducer and enabler,” he said.
“I have not set out to get involved in club ownership in rugby. A series of chance circumstances in knowing Niels Juul and Martyn Ryan has allowed me to make the introductions which have made this bid possible.
“The seriousness of the Hollywood Consortium for me is demonstrated by Rothschilds taking us on as a client for this project. These people don’t waste their time on lost causes.
“We are prepared to be patient. The guys are also in any case working on a scripted TV drama series based in Cardiff in a similar vein to Ozark.”
For Clark, however, the debate extends far beyond the future of Cardiff.
He sees the club as the vehicle for a far bigger ambition: restoring meaningful Anglo-Welsh competition and reconnecting Welsh professional rugby with the rivalries that once defined it.
Whether the WRU shares that vision remains uncertain, but Clark insists his consortium is prepared to wait for the opportunity.
In his eyes, Cardiff’s future should not be measured simply by survival, but by its ability to compete alongside England’s leading clubs once again and, in doing so, help drag Welsh rugby into a new era.
Follow all of our channels to ensure you stay up to date with the latest Welsh rugby news. Sign up to our free daily newsletter here and our WhatsApp channel here for all the breaking news.
