6 hours ago
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The potential threat of losing another regional team is a "sad day" for Welsh rugby, says former Wales international Gareth Thomas.
Thomas captained the Celtic Warriors which was liquated by the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) after just one season in 2004.
Scarlets and Ospreys could face a similar threat in two years' time after refusing to join Cardiff and Dragons in signing the WRU's new Professional Rugby Agreement (PRA).
They have since been served notice on their current deal which expires in 2027.
Both regions cited concerns the new PRA would "disproportionally benefit" Cardiff after it was taken over by the WRU last month.
Thomas however has warned the community impact of the latest strife could be "more important than the fate of Welsh rugby".
Chief executive Abi Tierney has said on numerous occasions that the WRU were committed to retaining all four regions, and while they have not said they will cut one, they have not ruled out the possibility in this latest saga.
"It's just another sad day and another sad story in Welsh rugby," Thomas told BBC Radio Wales.
"We need to understand it's not just about rugby."
Thomas said the demise of Celtic Warriors was far reaching and had a huge impact on Bridgend, Pontypridd and its surrounding areas.
"It's not just about livelihoods of the rugby players, it's about the town itself, it's about the area, the region they live in," he said.
"When regional rugby was taken away from Celtic Warriors, shops closed.
"People weren't inspired anymore, children didn't want to play, so there's a real other narrative that I feel is a little bit more important than the fate of Welsh rugby, and that's the state of inspiration for towns, for cities, for regions.
"It's really sad that there's the potential that this is going to happen again."
Ken Owens was Wales' captain when the regions went through a similar PRA crisis in 2023.
Stalled talks had left many players in contract limbo, with a strike threatened prior to a Six Nations game against England.
"We are still in the same place we were two years ago," the former Scarlets skipper told S4C.
"This agreement needed to be signed, and it hasn't been signed, and we knew something was going to happen.
"We need to look at the details and how that looks, but the Union hasn't said they will go down to three regions."
Owens, who served as the chairperson of the Welsh Rugby Players' Association (WRPA) from 2015 to 2019, added it was disappointing that "we have no way forward for the game in Wales."
"If we lose a region, we must look at the sponsors. Why would the sponsors put money into something that isn't going to exist in two years?," he said.
"We must remember the personal element as well, the players the staff across all four regions that are affected.
"We need to have a plan for how to move forward, to turn the negatives around in Welsh rugby.
"Evolution has gone now, we need revolution."
