Cerys Hale Hopes for End to WRU Apologies After Player Contract Issues

Cerys Hale, a former prop who earned 49 caps for Wales before her retirement in July 2024, has voiced her hope that her former national team colleagues will not need to receive further apologies from the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), following what she described as them being “let down” once more by the governing body. Richard Collier-Keywood, the WRU chair, and Abi Tierney, the chief executive, had committed to issuing an apology regarding the handling of contract negotiations with the national women’s squad. An email, which the BBC has reviewed, indicated that players faced threats of being withdrawn from WXV2 and, consequently, from next year’s World Cup, as discussions reached an impasse. On 2 August, the players received a “final offer” ultimatum, stipulating that failure to sign within a three-hour deadline would result in the cancellation of scheduled matches against New Zealand, Scotland, and Australia, and the withdrawal of their contracts. These recent allegations of sexism and inequality surfaced less than a year after a critical independent review examined the WRU’s culture, prompted by a BBC Wales investigation. Hale expressed her surprise at the most recent revelations, stating that “fundamentally, the players have been let down.” Nevertheless, she acknowledged that “the union have made strides to making things better.” Hale further noted that the governing body responded “swiftly” with an apology this time, remarking to BBC Sport Wales: “It is frustrating to see them say that they have another apology to issue so hopefully it’ll be the last.” Although Hale retired in July 2024, her former team-mates were directly involved in the contract negotiations that led to these recent disclosures. She commented, “I speak to a number of the players, I was aware they were having a bit of a stressful time and probably struggling a bit emotionally as a result. It’s been a difficult time for them and I think they had closed that chapter going into WXV and they had sorted out their contracts, but obviously it probably wasn’t all done the right way.” A review examining the negotiation process is anticipated to release its recommendations later in the current month. The WRU was compelled to expedite the publication of the review’s findings after a report appeared in the Telegraph, external last Thursday. Nevertheless, it has already disclosed the report’s conclusions: * The WRU’s contract process did not adequately consider the expansion and rapid evolution of the professional women’s game. * The WRU executive leadership acknowledged that imposing a three-hour deadline was an error. * Significant disagreements existed regarding the development of women’s rugby in Wales. * Players, lacking experience in contract negotiations, were left without support. * Players contemplated strike action prior to the friendly match against Scotland on 6 September. * Insufficient clarity or openness surrounding the contract discussions led to elevated emotions, exacerbated by inappropriate conduct from all involved parties at various points. * Sexism was not identified as a motivating factor behind any of the shortcomings. Hale now expresses her hope that both current and future Welsh players will benefit from the outcomes of these recent challenges. She stated, “We’re in a different position to potentially male players who have had experience of negotiating contracts for their whole careers, whereas it was a new thing for us.” She continued, “So when we first got contracts we were really happy, but then we really wanted it to be this process, to be, hopefully [one in which] we can embed some things that will be the baseline for our contracts moving forward, so then the next generation don’t have to fight for things like the maternity policy, etc.” Following a challenging year where Wales performed poorly in the 2024 Six Nations and descended into WXV2, Hale is optimistic they can recover for the 2025 Six Nations and the Rugby World Cup. Hale remarked, “Because there are so many external factors that probably impact them negatively, their togetherness as a group is second to none.” She added, “I really do believe that they are a resilient bunch of players and I think that will only aid them moving forward. It was great to see the WRU said that they wanted to apologise to the players, and they recognised those kind of things.” “So hopefully, once that process is done they can really come together and move on and really see a change in results and performances,” she concluded. On Monday, the Welsh Government minister overseeing sport held a meeting with WRU officials. Jack Sargeant, who expressed his “disappointment” at Welsh rugby appearing in headlines “for the all the wrong reasons,” met with Richard Collier-Keywood, Abi Tierney, and Nigel Walker, the executive director of Welsh rugby. Sargeant now intends to meet with the players personally to “understand directly” the specifics of their concerns. Sargeant stated, “Over coming days, I will be seeking to understand various perspectives on this process and to satisfy myself that lessons are being learned.”