The Welsh Rugby Union has stepped in to take over the running of Youth rugby throughout Wales following the decision by the Executive Committee of the Welsh Youth Rugby Union to wind up that organisation.

The WYRU was originally set-up by the WRU on 11 May, 1949 to “see that every youth in Wales is given the opportunity to play rugby union football, to provide good coaching, to look after the rugby welfare of young people and to promote a feeling of goodwill between the youth of Wales and the young men of other countries, both on and off the field”.

In order to meet these objectives the WYRU has been consistently funded by the WRU with separate grants to run both its international and community rugby programmes. The decision taken by the WYRU Executive Committee on 16 September 2004 to disband came in the wake of their refusal to sign-up to the WRU's 'National Age-Grade Agreement'. The proposed 'Agreement’ covers the approval and payment terms of the WRU grant to fund the international development and competition programmes of the WYRU. In return, it sets out criteria for the WYRU to follow in its delivery of those programmes.

No reference was made in the document to the grant for the clubs in the community game. The WRU did not consider the criteria to be onerous, but in the best interests of the development of age-grade international players and their preparation as future professional players. 

'This move is consistent with the WRU strategy to manage the elite end of the game and to ensure an holisitc approach to the development of our potential professional and future international players. It is also consistent with the approach adopted by the other governing bodies in the Six Nations,' said Steve Lewis, the WRU General Manager. 'In the business environment in which the WRU now operates we cannot provide funding to any organisation which refuses to accept an undertaking to be accountable to the WRU for the management of those funds. Ultimately, this money belongs to the member clubs of the Union.

'We have a number of major stakeholders in the WRU and they have to be satisfied with the propriety of our financial systems and controls. As a result of the decision by the WYRU not to sign the agreement, the WRU advised the Executive Committee of the WYRU that with immediate effect the WRU would assume responsibility for the delivery of the international programme formerly managed by the WYRU.

'The original objectives of the WYRU were never under threat, nor compromised, by the National Age-Grade Agreement and the WRU regrets the decision of the WYRU to withdraw their support for the very objects for which they were created.

'However, the sustainability of youth rugby at grass-roots and community level is under no threat. The WRU will now assume full responsibility for the delivery of the original objectives of the WYRU and will deal directly with those clubs instead of through a third-party agency.'