Frustration As Welsh Talent Headhunted By England

Former fly-half Elinor Snowsill says it is "very frustrating" erstwhile England travel aft Wales' champion young talent.

Snowsill has been starring 1 of nan Welsh Rugby Union's (WRU) subordinate improvement centres since calling clip connected her Wales profession 2 years ago.

She besides coaches Wales Under-18s and Cardiff Met, wherever she said location is simply a "golden generation" coming through.

But Snowsill is concerned by "headhunting" from crossed nan border.

"In nan past mates of months immoderate of our astir talented players astatine property people are being approached by England and asked to spell complete location instead," she told nan Scrum V podcast.

"I find it very frustrating arsenic they've travel up done Welsh systems and pathways."

Snowsill said she understood nan tie of going to play for nan World Champions, particularly fixed nan occurrence of Wales-born Meg Jones and Lucy Packer, but "it conscionable feels wrong".

"You've seen nan RFU [Rugby Football Union] put heavy successful their apical broadside successful nan Red Roses, successful opposition Wales and Scotland person invested heavy successful their pathways successful nan past mates of years," she said.

"They [England] are truthful ascendant correct now, they've sewage truthful galore players playing.

"There's a mates [of Welsh players] that are saying this is really what I want to do.

"They watched Wales travel retired successful nan early stages of nan World Cup and not execute and past watched England assistance a trophy and nan buzz astir that."

But Snowsill says staying successful Wales does person its benefits.

"We're a mini federation truthful we tin really excavation our resources together," she said.

"If they spell complete to England they are conscionable different number, nan chances of them getting capped for nan elder squad is truthful overmuch smaller."

Snowsill welcomed nan WRU's other backing for its 2 Celtic Challenge teams Brython Thunder and Gwalia Lightning.

It will let for dual contracts, further coaching unit and resources - each pinch nan purpose of attracting Welsh talent backmost to Wales.

"We 100% person to beryllium bringing players backmost if they're not making nan squad expanse aliases playing a important magnitude of rugby [in England's Premiership Women's Rugby]", she said.

But Snowsill believes it has to beryllium a competitory package aliases players will stay successful England, moreover if they are not making matchday squads.

"We've worked difficult to create our talent, nan situation now pinch this caller backing is to make judge that we make it arsenic charismatic arsenic imaginable to enactment successful Wales and beryllium portion of nan journey," she said.

"It's not going to hap overnight.

"But I genuinely judge successful nan adjacent World Cup rhythm - and nan 1 aft that - that Wales are going places."

As good arsenic other money into nan Celtic Challenge, nan WRU besides proposes a caller four-club league, pinch teams competing against each different successful a convention format.

Former Wales world Philippa Tuttiett thinks Wales would beryllium amended disconnected pinch conscionable 1 master squad - whether that beryllium successful nan Celtic Challenge aliases nan imaginable of entering nan PWR.

"Every subordinate deserves to beryllium supported successful nan champion imaginable situation to effort and execute their ambitions, but you can't springiness excessively overmuch excessively soon," Tuttiett told nan Scrum V podcast.

"If you return Wales' Six Nations squad that came bottommost and who had a mediocre World Cup - that's 30-35 players - really are you going to make 2 pro teams retired of that? You've sewage to adhd moreover much players."

Tuttiett besides emphasised nan value of making players aspire to beryllium professionals, alternatively than contracts conscionable being handed connected a plate.

"I worked truthful difficult erstwhile I was younger to moreover get into my nine team. If personification turned astir to maine erstwhile I was 18 and said 'there you go, there's a master contract' I don't cognize if that would person kept my hunger still alive," she said.

"I personally would for illustration it to beryllium 1 master squad and build, let's not spell excessively large excessively soon.

"Arguably nan champion [Wales] players who are getting that PWR crippled clip will astir apt want to enactment there, truthful possibly you're only looking astatine half of nan Six Nations squad making this master squad and adding to that pinch immoderate extras."