, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
I'm not aware of that.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Yes.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
I'm not aware of sponsorship funding to the WRU.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
I haven't threatened to withdraw their funding, because I'm very conscious that we need to see the outcome of this governance review, what its recommendations are, see them implemented, and I'm also very conscious that the funding that we do provide through…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Again, I think I've answered that in terms of the regular—. I probably have more conversations with organisations than other sponsors, because of the fact that we're a Government. So, the leverage is in those conversations I have on a regular—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
As far as I'm aware, there were no issues of concern raised by Sport Wales at that point.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
So, there's that, which is separate to the kind of money that you're talking about, which is a grant specifically for the community game and the test that the WRU has to pass in order to qualify for grant funding for community and grass-roots rugby.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Well, I don't know—. In terms of the conditions of the grant—. So, we're talking about two different things here: we're talking about the loan and the grants—they're two different things. The loan was a COVID arrangement and there was a kind of legal contract…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Yes, yes, yes.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
—both at UK level and at Welsh level, and there are conditions. But as Steffan had already pointed out, there is a process that we go through to check all of those things. Culture is probably one of the most difficult things to define. It's very difficult…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Well, I don't think it's true to say that private businesses don't get support from Government, because they do—they get many millions in support from Government—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Potentially, potentially. I think these are options that we have to consider, Tom, because this has shone a light on, I think, a gap. There is a gap there that we—. What does somebody do when they feel they've exhausted processes? And, of course, if somebody…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Well, this is the point I was just saying in terms of the answer to Alun Davies, and one of the things that we have to consider is: is there a gap? Is there a gap beyond the national governing bodies—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
No, the WRU should have acted.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Yes. Jason.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Yes. Okay, yes, and as I said, I can't comment, Chair. I'm not trying to cop out here, I want to answer as fully as I possibly can, but I can't comment on what was happening before I was Minister.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Oh, well, I don't know.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Well, I do have regular—. I have weekly briefings with officials where, if you like, hot topics, current issues, anything that needs to be put on my radar are brought to my attention. And that happens on a weekly basis. They tend to be generally quite…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Yes.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Yes. Listen, I want to see these changes as much as anybody else does. If the external taskforce thought that I had anything that I could say to them that would help them in their deliberations, I'd be more than happy to do that, as I have been today in this…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Yes, I would, although what my input could be I'm not entirely sure.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Sure.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Yes, yes, yes—absolutely.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Yes. When we've thought it through and formulated some potential options, I think—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Yes, sure.
