Five Wales stars join major new academy plan as WRU rejects partnership

An alternative academy network featuring a host of former Wales internationals is set to be rolled out across Wales after the Welsh Rugby Union declined to enter a proposed strategic partnership with Indigo Group.

The company, which has previously been a WRU sponsor, says its National Rugby Academy Network will now move ahead independently, with former Wales stars including Jonathan Davies, James Hook, Taulupe Faletau and Scott Baldwin, along with former rugby league star Ben Flower involved in the project.

Level four coaches, including Duane Goodfield, will oversee coaching quality across the network, which Indigo says will provide an additional development layer for young players without taking them away from their existing clubs and schools.

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The academies will offer coaching, athletic development, player profiling, mentoring and opportunities to progress towards representative rugby, while players continue to train and play for their grassroots teams.

Costs are still being finalised but it is expected to cost between 30-40 per month for each player.

The group is also developing the Indigo App, which it says will create commercial benefits for families and generate new investment into grassroots rugby.

It also plans to establish the Indigo Rugby Benevolent Trust to help families facing financial difficulties with academy membership, kit, equipment, travel and representative opportunities which will also pay for those who can't afford it.

The announcement follows a formal response from the WRU to Indigo's proposed Strategic Partnership Framework. Indigo says the union shares some of its objectives, including strengthening clubs and schools, developing coaches and widening participation, but does not want to enter into a formal partnership at this stage.

The academy will focus on children from the ages of 12-14. It's proposed player pathway is school & community rugby, development in the Indigo Academies before going on to representative opportunities in a East Wales and West Wales team.

Following on from that the best players will go on to the regional and national pathways.

Indigo says its approach will place greater emphasis on long-term potential rather than early selection, taking account of technical, tactical, physical and behavioural development.

Its plans include an East v West Wales representative programme and festival, although Indigo stresses these would be additional opportunities rather than replacements for existing WRU competitions.

We recognise that the Union has every right to develop its own strategy for Welsh rugby," said Indigo Group CEO Ian Cole-Wilkins.

"Where I think we disagree is whether we should wait for that strategy to be completed before creating additional opportunities that can be delivered now.

We cannot answer those questions for the WRU. What we can do is get on with the things within our control.

Families involved in grassroots rugby are already paying: club subscriptions, boots and kit, travel, fundraising, and often hundreds of hours of their time.

"The challenge is to make rugby as affordable as possible and make sure no child is excluded from an opportunity because their family cannot afford it.

The Indigo App is designed to change the economics for families.

"Based on our current commercial model, an active family should be able to access savings and benefits worth in excess of five times their Academy spend.

"Our Academies are not designed to take children away from their clubs or schools, and they are not designed to replace the established pathway.

"We respect that the WRU has chosen not to enter into the partnership we proposed, but that decision does not require Indigo to stop.

"So we are moving from proposal to delivery. If the WRUs strategy develops in a way that creates opportunities for genuine collaboration, our door remains open. In the meantime, we will build.

The WRU has planned to invest 28m into the pathway over the next five years with the return of a national academy planned.

But the WRU recently had to postpone plans to TUPE all regional academy staff over to the governing body due to financial reasons.

The WRU declined to comment.

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