Home > About the WRPA
The Welsh Rugby Players Association (WRPA) is a not-for-profit registered trade union founded in 2003. It is the representative body and collective voice of professional rugby Players in Wales.
The membership of the WRPA is made up of Wales’s current rugby Players who play for the four professional regions; Cardiff Blues, Llanelli Scarlets, Neath Swansea Ospreys and the Newport Gwent Dragons. Membership also includes current Welsh Internationals who play outside of Wales.
The WRPA was established at a time when the game was in state of flux and the then nine professional clubs were reduced to five regional teams. It was the realisation that the professional game was changing forever that drove the leading players at the time to look at ways to protect themselves and their fellow Players. The WRPA’s first major task was to negotiate with the WRU to establish a proper rugby related insurance scheme for the first time to benefit all professional players in Wales.
The WRPA also set up a commercial arm for the Wales national team, Team Wales.
The WRPA has since evolved and continues to evolve with the purpose of protecting and representing all the needs and interests of its members. These interests include both rugby related and personal matters and you can find out more by perusing this website. As an overview, these include:
Rugby:
• collective representation on employment issues and representing individual players through any employment disputes
• collective representation on Player Insurance issues and representing individual players with their claims
• updating members on developments in relevant areas of law (e.g. tax, image rights and employment)
• developing a financial benefits package for all members
• monitoring anti-doping programmes
Personal:
• facilitating cost effective and good quality professional advice (lawyers, accountants and IFAs)
• providing advice, guidance and support on non-rugby career development through training and awareness programmes
• financial education of members
• providing a members’ affinity programme
• promoting personal well being
Mission Statement
‘To promote and protect the interests of the professional players in Wales’