A WRU Youth Board, to be chaired by Group Chief Executive Martyn Phillips, is to be formed in January 2016 and the initiative was launched amid a flurry of activity on social media this week.
Young people aged between 16 and 21-years-old have been asked to submit a youtube video outlining their ideas to engage players, supporters, fans, volunteers and professionals in their own age group in the game of rugby union in Wales.
The concept was first presented to the WRU’s twitter followers and Facebook friends and immediately caught the imagination of many key opinion formers in the digital world.
Senior Welsh international players were quick to follow captain Sam Warburton (@samwarburton_ ) in spontaneously tweeting their support for the initiative with Jamie Roberts (@jamiehuwroberts), Leigh Halfpenny (@leighhalfpenny1), Alun Wyn Jones (@alunwynjones), Rhys Webb (@rhyswebb9) and Scott Baldwin (@scottbaldwin2) just a selection of those issuing endorsements.
Some of the greatest players to have retired from playing the game in recent – and not so recent – history have also sent their support with Shane Williams (@shanewilliams11), Jonathan Davies (@jiffyrugby), Rupert Moon (@rupertmoon) and Ryan Jones (@ryanjonesonline) all wading in.
Many other celebrities with an interest in Welsh rugby from referee Nigel Owens (@nigelrefowens) and World Rugby’s Brett Gosper (@brettgosper) to TV comedian Rhod Gilbert (@rhodsworkex) and Sport Wales CEO Sarah Powell (@spcawl10) have also hit the retweet button alongside hundreds of others.
The story on the WRU’s website – which hosts the apply now button and allows applicants to upload their youtube video – has also had hundreds of impressions and it has reached a Facebook audience of over 100,000 people so far.
Potential boardmembers have until Wednesday 25th November to apply with more information to be found here: www.wru.wales/youthboard
A shortlist of candidates will be invited to a selection day in Cardiff early next year and minimum tenure on the Board, which will meet quarterly, will be two years.
“The opinions of this group will be available to the decision makers within the governing body,” said Phillips.
“It is important for any business that young people are heard, especially on matters which are at the core of their experiences, like the drift away from the game by players in their late teens.
“The Rugby World Cup has enthused a huge new following for the game and we have a duty to keep as many of those fans as possible engaged in the sport.
“We must find ways of attracting more of these youngsters to be the players, coaches, volunteers and administrators for now and the future.
“I am forming the new WRU Youth Board because I genuinely believe that if we find the right young people the business will benefit from their insight and analysis on this and other issues.
”The WRU is achieving huge success in attracting the very young into the game, but in order to remain the national sport of Wales we have to keep more people, both male and female, engaged with rugby through long careers both on and off the pitch.”
