Warren Gatland welcomed the prospect of Qatari investment in rugby on Tuesday, insisting a new financial boost from the Middle East “is what the game needs”.
On Saturday, Wales coach Gatland will take his team to Twickenham for a clash against double world champions South Africa, with the Qatar Airways Cup on the line.
It is understood that both Wales and the Springboks will benefit financially from the match thanks to the Qatar Airways sponsorship deal. Qatar Airways is owned by the government of Qatar.
Qatar will also host the first Nations Championship starting in 2026, with organizers planning to host a “rugby Superbowl” in the country.
Playing the Nations Championship in a Middle Eastern country will allow the 12 competing national teams to earn £800m over an eight-year period.
While there is no doubt that such a huge sum of money would be welcomed by rugby after its recent monetary problems, some fear the sport will lose its identity by being played in Qatar.
Warren Gatland (pictured) welcomed potential Qatari investment in rugby
Wales will play South Africa on Saturday in the Qatar Airways Cup, which South Africa won last year after defeating New Zealand at Twickenham.
The game is sponsored by Qatar Airways, owned by the Qatari government.
“Take the money and run, that’s my approach,” Gatland joked when asked by MailSport for his opinion on rugby working with Qatar.
Gatland went on to clarify: “I think it’s what the game needs.” I care where the money comes from.
‘If there is an opportunity to consider external investment, I see no reason why rugby should not look at other opportunities. It has also been done in golf.
“There has been enormous tension, not just in Wales, but everywhere within rugby in recent years following Covid and the impact it has had.
“I definitely think there’s been a reset, but having that outside investment could be positive in terms of maybe growing the game globally as well.”
Qatar hosted the 2022 soccer World Cup, while many other sports, including golf, boxing and billiards, have held events both there and in nearby Saudi Arabia, despite concerns over rights issues. humans in both countries.
Gatland said there has been great tension in rugby following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gatland said he believes Qatar’s investment could be what the game needs.
Wales flanker Jac Morgan (centre) will miss the match against South Africa and their three-match tour of Australia.
The teams that will compete in the Nations Championship are those from the Six Nations, the four Rugby Championship teams, plus Fiji and Japan.
The top 12 unions are understood to have signed confidentiality agreements with Qatar which do not allow them to discuss the deal for now.
While other union leaders have refused to speak out on one of rugby’s big current issues, Gatland refused to dodge the question and deserves credit for doing so.
As a result, he became the first high-profile rugby figure to give his opinion on the issue.
“As long as we’re smart in terms of how we approach this, there’s an opportunity to grow the game, invest and put money back into the game,” Gatland said.
On Tuesday, Gatland named a rookie squad to face South Africa and confirmed flanker Jac Morgan will miss the match and their two-match tour of Australia with a hamstring injury.
Morgan co-captained Wales at last year’s World Cup but missed the Six Nations with a knee problem.
His latest fitness issue is a big blow for Gatland as Morgan would likely have captained Wales in both Tests with the Wallabies. Dewi Lake will do it against South Africa in his absence.
Rassie Erasmus’s Springboks will return to action this weekend for the first time since winning back-to-back World Cup titles last year and, unlike Wales, they have named a formidable team.
The difference in experience is summed up by the fact that South Africa lock Eben Etzebeth has 119 caps. Wales’ initial group for Saturday’s match at Twickenham has just 118 players combined.
Hooker Dewi Lake (right) will captain the team in Morgan’s absence against South Africa
Gatland has named a young team to face the Springboks this Saturday at Twickenham
“He’s pretty gutted,” Gatland said of Morgan. “He had a hamstring injury when he played against Munster. Unfortunately, he felt it again.
We scan it and discard it. ‘He is very disappointed.’