Warren Gatland has moulded a rugby force at international level which truly inspires us to follow their pathway to success.
The gritty performance against Fiji just four days after an epic win over England shows the rest of us just what can be achieved when expertise and preparation are complimented by pride, determination and courage.
It is timely that tomorrow (Sunday) our clubs will gather at the Vale Resort near Cardiff for the WRU Annual General Meeting where I will call on them to grasp the opportunities ahead.
Hard work across the past year has helped us deliver a record turnover of £64.2m which enabled us to allocate another record £22.6m back into the game at all levels in Wales.
As we focused on the business of rugby we made other significant changes which will shape the administration and delivery of rugby in our nation for years to come.
Off the field we welcome Martyn Phillips as our new Group Chief Executive who brings with him a wealth of experience at the sharp end of business in the UK.
The WRU Board he joins now has been bolstered with the appointment of two new independent non executive directors who have incredibly strong corporate backgrounds.
I want the clubs to know that these changes are already being reflected with a new way of working which has shown clear results across the past year.
The strong finances have enabled us to announce a new £650,000 facilities grant which will this year result in visible improvements across the rugby landscape.
Across the year we have reviewed and confirmed our national league structure, revamped and strengthened the Principality Premiership with a new 16 team format from next season and introduced a new Premiership cup competition.
I am also delighted by the close relationship we are building with our four Regions and I thank each of them for their hard work.
I was recently elected as deputy chairman of the Professional Regional Game Board and I am committed to making sure the Rugby Services Agreement is used as a roadmap to help us all make professional rugby work and not just as a set of rules to be regimentally followed.
Our compliment of Club Hub Officers in schools is doubling to more than 80 and we are experiencing measurable benefits in participation and club membership.
We have also introduced a team of Rugby Coordinators who will help facilitate that move from schools to clubs which must succeed to underpin our sustainability.
To support this work we have launched a Let us Play initiative which upholds the values of rugby and reassures parents that we are staying true to our heritage of fair play and character building sportsmanship.
With difficult issues like concussion in rugby and anti-doping here in Wales we are proving that we won’t shy away from problems. We have excellent initiatives in place and we will remain focused on these areas.
I want as many of you clubs as possible to attend our AGM because we must and will continue to work together to build on our strengths.
Good luck to Warren and his team for the next step in their Rugby World Cup journey and all of us in Welsh rugby will use that success to strengthen our resolve as we look to the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Thank you
