ASSISTANT forwards coach Mefin Davies has spoken of his relief at leaving “the politics of Welsh rugby” behind him as he bids to build his career at Worcester Warriors.
The former Wales international joined the backroom staff at Sixways in the summer after stepping down as head coach of Premiership Principality side Swansea.
The move also ended his four-year stint in his home country where he took on the role of development coach at Ospreys after calling time on his playing career.
But Davies told The Observer he grew increasingly frustrated at the dispute between the four regions and the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) as they attempted to set out a plan for the domestic game.
Having had successful spells with Gloucester and Leicester Tigers, Davies, who won 38 caps for Wales, admitted he was keen to return to England, which was why he took the job at Warriors.
“I had good experiences playing in England – firstly with Gloucester and then with Leicester as there were always big crowds and it was just a great league to play in,” Davies said.
“But another major factor for me was that I wanted to get away from the politics of the game in Wales. I came through and played for Celtic Warriors, which got disbanded, so I moved to Gloucester, which was great. I then went back thinking things were all sorted and they were actually worse.
“I don’t want to talk too much about it, but at that time nobody knew what the future held in Wales because of the anticipation of the agreement with the WRU.”
A new six-year proposal was finally signed in August and bosses behind the £60million Rugby Services Agreement believe it will help to retain and develop homegrown talent as players would be tied to dual contracts.
But Davies admitted England’s youth system was a step ahead and sees Warriors’ success in the Aviva A League as an example of where Wales can learn.
“The good thing being at a club like Worcester is that everybody is fighting for a spot in the first team and the A League and the British & Irish Cup is all part of a pathway to the top,” Davies added.
“England is a step ahead in terms of having a full list of A team fixtures and not just a one-off game. That means players are playing with the incentive of a semi-final and final and if they play well they could get the chance to get into the first team which is very healthy.
“I just want to make sure the players are getting better as I want us to be successful, so we’re in those play-offs in May and then it is show time.”