London Welsh's journey back up the pyramid should give Wasps hope
After four promotions in four seasons, the storied club have exemplified what is possible with vision and leadership
By Charlie Morgan, Senior Rugby Writer 22 May 2023 ? 7:30am
London Welsh's great rebuild from the ashes of liquidation has provided Wasps with a blueprint as the club pick up the pieces after being barred from next season's Championship. And high on the list of lessons is this: the brand alone is not enough.
"It's a hell of a slog," concedes Cai Griffiths, the London Welsh director of rugby, who oversaw four promotions in four seasons before the side consolidated with a mid-table finish at level five, in Regional One South Central, this term.
If the statement they released last Thursday is anything to go by, Wasps harbour a desire to regroup and re-establish themselves among the higher tiers one day by leaning on their brand. To do this as the same entity, without the sensational leg-up of a 'franchise' place in the Championship, would require them to start at level 10, in Midlands Four West (North) or Midlands Four West (South) ? if, that is, they opt to stay in the same area and recruit an entire playing squad.
There is another option, which would require collaboration. When the professional arm of Welsh folded in January 2017 after falling into liquidation, the club's amateur side subsumed it. This effectively allowed the great rebuild to begin at level nine. Sonny Parker, the New Zealand-born former Wales centre, hopped between the organisations and was instrumental in the process. Some 15 months later, the first promotion arrived.
Ironically, after a five-year plan had been drawn up and Griffiths had joined from Bury St Edmunds, where he had been a player-coach, Welsh finished top of a Herts/Middlesex One league containing Wasps FC. Based in Acton, the amateur arm of Wasps currently sits in Counties Two Herts/Middlesex, or level eight.
Wherever the Wasps rebirth begins, Griffiths stresses that direction is as important as time and devotion. He points out that the Welsh squad that earned its first promotion in 2018 featured 90 per cent of the players that had scrapped in mid-table the previous season. They had been energised by a clear vision as well as the thrill of representing the same club as Mervyn Davies, John Dawes and co. Of course, there are perks, too.
"The heritage is fantastic but we have players that don't know what London Welsh was back in the 70s with their Lions and all that," Griffiths explains.
"We're lucky in that we play at Old Deer Park, which is fantastic, and get 600 to 1,000 people coming to the home games with the choir. We'll have about 100 travelling supporters for away games. There's our careers hub as well."
Haydn Parry has driven the latter initiative, which has helped around 50 players into jobs and is all the more important given Welsh have now risen into the ranks of semi-professionalism.
"There is no guaranteed employment but if someone has moved to London, we have a team that will identify the sector they are looking to work in, optimise their CV and do interview workshops with that individual to prepare them for any given recruitment process," Griffiths adds.
"There are between 15 and 20 mentors from a range of different industry sectors, and it's so important because we are not in a position to say 'here's 250 quid a game', where other teams are."
That is not to say that on-field ambitions have stalled at Welsh, for whom Gwyn Williams and Danny Griffiths, chairmen past and present, have been influential. Keeping the company of clubs like Wimbledon, Havant, Bournemouth and Bracknell last season has steeled them for the future.
"We knew that this season was going to be a massive step up for us," Griffiths says. "Sometimes success can paper over cracks because when you are beating teams by 20, 30, 40 points, is there much learning and growth in that period? Only a little bit, and mainly when you come up against better sides."
Two contrasting scorelines have given hope to Welsh. On the opening afternoon of the league season last September, they lost 56-17 at Maidenhead, who would eventually finish one spot above them in fifth. Griffiths was proud of a 20-10 triumph over the same opponents to end the campaign: "That's a good indicator that we're on the right trajectory for next season."
Pulling together three and five-year plans and investing in coaches would be Griffiths' other pointers for Wasps. Regardless of how weekend results keep a club chugging through the divisions, Tuesday and Thursday nights remain a measure of success.
"The brand holds a lot of weight and that's fine, but how much does it mean on a Tuesday and Thursday night, if that is when they train? Yes, they'll be playing for Wasps but those have to be meaningful, enjoyable sessions. The environment and the culture have to be right, otherwise they will go down the road to a different club and have a better time.
"Sometimes, we'll go out and have food together rather than train on the last Tuesday of a month. We have a good social calendar, which is really important at any rugby club. We have the careers hub and approachable coaches. The players have to feel valued as well.
"They'll be going through different things in life and they want to come somewhere they feel energised, where it's open and where they can have fun. Everyone wants to win, but enjoyment is a very big part of it."
Always a Wasp
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