Dai Young Appointed as Wasps Director of Rugby

Dai Young leaves the Cardiff Blues to take up the Director of Rugby position at London Wasps, it has been announced today.

Well that was the worst kept secret in rugby. Dai Young has finally been announced as the new London Wasps Director of Rugby, hours after resigning from his role with the Cardiff Blues.

What is more surprising is the revelation that Wasps haven’t bothered talking to Cardiff officially, and so no compensation package has been agreed. Peter Thomas, the Cardiff Blues Chairman is rather insistent that Wasps will be made to pay for poaching their head man and says he is considering legal action.

“Dai has a contract of employment with the Cardiff Blues which still has a year to run on it.

“That contract safeguards both him and us.

“If Wasps want to take him out of that contract and employ him themselves they have to address the issue of

Dai Young Joins London Wasps

compensation.

“If they go ahead and unveil him as their new director of rugby without addressing the compensation issue, then legal action will follow.

“We will take legal action against them and against Dai.

“Dai is still in contract with the Blues. He has just completed his month of June and been paid for that in full.

“Wasps have to address the matter and pay the Blues compensation.

“What makes them think they can just take away a director of rugby that has been a player and coach here for 14 years?

“I am bitterly disappointed for Dai that it has come to this.

“But I am a chairman of a company. I have 1,000 shareholders.

“If I don’t see that this is properly addressed, then my shareholders will be saying ‘Why did you allow it to happen?’.

“When Neil Jenkins came to Cardiff from Pontypridd in 1999, I paid full compensation.

“When Rob Howley went to Wasps in 2003, they paid us full compensation.

“When Xavier Rush didn’t go to Ulster, I paid full compensation.

“Wasps should do the same over Dai.”

There are rumours on the message boards that Dai Young is actually able to leave following contractual breaks by Cardiff over late payment of wages to himself and players, which presumably Peter Thomas was trying to cover for there with his ‘has been paid through June’ comment. That said these are just rumours and as far as we are aware do not effect the contract.

Dai though has been looking to the future with Wasps, where he will be joining Nicky Robinson again, following Nicky’s move to Wasps from Gloucester earlier in the season. He gave an interview to Talking Rugby’s Nick Heath who was talking to him for RFU.com

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He talks about his “big commitment” to Wasps, and how he expects to be challenging for Henieken Cup rugby – but he also plays downs expectations and hints that he will be having to use his academy a lot. Which is why I was confused by his going to Wasps anyway.

The Blues have ageing stars waining in influence, and some very talented players coming through. They also have money problems and fans unimpressed with the board. By contrast Wasps have ageing stars waining in influence, and some very talented players coming through. They also have money problems and fans unimpressed with the board.

Hmmm.

But anyway Dai had this to say

“the board are realistic about where we are, the only thing that the have talked about is making sure that we start to head in the right direction”

“Board are realistic enough to know there are a lot of good teams out there…but they have demonstrated already with the quality of players that they have bought in over the summer they are certainly going to be in a better state next year”

“I’m a big believer in the academy systems as well. If you look at when Wasps were great a lot of the players actually came through the academy, weren’t actually bought in. It’s all about a balance, yes you want to get your top stars in here, but as well as that you’ve got to work on bringing people through as well.

We’ve got to get the culture and the environment right, there’s a number of fronts that we need to work on.

I’m going to give this club everything, determined to make a success of it and realistic enough to know it’s not going to happen over night.

As a Wasps regular attendee I am glad to see him there, I just can’t understand what he is doing choosing Wasps!

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