Welsh Rugby Players Association | |
| Founded | 2003 |
|---|---|
| Location | |
Executive Chairman | Ashton Hewitt |
Key people | Barry Cawte (CEO) |
| Website | wrpa |
The Welsh Rugby Players Association (WRPA) is a trade union representing athletes who currently play or who have played rugby union in Wales at a professional level. Founded in 2003, the WRPA aims to Represent, Develop, Promote and Protect all members in its association.
The association acts as a negotiator between players and their employer. They are involved with negotiating group contracts in areas such as match and win bonuses and act as a go-between in the event of disputes. This includes bringing industrial action if necessary. Recently, the WRPA has welcomed the Welsh 7's as members of the association.
The WRPA provides its members with a Personal Development Programme (PDP), which allows Personal Development Managers (PDM's) to undertake the personal development of players, whilst they continue to train as full-time professionals. The PDM's role is to support players in an array of areas including: Vulnerabilities, Careers & Education, Life Skills and "Mental Wellbeing".[citation needed]
The Welsh Rugby Players Association also provides it members support through its official charity, Second Half Rugby. The charity provides support to players who are facing hardship and are in times of need. Support is given to members over a range of areas whether it be financial, medical, integral or mental health related.
The WRPA headquarters are in Cardiff, Wales