Richard Collier-Keywood, the chair of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), has stated that he is "embarrassed" by Wales' 73-0 defeat against South Africa and wants to continue in his role. The WRU's first independent chair since 2023, Collier-Keywood was visibly shaken after watching the match, describing it as a "massive mismatch" and stating that it showed how far Welsh rugby has to go.
Collier-Keywood attributed the team's poor performance to a lack of preparation and strategy, saying: "I felt very disappointed, very upset, it was hard to take. I was embarrassed, yes. Any Welsh person sitting there would have been embarrassed." He added that the loss was "clearly a massive mismatch" and showed how far Wales had to go in terms of improving their game.
Despite the poor performance, Collier-Keywood remains committed to his role at the WRU and wants to push through major changes to improve the sport. He backed director of rugby Dave Reddin as a "breath of fresh air" and expressed optimism about the future of Welsh rugby.
The WRU's financial report also showed improvement in terms of turnover and losses, with overall losses falling from £10.1m in 2024 to £7.2m. However, Collier-Keywood noted that last year's figure should be revised down to £0.8m due to exceptional circumstances, including redundancy payments and legal fees.
Collier-Keywood has been under pressure since his appointment in 2023, with Wales losing 21 of their last 23 internationals. However, he remains confident in his ability to lead the WRU and drive positive change in the sport.
Collier-Keywood attributed the team's poor performance to a lack of preparation and strategy, saying: "I felt very disappointed, very upset, it was hard to take. I was embarrassed, yes. Any Welsh person sitting there would have been embarrassed." He added that the loss was "clearly a massive mismatch" and showed how far Wales had to go in terms of improving their game.
Despite the poor performance, Collier-Keywood remains committed to his role at the WRU and wants to push through major changes to improve the sport. He backed director of rugby Dave Reddin as a "breath of fresh air" and expressed optimism about the future of Welsh rugby.
The WRU's financial report also showed improvement in terms of turnover and losses, with overall losses falling from £10.1m in 2024 to £7.2m. However, Collier-Keywood noted that last year's figure should be revised down to £0.8m due to exceptional circumstances, including redundancy payments and legal fees.
Collier-Keywood has been under pressure since his appointment in 2023, with Wales losing 21 of their last 23 internationals. However, he remains confident in his ability to lead the WRU and drive positive change in the sport.
. a 73-0 defeat can be humbling, but it's what happens after that matters. does he have the right to want to continue when he's visibly shaken? is it courage or denial? i think about how we react to failure, as individuals and as communities... do we internalize our embarrassment, or do we use it as fuel to push forward? Collier-Keywood wants to make changes, but what if those changes are just a Band-Aid on a much deeper wound? 
73-0 is just insane! I mean, you can't just lose by that much and expect everyone to be okay with it 
. Collier-Keywood's embarrassment is understandable tho, he gotta take responsibility for that team's performance. And yeah, a lack of prep and strategy is a big part of the problem 
. Still need to work on that game tho 
! He seems like he's got his priorities straight and wants to make things better for Welsh rugby. Now if only they can sort out their international games 
. personally, i think its great that hes willing to make changes and push through with plans, even if it means takin a hard look at the team and strategy. all this fuss over 73-0 loss is just a normal part of sports, teams go thru ups & downs. i dont get why ppl are so quick to doubt him 
The WRU needs to take a hard look at themselves and figure out why they're not producing top-notch results. It's not like Collier-Keywood hasn't been warning us about this for ages... 
. Collier-Keywood can be all dramatic about it, but let's be real, Wales has been having an identity crisis on the pitch for years now 
. but i think its good to hear that he's still committed to making changes & pushing for improvement 
. its not easy leading a team through tough times, especially after losing so many matches 
. And don't even get me started on the finances, £10.1m loss? That's just embarrassing 
just saw that Richard Collier-Keywood is still trying to salvage what's left of Welsh rugby after a 73-0 beating 
. I mean, come on, 73-0! That's not even close 
. And poor preparation and strategy? Yeah, that's just code for "we got beat so badly we don't know what to do next 
. On the bright side, his financial report shows some improvement, but let's not get too excited here 
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those losses might not be ideal, but £0.8m is still a lot better than £10.1m 
the fact that wales are struggling so much is pretty scary, especially with their last 23 internationals going downhill 
collier-keywood's optimism about the future is nice to hear, though 
maybe they can turn it around and become a force in rugby again 
. and, on a slightly different note, £0.8m losses last year? that's actually not bad news 
maybe with some new strategies and stuff they can turn it around 
. As a fan of Welsh rugby, it's hard not to feel a bit deflated after watching such a massive mismatch. However, I think Collier-Keywood's commitment to reforming the team and pushing for positive change is definitely worth keeping an eye on 
. The fact that he's backing director of rugby Dave Reddin as a "breath of fresh air" gives me some hope that things might be looking up 
. It's also interesting to see the WRU's financial report showing improvement in terms of turnover and losses – maybe Collier-Keywood's on the right track, even if the rugby isn't quite there yet 
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I gotta say, I'm a bit surprised Collier-Keywood is still on board after that thrashing 
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. Otherwise, it's just a waste of time and money 
I mean I've seen some tough losses before but 73-0 is just crazy 
Collier-Keywood has a right to feel embarrassed, it's like watching your team get absolutely thrashed 
But at the same time, he's still sticking by his guns and wanting to make changes