"It’s something that we're looking into"- Steve Tandy opens up on potential Wales A return as reset continues

Wales A, the second national side behind the main Welsh rugby squad, has not played a game since April 2002. In 2003, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) withdrew from the A-team competition of the Six Nations due to costs.

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Four years later, the WRU reportedly turned down the invitation to play an A side in the 2008 Churchill Cup competition. 

Then, in 2011, the Welsh Rugby Players Association sought to bring the side back, and in 2014, it was announced that the A-team would return to play from 2015 onwards. 

Still to this day, that has not been the case as Wales still goes without a second team. In the 2002 A team Six Nations tournament under the guidance of Mike Ruddock, players included the likes of Shane Williams and Tom Shanklin. 

Fast forward to March 2026, and with the regional game in Wales under considerable strain and player depth a concern, this should be an almost no-brainer for the WRU. 

Exploring a revived second-tier representative team to bridge the gap between club and Test level will surely only benefit Welsh rugby moving forward. 

Instead of players being exposed to the brutality of Test match rugby from the off, an A team would give them an opportunity to play in meaningful fixtures. 

Speaking on the potential of a Wales A side in the not too distant future, Tandy added:

“For us going forward, the more we get aligned, the more exposure these boys get, the higher level games, that’s only going to benefit us. It’s definitely something behind the scenes that we are looking into. 

“Those types of things will enhance us, getting our group together more often. The size of the nation we are, we can do that better than anyone.”

Looking at other Six Nations sides, England A plays on a consistent basis, including a contest against an Ireland XV in recent weeks. Italy also fielded their second-tier representative side against a Scotland XV, as has France.

In the past, for Wales’ tours to the southern hemisphere or the Far East, it’s been used as a time for development for Wales. However, with the inaugural Nations Championship beginning this summer, with fixtures against Fiji, Argentina and South Africa, Tandy won’t have the luxury of nurturing inexperienced talent.

“We need to catch up faster than everyone else; that would be an awesome opportunity for us,” continued Tandy on the potential of a developmental side.