Legendary rugby union referee Nigel Owens believes Welsh rugby should be looking to replicate the Irish set-up. 

Owens spent 23 years as a man in the middle and has since turned his hand to punditry since retiring in 2020. 

A Wales native, Owens believes his country's rugby system will benefit by adopting a similar style to Ireland. 

Writing in his WalesOnline column, Owens said: "The school system in Ireland is very strong, the Schools' Cup gets sold-out grounds, which is very similar to what it's like in New Zealand too. But here, our system is just all over the place.

"We must remember that here in Wales, we have wonderful community clubs who are vital to the success of Welsh rugby, as well as the schools, colleges and academies. They need to be an integral part of the system and development of our future players.

"We need a director of rugby to oversee all of this, work alongside the national team coach and sort out all of this out, so everybody is singing from the same hymn sheet. For me, everything should be coming under the umbrella of the WRU, the schools, academies and the clubs and everything all the way through."