Warren Gatland will not name his Wales team to face England in the Six Nations on Tuesday, as originally planned.

The Wales players are threatening strike action over contractual uncertainty. 

Despite months of discussions, the Welsh Rugby Union and the four Wales professional regions – Dragons, Cardiff, Ospreys and Scarlets – have not signed off on a six-year financial agreement.

Player strike

Gatland’s squad have set a Wednesday deadline for the deal to be agreed upon. They are threatening not to play the game against England at the Principality on Saturday. 

Reports suggest that if the match does not take place, it would cost Welsh Rugby £9m.

It is understood that the players want a place at Professional Rugby Board board meetings and the removal of the contentious 60-cap rule, whereby a player plying his trade outside the country cannot be picked for Wales unless he has made at least that number of Test appearances.

The players are also concerned about contracts having fixed-variable elements that could account for 20 per cent of their salaries. This would include factors like form, game time and availability.

Those contracts would guarantee a player only 80 per cent of their salary, with the remaining 20 per cent comprising bonuses.

Gatland said that the threat of the strike has not impacted his training sessions.

“The boys have been great in training. I have just got to put all that sort of stuff aside and make sure that we focus on the game,” the Wales boss said last week. 

“It hasn’t been the easiest few weeks, but sometimes that focuses the mind and gives you the resolve to focus on the job at hand, and that is preparing the team the best way we possibly can as a group as coaches for next week.”

For the first time in 16 years, Wales have lost their opening two games of the Six Nations. The last time they started a campaign with three losses was back in 2003 under Steve Hansen.  

READ MORE: Six Nations report card: Wales fail to impress in Warren Gatland’s first fortnight back in charge

The article Six Nations: Wales delay team announcement for in doubt England showdown amid player strike action appeared first on Planetrugby.com.