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Page 2 of 2 Players as young as 15 and 16 being groomed for the international stage, as part of the union's academy, can now call on the legal skills of a Cardiff-based solicitor.REPORTS Sion Barry (Western Mail)
SPORTS solicitor Jason Smith has been appointed by the Welsh Rugby Union to give legal advice to the next generation of rugby stars. Players as young as 15 and 16 being groomed for the international stage, as part of the union's academy, can now call on the legal skills of the Cardiff-based solicitor. The WRU Academy of elite young players was formed three years ago with the aim of harnessing the top young rugby talent in Wales. The academy has widened its brief from an education of rugby excellence to include advice on nutrition, drugs, PR and the legal issues involved in being a leading sportsman Mr Smith, a partner with the Cardiff law firm Darwin Gray, said, "The legal issues of rugby are becoming really quite complicated, largely because of the introduction of big money into the sport. Those issues may not seem great for the current crop of 16-year-olds in the WRU Academy, but within a couple of years they could be faced with signing complex playing contracts and having to consider their own image rights, which is becoming very important for young players. "In the past the players had to either sort all this out themselves by relying on their own negotiating skills, take their chances with an agent or just accept what they were offered." Mr Smith, who has twice lectured to the 60-strong WRU Academy on the legal implications of being a rugby star, cites James Hook as a classic example of what can happen to a young player when fame and fortune suddenly comes knocking. He said, "Here is a young player who 12 months ago was playing semi-professionally for Neath and Wales under-21s. Suddenly, he's been talked of as one of the hottest properties in British rugby. "A rising star like James would need legal contract advice on a number of issues. For a player of his age, it's not just about getting the right deal financially - it's ensuring his welfare is properly looked after, his education is protected, and those all-important image rights." Wales coach Gareth Jenkins, whose own 50-page long WRU contract was negotiated and amended by Mr Smith, said, "We would always advise any young player to gain quality advice from an early age and my preferred route would be to get that through a contract lawyer than through an unqualified agent."
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