:00:00. > :00:16.Good evening. Welsh rugby has been plunged into huge uncertainty this
:00:17. > :00:20.evening. The four regions have refused to renew a legal agreement
:00:21. > :00:22.with the Welsh Rugby Union by today's deadline. The so-called
:00:23. > :00:25.Participation Agreement sets out how the professional game is run and
:00:26. > :00:28.includes key issues such as finances and international player release.
:00:29. > :00:30.The regions say its financial terms aren't good enough, and the
:00:31. > :00:39.uncertainty over which tournaments they'll be playing in, is too great.
:00:40. > :00:43.Gareth Lewis reports. Time is finally up for the Welsh
:00:44. > :00:48.regions to put pen to paper. That deadline has passed without ink
:00:49. > :00:51.being spilt. But behind the scenes plenty of bad blood is being shed.
:00:52. > :00:54.The regions released a statement this afternoon saying they remained
:00:55. > :00:56.totally committed to working with the WRU and reaffirmed their
:00:57. > :00:59.commitment to the Rugby Champions Cup, a proposed European Cup run by
:01:00. > :01:07.the Six Nations committee, which they say would generate an extra ?12
:01:08. > :01:11.million. If no agreement can be reached on that tournament by the
:01:12. > :01:14.end of January, the regions will pursue further competition options.
:01:15. > :01:19.It's an open secret they're considering joining the English
:01:20. > :01:25.Premiership. The WRU issued a statement of their own. The union
:01:26. > :01:27.and chief executive Roger Lewis have been tight lipped over the past
:01:28. > :01:31.couple of months, but their intentions could now become clearer
:01:32. > :01:34.after a board meeting on Thursday. They could cut the regions' funding
:01:35. > :01:42.from next season, in effect put them out of business, and even set up new
:01:43. > :01:45.teams. The Blues' players have been preparing for tomorrow's match
:01:46. > :01:49.against the Dragons with a bold statement of their own for a cancer
:01:50. > :01:51.charity but they're caught in the middle. For the players themselves,
:01:52. > :02:00.this problem is particularly acute. For the rugby playing public, it is
:02:01. > :02:04.administration. But for the players, these are their incomes. There are
:02:05. > :02:08.contracts up for renewal and without a participation agreement, none of
:02:09. > :02:16.this can be solved. In the next four week 's, I think it will be a very
:02:17. > :02:20.interesting man for Welsh rugby. As are the fans - who have spoken with
:02:21. > :02:29.a collective voice with their sides under threat. And the players. More
:02:30. > :02:32.questions than answers, as Welsh rugby enters a potentially turbulent
:02:33. > :02:35.New Year. We have just had this statement from the Welsh Rugby
:02:36. > :02:39.Union, it says it is confident that Welsh professional sides will
:02:40. > :02:48.continue to take part in tournaments sanctioned by them but it did not
:02:49. > :02:51.specify which teams. It added it will discuss options on Thursday. A
:02:52. > :02:54.deal allowing Swansea City and the Ospreys to play at the Liberty
:02:55. > :02:57.Stadium is being investigated by the European Commission. Swansea Council
:02:58. > :03:01.has been asked to give details of funding arrangements at the venue,
:03:02. > :03:04.which it owns. Both clubs pay a nominal rent but contribute more
:03:05. > :03:06.than a million pounds in annual running costs. It's part of a
:03:07. > :03:18.Europe-wide inquiry into state aid in sport.
:03:19. > :03:22.The singer Katherine Jenkins has received an OBE in the New Year
:03:23. > :03:25.Honours, for her services to music and charity. Actress Ruth Jones and
:03:26. > :03:27.the Assembly's Presiding Officer, Rosemary Butler, were also awarded.
:03:28. > :03:39.Here's our Arts and Media Correspondent, Huw Thomas.
:03:40. > :03:43.It is her voice that has made her an international singing star but it is
:03:44. > :03:48.her dedication to charity as well as to music that have made Acra won an
:03:49. > :03:50.OBE in the New Year 's Honours, and award she said made her feel
:03:51. > :04:05.incredibly humble. Dash-macro one. Ruth Jones will collect an MBE for
:04:06. > :04:10.services to entertainment. I am genuinely comp demented, very
:04:11. > :04:17.shocked and delighted -- complemented. Tina Selby has been
:04:18. > :04:20.knitting hat is for the Armed Forces. From her home in Penarth in
:04:21. > :04:28.the Vale of Glamorgan, she has posted almost 15,000 woolly hats to
:04:29. > :04:33.regiments in Afghanistan. A letter arrived in the middle of November in
:04:34. > :04:38.a white envelope with Cabinet office, I thought I am in trouble
:04:39. > :04:41.for sending hats out to a war zone. But it said that I had been awarded
:04:42. > :04:47.a British Empire medal, unbelievable. Margaret Williams has
:04:48. > :04:54.also worked tirelessly to work help others. The charity ensures that
:04:55. > :05:00.children in North Wales can get help. I am absolutely thrilled and
:05:01. > :05:04.gobsmacked, over the moon. I find it bizarre because I am me. For
:05:05. > :05:12.services to culture, broadcasting and culture, Geraint Talfan Davies
:05:13. > :05:16.has made and OBE. He led the BBC in the 1990s and has since chaired the
:05:17. > :05:20.Arts Council and Welsh National Opera. There are more than anything
:05:21. > :05:29.is to do in Wales. Luckily, I have been able to get involved and I have
:05:30. > :05:34.had the advantage of working with very talented people. The assembly
:05:35. > :05:39.'s presiding officer is made a Dame in the New Year 's Honours, as well
:05:40. > :05:42.as chairing debates, Rosemary Butler has campaigned to increase the
:05:43. > :05:46.number of women in Welsh public life. In an interview recorded by
:05:47. > :05:51.her office, she vowed to continue to strive for better representation. I
:05:52. > :05:54.think we have achieved a lot but there is certainly a lot more to do.
:05:55. > :05:59.I am hoping that people coming behind me will carry on without
:06:00. > :06:03.work. -- with that work. Celebrities, charity workers and
:06:04. > :06:06.exceptional individuals across Wales have been honoured today and all
:06:07. > :06:08.enter the New Year with something to sing about.
:06:09. > :06:18.Time now for the weather forecast. Good evening. A very unsettled end
:06:19. > :06:24.to 2013. A few clear spells but also some blustery showers. Tonight,
:06:25. > :06:30.scattered showers, likely to be heavy at times. If you are heading
:06:31. > :06:35.out for New Year's Eve, an increasing chance of blustery
:06:36. > :06:39.showers through the night. A deep area of low pressure to the
:06:40. > :06:43.south-west of the UK pushes into the early hours, bringing further fronts
:06:44. > :06:47.from the Atlantic. The Met Office is again warning of heavy rain and
:06:48. > :06:54.strong winds tomorrow. A very wet and windy morning. Even more rain on
:06:55. > :07:01.high ground. Gale force winds across the coast. Eventually, easing,
:07:02. > :07:04.showers and drier spells later. But with river levels already high, and
:07:05. > :07:12.increased risk of localised flooding. A decent day on Thursday.
:07:13. > :07:17.But then with more rain, Thursday night into Friday, a changeable end
:07:18. > :07:21.to the week and it is looking unsettled into the weekend.
:07:22. > :07:24.That's Wales Today. Have a good evening and from all of us on the
:07:25. > :07:31.programme, Happy new Year. Good night.