ANGLESEY'S Assembly Member, who is junior rugby coach, discussed the importance of the game during a debate in the Senedd.

In a discussion at the National Assembly for Wales on Wednesday, the AM for Ynys Môn Rhun ap Iorwerth, said having a professional rugby region in north Wales would be a "major step forward."

Mr ap Iorwerth, a coach on Anglesey, made the case for having a professional team but "not at the expense" of what is in place in south Wales at present.

Assembly Members were debating the important of rugby in Wales, and its economic benefits and its special place in communities across Wales.

The debate followed concerns, voiced by fans, regarding a potential merger of the Ospreys and Scarlets’ regions, as the Welsh Rugby Union proposed changes to the professional structure in Wales.

The Plaid Cymru AM said: "If we are serious about making rugby a national game, then we must ensure that it’s a professional game at a national level too.

"The response of north Wales to the Wales under-20 games in Colwyn Bay is proof of the appetite that there is to see rugby at the highest level in north Wales.

“I delight in seeing the young boys that I train being selected for youth teams in north Wales. There were a dozen of them, almost, playing in games earlier this week.

“Getting a professional team, creating those idols for them in their own region, would be a major step forward, and I look forward to seeing this conversation continue.

"I hope that the end point will be to bring professional rugby to north Wales, taking nothing away from the excellent professional teams we already have in the south.”