The salary cap for playing staff in SRC, which gets under way on 12 September, has gone up to £160,000 after being £150,000 last season.

“At the moment we don’t know what ‘significant investment’ could be but one thing that we are committed to is working with the 10 clubs individually and collectively to get their feedback, thoughts and ideas as part of the consultation process,” said WRU head of player development John Alder.

“Whatever the future looks like, SRC has an integral role to play and we have to figure out how we can keep driving standards up.

“It will be an interesting six weeks and we will just have to wait to discover what comes from the conversations at all levels.

“We will ensure that the 10 SRC clubs are heard and they are part of the process because we are committed to continually improving the competition.”

The SRC clubs are due to meet on 9 September and will discuss their approach to the WRU proposals, which could see a change to their relationships with regional academies.

“No club will ever turn their nose up at significant investment but we need to see what that means, and indeed if it’s even there,” said Jon Jones, chairman of Ebbw Vale and representative for the SRC clubs.

“We need a clearer picture of what the plans are and to get some detail, but we have a really good relationship with the Union and I am sure we will have those discussions.”