Cardiff Rugby Ltd to run its professional rugby team, with former player and successful businessman Peter Thomas its first Chairman – a position he would continue to hold for the next 23 years. Cardiff were among the clubs pushing hard for the creation of an Anglo Welsh or British League in the late 1990s, which would put them in frequent conflict with the Welsh Rugby Union. This culminated in the "rebel season" of 1998/99. Thomas would refer to the WRU as "an amateur body living in the dark ages." The next few seasons saw multiple plans for the future of Welsh professional rugby put forward. A solution known as the "gang of six" proposal also included Cardiff but was defeated by a vote of the 237 WRU member clubs. By 2002, after years of financial problems and bitter wrangling, nine clubs remained at the top of the Welsh game. A solution was finally accepted by new WRU CEO David Moffett and it was agreed that five teams would take part in future professional competitions. Cardiff and Llanelli were to be "standalone" teams, meaning that they would not have to amalgamate with any of the other professional clubs. After a period of considering different names including "Cardiff 76ers" and "Cardiff Blue and Blacks", Cardiff settled on "Cardiff Blues". Dai Young years Difficult first seasons Dai Young had first been appointed Head Coach at the Arms Park in 2002, after the early departure of South African coach Rudy Joubert. Since his return from rugby league in 1996, Young had played in Cardiff teams that had won the 1999-2000 Welsh-Scottish League title, and had played in the latter stages of the Heineken Cup every season (apart from the 1998/99 "rebel season") until 2001/02. But over the two seasons running up to what became known as Welsh rugby's "regionalisation", cut backs had been made at the Arms Park and high profile players like Gareth Thomas, Jonathan Humphreys, Rob Howley and Neil Jenkins had left. Nevertheless, the first squad as Cardiff Blues could still call on quality Welsh internationals like Rhys Williams, Tom Shanklin, Iestyn Harris and Martyn Williams, who would compete for Wales at the 2003 Rugby World Cup. Popular Canadian forward Dan Baugh and veteran South African centre Pieter Muller also remained at the club. Aside from these few star names, the first squad under the Cardiff Blues brand was largely made up