The deal was agreed between the WRU and Regional Rugby Wales, an umbrella organisation representing Cardiff Blues, Newport Gwent Dragons, Scarlets and Ospreys.

WRU chief executive Roger Lewis said: “This agreement is a historic landmark for Welsh rugby and will help shape the future of our national game.

“At its heart it gives the regions the financial security to carry out a mandate to recruit and develop Welsh international players.”

The main points include match squads for all regional games containing an average of 17 players qualified to play for Wales, while international players will be be released from their regions 13 days before a first autumn or RBS6 Nations Test for squad training.

From now on, the Wales team will be able to play up to 13 international matches, plus two more non-international games on an agreed tour every year, with the appropriate training release times built in.

Additionally, WRU funding to the four regions will increase from £3.6 million a year to £6million.

The new participation agreement and a so-called rugby charter will effectively shape the elite game in Wales until 2014 and beyond.

It will be monitored by a management board consisting of representatives from the four regions and the WRU.

Lewis said: “We have achieved an agreement which is rooted in the best interests of the whole of Welsh rugby, because a winning Wales will deliver the support and commercial success we need to sustain rugby at all levels across our nation.

“It is a wide-ranging agreement which required a lot of hard work to complete, and I want to publicly thank everyone who has helped devise and broker it.

“It was never going to be easy to achieve, but we have all remained totally focused through the passion we all share for Wales and Welsh rugby.

“Now, a lot of hard work lies ahead of us all in turning this agreement into a body of work which truly shapes the future of our game.”

And RRW counterpart Stuart Gallacher added: “It has taken a tremendous amount of hard work and compromise, but both sides have remained determined to get this deal over the line.

“I believe this agreement delivers to the WRU what it has wanted to achieve for a very long time in that it guarantees the release of Welsh players to pull on the international jersey.

“What we now have is a very clear contract which delivers what we all need, and I am absolutely certain that all four regions will honour the commitments we have agreed.”