The five-year deal between the Welsh Rugby Union and Regional Rugby Wales should also avert any prospect of political civil war overshadowing Wales’ domestic and international season.

WRU chairman and former Wales captain Pickering said: “This is a significant moment in the modern history of Welsh rugby, and signals a period of great hope for the future.

“This agreement has been achieved through a meeting of minds across business and rugby expertise, and has therefore required a profound level of understanding and intelligent debate.

“The glue which has held the discussions together has undoubtedly been a shared passion for our national sport.

“We have been making decisions which fundamentally affect the direction Welsh rugby goes in future, and this agreement delivers on that responsibility.”

The agreement follows months of frosty relations between the WRU and RRW - the umbrella organisation for Wales’ four professional regional teams Cardiff Blues, Newport Gwent Dragons, Scarlets and Ospreys.

A deal was brokered after detailed discussions led by WRU chief executive Roger Lewis and his RRW counterpart Stuart Gallacher.

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 Six Nations Test for squad training.