Wales considering cut to two or three professional teams in 'radical' restructure

Irish Examiner

14-07-2025

The Welsh Rugby Union is considering halving the number of teams in Wales in the men's professional game.
Wales' four regions - Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets - compete in the United Rugby Championship, but the quartet have struggled in recent years amid claims the current model of funding professional rugby in Wales is unsustainable.
The WRU announced in May that it would move away from the framework of four evenly-funded clubs after Ospreys and Scarlets did not sign up to its new Professional Rugby Agreement.
Now the governing body has announced it will enter into formal consultation with Wales' four regional clubs and other key stakeholders that will lead to a domestic restructure by the 2027-28 season.
Listed in the "key potential developments" to be consulted upon, the WRU included: "Whether there should be a reduction to three or two regional men's teams, to ensure that we have teams that can compete at the top of the professional game."
The Union added: "The WRU board has already publicly confirmed it does not see the system continuing with the current model of four equally funded regional clubs in the senior men's game.
"The current rugby system in Wales, which includes national teams, professional clubs, community clubs, academies, universities and schools isn't delivering consistent success on the field and isn't currently financially sustainable given the likely investment required, even with the recent actions taken to increase financial resources.
"Based on its extensive work over the past 18 months, including ongoing consultation with the four professional men's clubs, the WRU is therefore considering a more radical strategy focused on maximising investment and reforming the whole structure of professional rugby in Wales (amongst other options).
"The changes would be aimed at boosting Welsh rugby as a whole: the academies, the Super Rygbi Cymru (SRC) and Celtic Challenge competitions (men's and women's semi-pro game), professional clubs and the national teams for both men and women."
Wales have been in a rut at international level for some time, with the men's national team having suffered 18 consecutive Test defeats before beating Japan on Saturday to square the two-match series in the Far East.
The women's team have also finished bottom of the last two Six Nations Championships, losing all five matches for the first time in the 2025 edition.
"The consultation will cover the entire high-performance framework from pathways to professional club structure and the senior men's and women's game," the WRU added.
The consultation period will take place over August and September.