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Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Wales considering cut to two or three professional teams in 'radical' restructure
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.
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
Welsh Rugby Union considering cut to two or three regional teams in 'radical' restructure
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.
Wales Online
07-07-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Anglo-Welsh league moves close if Wales cuts to two teams in new twist
Anglo-Welsh league moves close if Wales cuts to two teams in new twist Talks have been happening behind the scenes and it is thought two Welsh teams would be welcome to join England's best An Anglo-Welsh league could be back on the table (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd ) An Anglo-Welsh league is on the table if the Welsh Rugby Union can reduce the number of professional clubs in Wales from four to two, WalesOnline has learnt. The professional game in Wales is set for its biggest transformation since the inception of regional rugby in 2003, with a reduction from four to two clubs the current direction of travel. An Anglo-Welsh league has been the preference of Welsh rugby powerbrokers for quite some time and it is now a very real possibility. Sources in England have told WalesOnline there is a strong desire within the English game to add two extra teams to the Gallagher Premiership, with both PRL and the Rugby Football Union in favour of including a couple of Welsh clubs. PRL considered a merger with the United Rugby Championship last season which would have created an Anglo-Welsh conference but opted against it. English rugby is also set for significant change with the Premiership set to turn into a franchise league with a centralisation of commercial deals and relegation scrapped. After London Irish, Wasps and Worcester Warriors went to the wall a few years ago the Premiership has had to rethink its strategy and it hopes the new franchise model would make the league more financially secure while also giving it the best chance of attracting new investment. Article continues below There are talks under way to transfer two Welsh clubs out of the United Rugby Championship and into the Premiership. A move to the Premiership would be transformational for Welsh rugby and would almost certainly lead to an increase in interest, crowds, a better TV deal along with the potential to attract more lucrative sponsors and investment than if they remained in the URC. The WRU and its four professional clubs - Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets - are currently working hard behind the scenes to come up with a solution. Following the Ospreys and Scarlets' decision not to sign the new Professional Rugby Agreement following the WRU's acquisition of Cardiff the future of the professional game has been thrown into question. There is an acceptance across the board that things cannot continue as they are with retaining the status quo no longer a viable option. The men's national side have lost a record 18 Test matches in a row with last Saturday's 24-19 defeat against a poor Japan side arguably Wales' worst defeat since the game turned professional. This shocking run of results will have serious financial ramifications for the game in Wales and the WRU's priority is to create a structure whereby the national side can start winning regularly again. There is agreement across the board that young Welsh players need to be playing in teams who are regularly competing and winning big European knockout games. To do this it is estimated there will need to be playing budgets of at least £9m with significant investment into the academies, the pathway and Super Rygbi Cymru. This cannot be achieved with four teams and a concentration of talent should uplift standards across the board and potentially lead to Wales being granted entry to an Anglo-Welsh league. Were the WRU to pull its teams out of the URC it could potentially be liable to fines from the competition but this is not certain. As exclusively revealed by WalesOnline last month one potential option the URC are looking at is bringing in two American franchises based out of Chicago and Miami, while Georgian outfit Black Lion and South African side the Cheetahs are other potential options. Article continues below But if the URC was to go down the US route it is expected to be extremely lucrative which would offset the potential loss of the Welsh sides. Any change to the number of professional teams in Wales or a potential change of competition is targeted for the 2026/27 season.
Wales Online
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Today's rugby news as future of Welsh game to be decided and Farrell to make big announcement
Today's rugby news as future of Welsh game to be decided and Farrell to make big announcement The latest rugby news from Wales and beyond The WRU and the country's four professional teams are set to meet to discuss the future of Welsh rugby (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd ) Here's your round-up of all the latest rugby news for Wednesday, June 18. Future of Welsh game set to be decided The future direction of the professional game in Wales could be decided today in a meeting between the Welsh Rugby Union and its four professional clubs - Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets. Welsh rugby powerbrokers are seriously considering cutting the number of professional clubs in Wales to three if not two, while a tiered funding model is another option. All four clubs were on the verge of signing a new Professional Rugby Agreement (PRA) but the WRU's takeover of Cardiff after the club entered administration changed everything. Both the Ospreys and Scarlets were concerned the WRU could turn Cardiff into a "super region" which would disadvantage the west Wales clubs. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. In the end both Cardiff and the Dragons signed the new PRA which includes increased and fixed funding along with significant debt relief. Article continues below But the west Wales duo opted against it prompting the WRU to activate the two-year notice clause on the old PRA. That left the professional game in Wales on a precipice with the WRU announcing it would no longer fund four clubs equally. But the direction of travel is pointing towards a reduction of professional teams. The WRU are expecting to reveal their plan in a Professional Rugby Board meeting later today. Farrell to name team to face Argentina British & Irish Lions boss Andy Farrell is set to name his squad for the upcoming warm-up clash with Argentina today. The Lions taken on the Pumas in Dublin on Friday night, with captain Maro Itoje expected to earn his 100th Test cap in international rugby. Blair Kinghorn is still unavailable due to Toulouse reaching the Top 14 semi-finals, while Will Stuart has been tipped to feature in some form, with Farrell seemingly short on tighthead prop options. Zander Ferguson has been ruled out for the start of the tour and has been replaced in the squad by Finlay Bealham, who seems likely to start. Tadhg Furlong, meanwhile, remains a fitness concern. Jack van Poortvielt is unlikely to feature as he was drafted in purely for training purposes. Instead, Tomos Williams and Alex Mitchell are expected to battle it out for the starting scrum-half role. Farrell is set to name his squad at 4pm BST. Farrell Jnr not thinking about Lions call Meanwhile, Owen Farrell says he's not thinking about the possibility of a late call from his dad to join up with the Lions squad, having secured a return to Saracens. The 33-year-old has cut short his stay in France with Racing 92, having previously announced he was stepping away from Test rugby with England after the 2023 World Cup. However, he insists he hasn't retired from international rugby. The fly-half wasn't included in the 38-man squad picked by his dad last month, but he has nevertheless left the door open for a potential late call. 'There's nothing for me to do other than concentrate on getting myself back (at Saracens) and getting myself in the best place I possibly can do. Everything else is hypothetical," he said. Asked if the prospect of being drafted in by Farrell senior was a reasonable one, he added: 'I'm not thinking like that. I think if you do start thinking like that you can tie yourself in knots. All that I can do is focus on what I've got going on and get myself in the best place I can be.' Ford hungry for more PA staff George Ford remains 'hungry' for more challenges ahead as he closes in on a century of England Test appearances. The Sale fly-half is in line to become only the seventh man to reach the century milestone when England tour Argentina and the United States next month. With players who have been called up to the British and Irish Lions for their tour to Australia not considered for selection, both Fin Smith and Marcus Smith will not be involved for the two Tests against the Pumas or the match with the USA at Audi Field in Washington on July 19. Ford – part of Steve Borthwick's 36-man training squad for next weekend's match against a France XV – played in the 2019 World Cup final and has won three Six Nations titles as well as the Premiership twice with Leicester. The 32-year-old, though, remains determined to deliver more at the highest level. 'It (100 caps) is a milestone and one I would be very proud to achieve. To get anywhere near 100 caps for your country shows the level of consistency you need to do that,' Ford told reporters at England's training base in Bagshot. 'Having said that, I am not looking to get to 100 and stop. It is not the end goal, 100 and I will walk away into the distance. 'I still believe that I can perform and play at this very top level and I am excited and hungry to do so. 'When or if it happens, you make your family proud – that is the biggest thing for me. 'The commitment and choices and sacrifice they have made to allow me to have the career I have had; milestones are nice for people like my family.' Ford feels being deployed in a 'game manager's position' at the heart of the side can help eke a few more years out of a playing career. 'I think fly-half, scrum-half, it is one of the few positions where you probably see people like Johnny Sexton, Dan Biggar, going into their late 30s,' Ford said. 'You are in a game manager's position and you are in the middle of the field. A lot of it is mental and experience, managing games and making decisions, influencing the team. 'As opposed to a winger, where physically you probably have to be at the top of your game. 'I think it's got the potential to do that. I feel good physically, I am hungry, that is the important thing. Article continues below 'I am still driven to play at this top level and perform at the top level. I am probably as motivated as I have ever been.'
Wales Online
16-06-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
The people in the room who are now deciding Welsh rugby's future
The people in the room who are now deciding Welsh rugby's future There are a number of key stakeholders A significant Welsh rugby meeting will be held on Wednesday (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd ) Behind closed doors, the future structure of the professional game in Wales is being decided and all the signs are that big change is coming. The Welsh Rugby Union and its four professional clubs - Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets - are currently locked in discussions as to what the best way forward for Welsh rugby is. Just a few short months ago Welsh rugby was set to continue with four clubs but as it stands there is the very likely possibility of reducing to three or two professional sides, while a tiered funding model is also under consideration. A crucial Professional Rugby Board (PRB) meeting is set for Wednesday this week where the direction of travel is expected to become clearer. But who are the key players involved in shaping the direction of professional rugby in Wales? Here are the people in the room and influencing talks in the corridors of power. WRU and Cardiff Of course, WRU CEO Abi Tierney and chair Richard Collier-Keywood are key players here. As CEO the onus is on Tierney to reach a solution with the professional clubs to take to the WRU board for approval. Tierney had settled on a new Professional Rugby Agreement (PRA25) which would have resulted in both fixed and an increased level of funding but crucially the debt acquired during Covid would also get refinanced. Article continues below All four sides were about to sign but the WRU's takeover of Cardiff after the club fell into administration changed everything. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. In the end the Dragons signed PRA 25 but both the Ospreys and Scarlets had serious doubts over the fairness of the union owning Cardiff, fearing they may turn the capital city club into a "super region" at the expense of the other three. They refused to sign, which prompted the WRU to activate the two-year notice clause on the previous PRA and set in motion big change. As a result, PRA 25 is off the table for the west Wales clubs and there is no going back, meaning a new structure for the professional game is in the offing. Tierney is tasked with coming up with the optimum structure for the professional game. The consistently poor performances of the men's national team who have lost a record 17 Test matches on the bounce will have financial ramifications for the rest of the game. As far as the WRU are concerned they have to find a way to get the national team winning consistently again because this pays for the rest of the game in Wales. With this in mind chief financial officer Leighton Davies, who is also the chief commercial officer, has a big part to play. The WRU needs to find the best model where it cannot just fund professional teams to survive but also give them the platform to thrive. It is accepted for the men's national team to get back to pre-2019 levels it needs professional teams competing for European silverware every season, which means the playing budgets need to be in the region of £9m, with significantly higher investment into the academies. Can they do this with four professional clubs? PRB chair Malcolm Wall - who is also on the WRU board - will also have a big role to play, while the likes of independent non-executive directors like Andrew Williams and Jamie Roberts will inevitably have a say. It would also be very strange if the WRU's new director of rugby and elite performance Dave Reddin was not also consulted. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. Reddin does not start in a permanent capacity until September but he is heavily involved in the search for a head coach and must surely have an opinion on what the optimum structure for Welsh rugby looks like. Dragons RFC The Dragons have signed PRA 25 which means they will have fixed and increased funding for the next three years. Historically they have been the weakest Welsh club but have the best balance sheet and own their own stadium. There are four key figures here in the ownership group which includes the chair David Wright along with David Buttress and Hoyoung Huh. Highly-rated CEO Rhys Blumberg also represents the Dragons on the PRA, so he is also a key figure here. Ospreys As the CEO, Lance Bradley has been the voice of the Ospreys for the past 18 months and has regularly fronted up to both supporters on social media and the press. Despite a period of huge uncertainty Bradley has moved to assure Ospreys supporters the redevelopment of St Helens will be going ahead. The Ospreys submitted a planning application a couple of weeks ago and intend to move into their new home by the end of the year. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free But given the WRU have called in the two-year notice on PRA 23, the future of both the Ospreys and Scarlets cannot be guaranteed. But when it comes to decision making at the Ospreys surrounding the new structure of Welsh rugby, majority shareholders Y11 Sport & Media, along with former chairman and significant funding director Rob Davies are the key players. Along with Davies, Y11 CEO James Davies-Yandle and its chief operating officer Nick Angio are thought to be important figures. Article continues below Scarlets Executive chairman James Davies-Yandle represents the Scarlets on the PRB and is a key figure in the current talks. The Scarlets board includes a number of key funding directors such as former chairmen Nigel Short, Ron Jones and Huw Evans along with Philip Davies. Scarlets managing director Jon Daniels is also an important figure given his extensive knowledge and experience of Welsh rugby's development pathways.
