The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has acknowledged the “pain and anger” caused by its proposal to reduce the number of men’s professional teams in Wales from four to two, although it insists that maintaining the status quo is not the “right” thing to do.
The Welsh rugby governing body has unveiled a radical plan to transform the sport at club and international level, detailing its ambitions in a 90-page consultation document entitled “The Future of Elite Rugby in Wales”.
There will be a six-week consultation period before the WRU makes a final decision on the plans. WRU chief executive Abi Tierney has urged people to “improve the proposals” and provide “something suitable for Welsh rugby”.
The WRU’s proposal to halve the number of men’s professional teams (Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets) to two, will be the most important topic of conversation in a document outlining four potential models for the game in Wales.
It is not yet clear whether the two proposed future teams will be new entities or existing teams, but both organizations will have a men’s and a women’s team.The WRU plans significant changes to the structure of professional rugby in Wales.The WRU has acknowledged the emotional impact of these changes.
“I know how emotional rugby is in Wales and people will be hurting today when they think about what it could potentially mean for them and their team.”
The WRU’s proposal comes amid the Ospreys’ plans to move to a redeveloped stadium at St Helen’s in Swansea for the 2026-27 season and the Scarlets, who recently revealed new investors.
The Dragons announced this week that elite professional rugby must continue in Gwent, while Cardiff is currently owned by the WRU after entering administration in April.
The WRU may face legal action from regions that could be left out of the business, with WRU chairman Richard Collier-Keywood saying that there are “two or three areas of potential legal challenges”.
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The WRU has also proposed the creation of a national campus at a site yet to be decided, which would be home to the men’s and women’s professional teams, as well as the Welsh national teams and the union academy.
The players were informed about the WRU’s plan on Tuesday and Dave Reddin, the new director of elite rugby and performance, is confident that suggestions of potential player strikes will not materialize.
Reddin said: “The national campus would be a radical deviation and do something different, a defensive moat for Welsh rugby and create a competitive advantage.
“We have to think outside the box if we want to try to do things differently.”
“Being brave enough to lead sometimes and do things that no one else is doing. Doing things that people think are a little crazy, too different, or too uncomfortable.”
