A pivotal meeting will take place this week with the game in Wales still shrouded in uncertainty
The Welsh Rugby Union is set to meet with its four professional clubs this week – Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets – in a bid to map a way forward for the game in Wales.
Professional Rugby Board meetings are commonplace but WalesOnline understands this Wednesday’s meeting is of particular importance. The game in Wales has been thrown into disarray in recent months after the WRU’s acquisition of Cardiff led to the Ospreys and Scarlets not signing the new Professional Rugby Agreement.
As of next season both Cardiff and the Dragons will be on PRA 25 while the west Wales clubs will remain on the old one, with less funding.
The WRU are seriously considering cutting the number of professional clubs in Wales to three or two, while a tiered funding model is also being talked about. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
Those within the regional game expect the WRU to put forward a clear direction of travel this week, whether that be a reduction in professional clubs or a tiered funding model.
The WRU have already announced they will no longer fund the four clubs equally, but cutting to three or two seems to be the likeliest outcome.
Wales’ struggles at senior Test level — they have lost a record 17 Test matches in a row — has serious financial ramifications for the game in this country.
The focus is on creating the optimum structure which can allow the men’s national side to become a force to be reckoned with once again.
To do this there is an acceptance that the professional game which underpins the national team must drag itself out of the mediocrity it has been confined to for much of the past 15 years. Join WalesOnline Rugby’s WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free
The WRU needs its professional clubs to be regularly competing in the latter stages of the Investec Champions Cup and United Rugby Championship with the aim of winning silverware.
Whether this can be achieved with four clubs is under review, while implementing an aggressive, tiered funding model is arguably as challenging as cutting a team, given the ownership structure of Welsh rugby.
Whatever route they choose to go down, players under contract will get looked after.
The WRU wants to announce its new structure for the professional game in September but WalesOnline understands the aim is to have something in place by July. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here.
It is too late to make any significant change for next season with the 2026/27 season the likeliest outcome.
