Prem Rugby and the Rugby Football Union (RFU) have issued a joint statement saying they are considering adding two English clubs by 2029, with an interim target of growing to 12 teams by the 2029-30 season. Prem is currently reduced to 10 clubs after Wasps, Worcester and London Irish were forcibly wound up during the 2022-23 season.
The traditional promotion and relegation system from the top tier will be abolished from the start of the 2026-27 season. Instead of play-offs, clubs will apply for entry into the league and be assessed against a series of criteria, including standard of play, finances, investment potential, infrastructure and geographical base. A condition has initially been set that any team wishing to play in the Prem must complete a season in the Champ before being considered. Responsibility for league expansion lies with the Men's Professional Rugby Board (MPRB).
Meanwhile, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has expressed interest in joining an Anglo-Welsh league. The RFU would have to approve the entry of Welsh teams as the league would become a cross-border competition. The Professional Rugby Board (PRB), which oversees professional rugby in Wales, met on Wednesday and was told that the WRU plans to explore the future in English club rugby. Senior sources in English club rugby have confirmed the WRU's interest, but claim that negotiations are not underway.
Wales has four professional sides: Ospreys, Cardiff, Scarlets and Dragons, which currently play in the United Rugby Championship (URC) that has 16 teams and includes teams from Scotland, Ireland, Italy and South Africa. The WRU has stated it is committed to securing four teams for the URC until the end of the 2027-28 season, but also that it will determine the future operational model for men's rugby in Wales by the end of this season. It will also continue to work with other URC shareholders on future Welsh representation in that competition, keeping an eye on competitive opportunities that may be in the best interests of Welsh rugby.
The WRU recorded a loss of £18 million in the last financial year, compared with a loss of £7.2 million the previous year, and predicts a similar loss next year. The union claims the figures confirm its argument that the four professional regions are no longer sustainable. WRU Chief Financial Officer Gavin Marshall stated that they can only spend £20 million on professional rugby, compared with the £26 million they currently contribute. The Prem 'P-share', effectively the initial cost of entering the league, is estimated at £20 million, and secures a share of central revenue, voting rights and an obligation to fund the Premiership Women's Rugby programme.
The WRU plans to reduce one professional side by 2028, with three allocated licences: one in the capital, one in the east and one in the west. Ospreys and Scarlets will compete for a regional spot in west Wales, while Cardiff, which is currently owned by the WRU, and Dragons, an independently financed business, are safe under current proposals. A rugby summit has been called for December, and a final decision on which club will be wound up is expected in the summer of 2027. New WRU chairman Lyndon Faulkner recently stated that he is a fan of any potential Anglo-Welsh competition, but promised to review the three-team proposal while uncertainty in Welsh rugby remains.
