The WRU have issued an end-of-year statement to update supporters
Welsh rugby’s endless uncertainty is spilling into the new year, with the Welsh Rugby Union conceding it still needs more time to agree a consensus on reducing the professional game from four teams to three.
The WRU were hoping a consensus would be reached by the end of the year on who the three teams will be moving forward but they have been unable to do that. It is the WRU’s preference to avoid going out to tender in 2026 and wants the current four clubs – Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets – to agree on a way forward.
One potential way to reach consensus is for the owners of one of the existing clubs to buy Cardiff from the WRU.
“The most debated aspect of this plan is our decision to move from four professional teams to three,” read a WRU statement.
“This is not about abandoning any part of Wales, nor is it about turning our backs on the communities that have supported professional teams for generations.
“It is about creating a professional game that is sustainable, competitive and capable of supporting the wider rugby ecosystem in the long term.
“Fewer teams means stronger squads, more stable finances and clearer pathways for players progressing from clubs, through Super Rygbi Cymru and into the professional and international game.
“We know loyalties run deep and that this is an emotional issue. We also know that behind every structure are people – players, coaches, staff, volunteers and supporters – who care deeply about their teams.
“Our priority remains to reach a consensus with the professional clubs if possible.
“While we had hoped to provide certainty before Christmas, it has become clear that a few more weeks are needed to try and reach an agreed way forward.”
The WRU insist Welsh rugby will look different in the years ahead but admitted “for some it will be painful”.
In the wake of Wales captains Dewi Lake and Jac Morgan signing for Gloucester, the WRU insists it will guarantee all existing contracts.
“We have confirmed to the WRPA and our professional clubs that all existing player contracts are guaranteed to minimise the uncertainty for players and to support clubs to offer new contracts with confidence,” read a WRU statement.
WRU end-of-year message to our member clubs and the Welsh rugby community
A message from Terry Cobner, Richard Collier-Keywood and Abi Tierney
Dear friends of Welsh rugby,
As we approach the end of 2025, we want to thank every one of you – at our clubs, schools and educational establishments, the many volunteers, players, staff, officials and all supporters – for the commitment, resilience and passion you continue to show for Welsh rugby. In communities the length and breadth of Wales, you sustain the game week in, week out. You are the heartbeat of Welsh rugby, and without you none of what we are striving to achieve would be possible.
This has been a year of hard truths and hard work. We have had to confront realities that could no longer be ignored, and we know that doing so has been painful at times. Results in our international game have disappointed us all. The professional game has been under pressure – financially and competitively – and we have had to make some tough decisions to ensure that the future of Welsh rugby is secure.
Despite these challenges, we would like to take a moment to recognise the progress that has also been made this year:
2025 Achievements (numbers refer to the year ended 30 June 2025):
· £70k extra funding for clubs to help travel and £30k additional investment to support the growth of the community girls’ hubs.
· £2,544,880.72 extra additional funding and grants brought in to support clubs across Wales since July 2025.
· £150k additional facilities fund for clubs which will unlock extra funding to bring a Total project value of £722,468
· A record-breaking summer at Principality Stadium, including the first Oasis reunion concerts and a 21,000-strong record crowd for our women’s Guinness Six Nations match against England – the biggest audience for a women’s sporting event in Wales. Strong attendances at the autumn Quilter Nation Series, with a quarter-of-a-million fans visiting Principality Stadium in November and an improved commercial performance, which includes a £4.4m increase in match and events income
· New club investment model in place which signals the future support for clubs as we make them more accessible
· New Wales Women head coach appointed: Sean Lynn
· New Wales Men head coach appointed: Steve Tandy
· Largest consultation in Welsh rugby history with 32 meetings and over 7,000 responses
· WRU increased turnover of ££106.1m (2024: £102.7m) and profits of £35.2m EBITDA (excluding Cardiff losses of £2.4m) (2024: £27.6m) an increase of 28%
· Decisive intervention in April 2025 to prevent the failure of Cardiff Rugby leading to the preservation of professional rugby in the Cardiff
· Commitment to invest a further £28m into the core development for Welsh rugby over the next five years
Facing the challenges honestly
Proper leadership means acting before circumstances force our hand. Over recent decades, Welsh rugby did not invest consistently or effectively enough in its foundations – particularly in the pathways that connect our community clubs, schools and educational establishments to the professional and international game. The Board you put in place around two years ago has been clear that we must act professionally and make difficult decisions now in order to secure the future of the whole system.
We are doing this because we believe deeply in what Welsh rugby can be – not just at the elite level, but in every clubhouse, on every training pitch and touchline – and because we believe in what we owe the next generation.
The Way Forward – building the foundations
In October we published The Way Forward, shaped by the largest consultation ever undertaken in Welsh sport. Thousands of voices – including many from our member clubs – told us clearly that change is essential and that the pathway from community rugby through to the professional and international game must be properly rebuilt and better connected.
The plan commits an additional £28 million over the next five years to five key pillars:
- Men’s development, including a national academy, two regional training centres and twelve player development centres.
- The women’s game, with a national academy, development centres and satellites, a new professional competition and investment across the pathway.
- Talent insight and management, creating a world-class unit to identify and support Welsh talent wherever it is based.
- Coaching, raising standards right across the board at all levels from community, schools and educational establishments through semi-professional to professional.
- Super Rygbi Cymru, strengthening the bridge between community and professional rugby.
This is not a short-term fix. It is a long-term commitment to rebuild the fundamentals of Welsh rugby, starting from the grassroots and working upwards.
Resetting the professional game
The most debated aspect of this plan is our decision to move from four professional teams to three. This is not about abandoning any part of Wales, nor is it about turning our backs on the communities that have supported professional teams for generations. It is about creating a professional game that is sustainable, competitive and capable of supporting the wider rugby ecosystem in the long term.
Fewer teams means stronger squads, more stable finances and clearer pathways for players progressing from clubs, through Super Rygbi Cymru and into the professional and international game. We know loyalties run deep and that this is an emotional issue. We also know that behind every structure are people – players, coaches, staff, volunteers and supporters – who care deeply about their teams.
Our priority remains to reach a consensus with the professional clubs if possible. While we had hoped to provide certainty before Christmas, it has become clear that a few more weeks are needed to try and reach an agreed way forward.
Cardiff Rugby – update on the sale process
In April we intervened to prevent Cardiff Rugby entering administration. Since then, work has continued to secure a sustainable long-term future for the club and its supporters. This is a significant decision and will be taken with the thorough scrutiny and due diligence it deserves. We will continue to update you as the process progresses over the coming weeks.
Supporting players
We understand the disappointment felt when talented Welsh players choose to play their club rugby elsewhere and we have tried to reduce the uncertainty of the current situation. We have confirmed to the WRPA and our professional clubs that all existing player contracts are guaranteed to minimise the uncertainty for players and to support clubs to offer new contracts with confidence.
Reasons for optimism
Despite the challenges of 2025, there are genuine reasons to look ahead with optimism. Central to that optimism is the progress being made in the community game. Over the past year we have begun to reshape how clubs are supported, with the introduction of a new club investment model that is fairer, more transparent and more closely aligned to participation, development and local impact. We have increased direct investment into clubs, improved clarity around funding streams, and strengthened the structures that support volunteers, coaches and referees at every level of the game. Participation trends are beginning to stabilise in key areas, and we are seeing encouraging engagement in both the men’s and women’s community game.
Alongside this, we have strengthened our financial position, welcomed some outstanding Welsh coaches back home, and continued to invest in the women’s and girls’ game – the fastest-growing part of the sport. This work is not finished, but it reflects a clear shift in approach: recognising clubs not simply as beneficiaries of the system, but as its foundation and its future.
Looking ahead
Welsh rugby will look different in the years ahead. Change can be uncomfortable, and for some it will be painful. But we firmly believe that by rebuilding our pathways, investing in our people and strengthening our foundations – from community clubs, schools and educational establishments through to the national teams – we are creating something more resilient, more competitive and more worthy of the communities it represents.
We are focused on building a stable future: stronger clubs, clearer pathways, professional teams capable of competing and winning, and national teams that once again make this country proud.
Thank you for the hours you give, the miles you travel and the passion you pour into Welsh rugby. We wish you and your families a peaceful festive season and a successful New Year. Thanks for all you do in welcoming supporters in our club houses, our pitches and our stadia to support the best game in the world.
Best wishes for a successful 2026…
Diolch yn fawr. Thank you.
Terry CobnerPresident
Richard Collier-KeywoodChair
Abi TierneyChief Executive