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.
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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.
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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.
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