PREM Rugby wants English expansion despite Welsh interest — SkimNews
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- PREM Rugby and the RFU said in a joint statement that expanding the top flight will prioritise English clubs, with "resources currently focused on supporting English clubs throughout the pyramid who aspire to join the league."
- The top-flight expansion is planned to grow from 10 to 12 sides in time for the 2029/2030 season.
- Men's Professional Rugby Board holds responsibility for the expansion and has established detailed entry criteria that any prospective club would need to satisfy.
- Welsh Rugby Union confirmed it is committed to supplying four teams to the United Rugby Championship until the 2027/28 season, by the end of which it will have determined the future operating model for the men's game in Wales.
- Welsh Rugby Union announced a loss of £18.1m for 2025/26 last week, while confirming it keeps competition opportunities across the game under review.
- Brython Thunder and Gwalia Lightning are being pitched by the WRU for inclusion in Premiership Women's Rugby, with the union citing the appeal of the English top flight.
- Advanced discussions between the WRU, PREM Rugby and the RFU over turning the competition into a cross-border league were reported on Wednesday, 28 October 2026.
Why it matters: The detail buried in the WRU's statement is that its concrete bid is women's — two teams for Premiership Women's Rugby — while its men's operating model waits for a decision by the end of 2027/28. With the two added places targeted for 2029/30, the MPRB's entry criteria remain the gate for who joins.
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