Prem reluctant to commit on Anglo-Welsh league — SkimNews
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- Prem Rugby and the RFU set a provisional target of 12 teams by 2029-30, with current resources focused on supporting English clubs in the pyramid rather than adding Welsh teams.
- WRU plans to explore a future in the English club game, although senior English club sources say no negotiations are taking place; Wales remains committed to four URC teams through 2027-28 and will determine its operating model by the end of that season.
- Prem Rugby's top flight has fallen to 10 sides after Wasps, Worcester and London Irish folded in 2022-23, with promotion and relegation due to be scrapped from 2026-27 in favour of applications assessed on play, finances, infrastructure and other criteria.
- Gavin Marshall said the WRU can spend £20m on professional rugby, down from £26m, after an £18m loss versus £7.2m previously, with the union predicting a similar loss next year.
- Prem Rugby's league-entry P-share is understood to be valued at £20m, bringing central income and voting rights while requiring clubs to fund a Premiership Women's Rugby programme; any Welsh entrant would also need RFU approval.
- Lyndon Faulkner supports exploring an Anglo-Welsh competition and has promised to review the WRU's three-licence plan for 2028; Ospreys and Scarlets are set to contest the west licence, while the final cull decision is due in summer 2027.
- Brython Thunder and Gwalia Lightning are being pitched for Premiership Women's Rugby, giving the WRU a concrete cross-border proposal even while the men's Anglo-Welsh route remains unresolved.
Why it matters: The practical divide is financial: the WRU says it can spend £20m on professional rugby versus £26m now, while Prem entry carries a P-share understood at £20m and a women’s programme obligation. English clubs therefore have a domestic route to the first two expansion places, rather than a Welsh alternative.
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