Welsh Rugby Union outlines plan to cut professional teams to three
The number of professional rugby teams in Wales will be reduced to three in the future, though all four current sides will remain for now, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) announced on Friday.
The WRU had previously indicated that one or possibly two of its professional clubs - Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys or Scarlets - could be disbanded as part of future restructuring plans.
It had stated that four proposals were on the table and described having two clubs with equal funding as the preferred "optimal option".
After months of discussions and speculation, the WRU has decided instead to retain all four teams for now, with a future proposal to grant three licences for men's clubs, one for the capital Cardiff, one for west Wales and one for east Wales.
"Our decision is that the future structure of elite men’s rugby will be based on three professional men’s clubs, replacing the current four-team model, alongside two women’s elite teams," chair of the WRU Board Richard Collier-Keywood told reporters, adding that there were guarantees all existing player contracts would be honoured.
No timescale was given for the changes although British media reported earlier on Friday that the number of teams would be cut by 2028.
Welsh rugby has been on a downward slide, with the national team ending an 18-match losing streak in July after a win over Japan.
