The confirmation that four professional teams will remain in Wales until 2028 will bring a sense of relief to players, staff and supporters alike. In truth, though, it is nothing more than a stay of execution from the current Welsh Rugby Union regime, who remain committed to cutting the number of sides to three beyond that point. In the meantime, both the Scarlets and Ospreys have been offered the chance to sign the PRA25 agreement, a move designed to provide some short-term stability. The WRU says it will announce its plan to reduce to three teams in June, which raises the key question: how exactly do they plan to deliver on their ambition of reducing to three teams? Arguably, the most immediate route to reducing the number of professional sides would be the collapse of a team. However, such an outcome would present significant complications for the WRU, particularly if it were to occur before 2028. In a hypothetical scenario where one of the teams were to go out of business mid-season, the ramifications for the United Rugby Championship would be substantial, not least because the WRU is contractually obliged to provide four competing sides. In addition, a large number of Welsh players would be left in a state of uncertainty, potentially necessitating a period during which the WRU assumes temporary control of the affected team. It is also pertinent that, under the terms of the Professional Rugby Agreement 2025 (PRA 25), the WRU would hold preferential shares in all four teams. Should a side cease operations naturally in 2028, that would represent the most straightforward resolution. An alternative, albeit considerably more complex, pathway would be a voluntary merger. For instance, if Y11 and the board of the Scarlets were to conclude that there is capacity for only one professional team in west Wales, they could opt to combine resources, but such a scenario appears unlikely. The most probable course of action is that the WRU would initiate a tender process for three licences. It remains unclear whether this would occur in the near term, with implementation targeted for 2028, or closer to that date. The first thing it would have to do is enact the two-year notice period on the current PRA. It would then appoint an independent panel and all the key stakeholders would have to agree on the criteria which could lead to another consultation period. If they want to minimise the risk of legal action they need to set out in a tender consultation document the rationale for going to three teams and the criteria under which the winning bids will be selected. This would range from on-field success since the inception of regional rugby in 2003, the number of players each side has produced for Wales, ownership of stadiums and quality of facilities, funding directors who commit to putting in a certain amount of money, the academy set-up, relationships with local clubs and schools, along with long-term business plans. They’ll also need to specifically set out why it’s East, Cardiff and West rather than an open competition, but this immediately favours two teams: Cardiff and the Dragons. The document would then go out to tender and the WRU would likely have to pay for an independent assessment - similar to the recent Rafferty review, where a panel was established to come to a conclusion on which three sides to select. There would also be an appeals process and the WRU would need to be ultra careful to try to avoid protracted legal action. View 2 Images Abi Tierney, WRU Group Chief Executive Officer, during the Extraordinary General Meeting held at the Principality Stadium (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd) In reality, whichever way the process is done it’s likely to be very messy. There would almost certainly be further legal challenges so the WRU would have to have all its ducks in a row. Also, they may have to pay compensation to the owners of the side that ceases to exist. It is no secret that west Wales is where there will be significant changes. On the surface, the WRU appears to have set the Ospreys and the Scarlets in direct competition with one another; however, a third possibility exists. At last week’s extraordinary general meeting, WRU chief executive Abi Tierney, when questioned by a representative of a community club, did not dismiss the prospect of establishing an entirely new entity in west Wales. Whether such a team would be based at St Helen’s or Parc y Scarlets, and who would assume ownership remains to be seen. A further complication arises in relation to the URC, which would be required to identify a replacement for any Welsh team removed from the competition prior to the WRU reducing its representation to three sides. London Irish and Ealing Trailfinders have been cited as potential candidates.
Curated by Taleb Kabbara · Source: www.walesonline.co.uk