Cardiff fans warn WRU against Ospreys takeover deal

Cardiff supporters have told the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) they do not favour their side being bought by owners of rivals Ospreys.

Cardiff were taken over by the WRU after temporarily going into administration in April 2025.

With the governing body expecting to sell the organisation to new investors in the next few weeks, final bids are required by Monday.

Ospreys’ owners, Y11 Sport & Media, have been linked with taking over Cardiff to eventually form one club – an outcome which would help the WRU achieve its goal of culling a Welsh professional men’s side.

The WRU and Y11 have both declined to comment on the possibility, fuelling fears of Ospreys’ supporters about their side’s future, while Cardiff fans have been vocal on social media against any such proposed takeover deal.

Independent Cardiff supporters group, CF10 Rugby Trust, have outlined fears about their club being associated with Ospreys disappearing from Welsh rugby’s professional scene.

“We have met with the WRU and we told them we think whoever owns Cardiff, it should be a positive for Cardiff rugby and not a negative for Welsh rugby as a whole,” CF10 chair Lynn Glaister told BBC Radio Wales.

It is an uncertain time in the domestic game in Wales, with the WRU proposing last October to cut one of its four men’s professional sides.

Welsh rugby’s governing body has said it plans to grant three licences for men’s professional clubs – one in Cardiff, one in the east and one in the west.

That could result in a survival fight between Swansea-based Ospreys and Scarlets in Llanelli.

An Ospreys takeover of Cardiff would deliver the desired three professional men’s sides for the WRU without the need to put the process out to tender.

Glaister said Cardiff supporters have not been provided with much information from the WRU.

“They have all had to sign a non-disclosure agreement,” he said.

There is another consortium interested, former Cardiff director Martyn Ryan in a group that includes three television and film producers based in the United States of America.

“We know one of the bidders because before they signed the non-disclosure agreement they reached out to us and talked to us about their plans if they were successful,” said Glaister.

“We met the consortium being led by Martyn Ryan before the official process started and it was an exciting prospect.”

Glaister said the other potential investor – believed to be Y11 – has not officially been revealed.

“The other bidder is a secret,” he said.

“We would love to be able to meet with the other bidders and for them to tell us what their plans are but they are not meeting with us.

“The rumours are that it is an owner of another club but nobody has officially told us that it is.