What Welsh shake-up means and why it matters to rest of rugby world

Welsh rugby’s fortunes rise and fall like the landscape of the nation, and the rugby world often watches in amazement or pity.

A tiny three-million-pounder consistently punches well above its weight on the pitch only to experience the worst lows as a result.

After Welsh rugby’s governing body announced that it would cut one professional team by 2027, invest further in club development, and overhaul both the academy structure and women’s game, it is now facing its biggest shake-up in 20 years.

World rugby cries out for stability in a nation that was one of the founding members of, what is now, the Six Nations and the World Cup, despite the extremes being both thrilling and worrying in equal measure.

Former Wales international Chris Horsman said, “Rugby needs a strong Wales like football needs a strong Brazil.”

A nation with all that history, passion for the sport, and heritage must be in the game. Even in England, they want a respectable Wales, even if it is only for rivalries.

National captain Jac Morgan has already been linked with Saracens after declaring he would not stay in Wales if Ospreys are extinct, and wealthy clubs may start to circulate.

There is, however, a bigger problem. Rugby cannot afford not to have a strong international presence from a nation that has made such a sincere investment in the game at a time when the sport is competing for attention in a saturated market.

Players and supporters’ bucket lists continue to include a Six Nations trip to the Principality Stadium.

Rugby is built on strong rivalry and fierce competition, and due to the lack of significant Welsh impact, the game is both less successful financially and emotionally.

Welsh Rugby Union chairman Richard Collier-Keywood described the challenges faced by rugby finances around the world, with sponsors looking for better deals and static media rights.

The Welsh game’s health has not improved overnight. Only recently are we able to see the signs of neglect that have been eroding down from the depths of national success, which have been consistently spreading to all limbs, whether at the club, regional, or elite levels.

Former team captain Alun Wyn Jones stated to Scrum V, “I was fortunate in my time that there were people around the team who protected us from the suits and we had success on the field as a result.”

Money has undoubtedly played a significant part in this decline, both financially and in part due to its lack.

Welsh rugby spent too much time living off of credit, relying on wealthy donors like Percy Montgomery, Jerry Collins, and even Jonah Lomu to fund their lavish spending sprees.

While a Welsh golden generation of Shane Williams, Alun Wyn Jones, and George North emerged, they were household names.

However, the national academy’s effect, which has since been overturned, caused a roundabout in the pathway system, bringing Max Boyce’s mythical “outside-half factory” to a halt, knocked down the shutters, and stowed a for sale sign outside.

Without those sugar daddies, Wales is not the only country that experiences the pinch, but it may feel it even more acutely than other countries.

When the new board took over in January 2024, Collier-Keywood blatantly stated, “We inherited a mess.”

“It appeared to me that the organization was unable to operate a $100 million business.

Indeed, in January 2024, the WRU ran out of money; we had exceeded our overdraft cap and needed additional assistance from our banks. The money received from CVC, which allowed us to sell rights to the URC and Six Nations, has now run out.

Welsh rugby fans have a small but strong affinity for the United Rugby Championship, according to what came up in the public consultation with WRU.

The 16 teams have not experienced any genuine rivalry between the 16 teams, despite the distances traveled across five countries, including South Africa, and the absence of traveling supporters as a result.

However, the WRU made it clear why there is still only a vague possibility of an Anglo-Welsh league.

Collier-Keywood claimed that “a significant number of people supported the inclusion of Wales playing against English clubs in the new Anglo-Welsh league.”

For us to be invited to join [The Prem], all 10 current PRL clubs would need to agree, along with the RFU. The WRU board has no authority over this, it is their decision.

Any invitation would also involve unraveling various broadcast deals made between The Prem and the URC, which would also involve clubs in England’s second-tier championship.

MPs have already indicated that they want to speak with the WRU about the consultation’s conclusions and how it will affect Wales’ overall economic and cultural significance.

The proposed structural changes announced by the WRU today will have a far-reaching impact on communities up and down the country, according to Ruth Jones MP, the chairman of the Welsh Affairs Committee.

But the big questions that fans want to know are when and which team will be cut.

The WRU had attempted to cull two areas, but the backlash made it clear that the effort was insufficient. One will still leave, though.

Despite attempts to downplay the scenario, it appears to be a straight battle between the two regional rugby champions, Ospreys and Scarlets, for the title in West Wales.

The governing body is still hopeful that the two clubs will merge, as they were so close to doing in 2019. That would undoubtedly make a formidable combination, but it would require a lot of desperation or diplomacy.

The WRU’s funding agreement between the two teams expires in June 2027, but it’s likely that something will be decided before that time.

The WRU remained oblique about the length of their contract, which will give the URC four teams. They were determined to keep the competition organized and maintain an even distribution of Welsh teams.

Although negotiations are already underway over a 15-team league or who might take the spot in the final place if it is left at 16, the WRU may be liable for paying compensation for premature withdrawal of a team.