Cutting two of Wales' four pro teams is WRU's 'radical' option

The Welsh Rugby Union insists cutting nan number of master clubs from 4 to 2 is nan "radical step" needed to prevention nan crippled successful Wales.

The governing assemblage has unveiled its arguable scheme for nan early of nan elite crippled that puts Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets astatine risk.

Among 4 models being considered is nan "optimal choice" of halving nan number of master teams, but pinch nary item connected wherever they would play.

"We cognize really affectional rugby is and that group will beryllium hurting erstwhile reasoning astir what this could mean for their team," said main executive Abi Tierney.

"Not everyone is going to beryllium happy but I don't deliberation carrying connected arsenic we are is nan correct point for fans either.

"We had to do thing radically different to get america to a amended spot and that everyone tin get behind, and we dream group will measurement retired of their corner."

The options for master clubs are:

The WRU has not indicated its preferred locations for clubs aliases names and insists nary determination has yet been made.

The timescale for immoderate changes will beryllium dictated by its chosen option.

A consultation play will statesman connected 1 September earlier a proposal is sent successful mid-October to nan WRU committee to make a last determination that month.

But nan connection is group to beryllium met pinch fierce guidance from 3 of nan regions, while Cardiff person been owned by nan Union since a financial rescue successful April.

Ospreys person already announced plans to redevelop St Helen's successful Swansea for nan 2026-27 season, while Scarlets unveiled caller projected investors earlier this month.

Dragons' owners stated earlier this week that elite rugby must proceed successful Gwent.

"We are clear that nan existent rugby exemplary successful Wales is nary longer delivering what our crippled needs," said Tierney.

"That's why we're inviting views connected nan opportunities for alteration we've put forward."

The WRU has put 3 different proposals guardant successful summation to its "optimal solution".

Model A is 4 clubs pinch unequal backing – 2 elite sides pinch a fund of £6.7m and 2 developmental clubs connected £5.2m.

Models B and C would spot 4 trim down to three, pinch B featuring adjacent backing of £6.9m and C having 2 elite clubs connected £6.9m and a improvement broadside connected £5.4m.

The preferred Model D would springiness nan 2 clubs a playing fund of astir £7.8m and accrued squad sizes of 50 elder players, positive academy talent.

For comparison, England's Prem Rugby net headdress is £7.8m per squad each season, but that besides allows other backing for 1 marquee subordinate per side, while France's Top 14 sides are instructed to run wrong a fund of £9.2m per season.

"We person put a clear imagination retired astir wherever nan early could lie," said WRU head of rugby and elite capacity Dave Reddin.

"We are asking group to fto spell of nan past and nan coming and ideate a wholly different future."

The caller models would impact nan WRU backing each rugby operations, pinch backstage investors having work for commercialized operations.

The WRU besides has nan semipermanent ambition of building a nationalist field that would beryllium nan guidelines for nan 2 master teams nether its optimal system, positive nan nationalist teams and academies.

"The nationalist field would beryllium a purposeful, collaborative space, a uniquely Welsh situation that different top-tier nations would find difficult to replicate," said Reddin.

The governing assemblage commencement its consultation connected 1 September – nan day that caller Wales caput coach Steve Tandy officially starts – and meetings person already been group up pinch nan 4 regions, nan Welsh Rugby Players Association (WRPA), supporters, WRU personnel clubs, and representatives from nan United Rugby Championship (URC).

"All nan fans that I speak to, and I speak to a lot, work together that we request to do thing radically different," said Tierney.

"We person put a connection retired location to beryllium changeable astatine – please sprout astatine it, and sprout astatine it constructively, because I can't retrieve personification yet who hasn't said we request to do thing different aliases change."

The WRU presently has a ineligible conflict pinch Scarlets and Ospreys complete its takeover of Cardiff aft nan squad temporarily went into administration, pinch nan governing assemblage assured of avoiding much issues.

"We person contracts pinch nan clubs called nan Professional Rugby Agreement and we person made it very clear to nan clubs that we will instrumentality by our obligations successful those agreements," said president Richard Collier-Keywood.

Dragons and Cardiff signed a caller PRA successful May but Scarlets and Ospreys stay connected nan aged type aft issues complete nan WRU being successful complaint of nan superior club.

The governing assemblage believes nan consultation process deals pinch immoderate imaginable situation nether title rule and it believes its transparency arsenic a committee deals pinch immoderate issues regarding "malfeasance aliases unfairness".

"We consciousness assured astir nan ineligible position," said Collier-Keywood.

The WRU's favoured exemplary would lead to less opportunities for master antheral players.

However, nan governing assemblage is hopeful that location will beryllium nary repetition of nan 2023 situation that saw Wales' Test players threatening to spell connected onslaught up of nan Six Nations fixture against England.

The URC play gets nether measurement during nan consultation process and nan last determination will beryllium announced up of nan autumn internationals.

"We want to intimately prosecute pinch nan players truthful that they understand nan position and nan opportunity," said Reddin.

"I would hope, and early indications are positive, that group really want to perceive and beryllium engaged successful what a awesome Welsh strategy tin look like.

"We want to activity really intimately and pass pinch them because a onslaught would beryllium a disaster for everybody, I knowledgeable that pinch England rugby galore years ago, and I don't deliberation it would return our schedule forward.

"The guys past nighttime asked really intelligent questions, were really engaged successful nan process and understand nan large picture. I dream that takes america to a bully place."

The WRU presently runs 2 teams successful nan Celtic Challenge – Gwalia Lightning and Brynthon Thunder – and a caller tender process attracted expressions of liking from nan existent 4 master teams.

"Reforming nan building of Welsh rugby creates an opportunity to accelerate maturation and occurrence successful nan women's crippled successful Wales done important investment," sounds nan consultation document.

The scheme would supply a excavation of astir 80 home players, successful summation to those featuring successful England, for nan nationalist coaches.