Prem Rugby and RFU prioritise English clubs in expansion to 12 teams

Prem Rugby and the Rugby Football Union have reaffirmed that their immediate expansion work is focused on English clubs, with a provisional aim of increasing the top flight to 12 teams by the 2029-30 season. According to BBC Sport, the organisations set out that position in a joint statement amid interest in an Anglo-Welsh competition.

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The statement placed responsibility for expansion with the Men's Professional Rugby Board, which has established entry requirements for prospective members. Prem Rugby and the RFU said their resources were currently directed towards English clubs seeking to move up through the domestic structure. The timetable remains a target rather than a confirmed date for admitting additional teams.

The league currently has 10 clubs after Wasps, Worcester and London Irish folded during the 2022-23 season. Changes approved for 2026-27 replaced the traditional promotion and relegation system with an application process. Assessment covers playing standards, finances, investment prospects, facilities and geographical reach. The initial conditions also require applicants to complete a season in the second-tier Champ before they can be considered for entry.

The Welsh Rugby Union, meanwhile, said it remained committed to supplying four teams to the United Rugby Championship until the end of 2027-28. Ospreys, Cardiff, Scarlets and Dragons currently participate in that competition alongside clubs from Scotland, Ireland, Italy and South Africa. The WRU said it would determine the future operating model for the Welsh men's game by the end of this season and continue discussions with other URC shareholders about future representation.

Although that commitment remains in place, the WRU said it continues to assess competition opportunities that could benefit Welsh rugby. It also pointed to its bid for women's teams Brython Thunder and Gwalia Lightning to join Premiership Women's Rugby. Any move by Welsh men's teams into the English league would require RFU approval because it would create a cross-border competition, BBC Sport reported.

The debate comes as the WRU considers reducing its professional men's structure to three teams by 2028. Its latest annual loss was £18m, compared with £7.2m the previous year, and it expects a similar deficit next year. New chair Lyndon Faulkner has promised to review the three-team proposal, leaving the final shape of Welsh professional rugby unresolved while English expansion preparations continue.