RFU confirms formal Welsh approach over Anglo-Welsh league

The Welsh Rugby Union has formally approached the Rugby Football Union about joining an Anglo-Welsh competition, RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney has confirmed. According to BBC Sport, Sweeney told BBC Radio Four that the English governing body had received the written submission it requested. No formal talks have yet taken place, and there is no agreement for Welsh teams to enter the English top flight.

Watch the highlights:

The approach comes as the Prem plans to increase its membership from 10 clubs to 12 for the 2029-30 season, with further expansion a longer-term ambition. BBC Sport reported that the WRU is seeking the possible inclusion of two Welsh sides. Sweeney reiterated his commitment to growing the English game, while identifying unresolved questions about how any cross-border arrangement would work.

A central issue is Wales' participation in the United Rugby Championship. Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets currently compete in the 16-team league, which also includes teams from Ireland, Scotland, Italy and South Africa. Sweeney said the RFU did not yet understand how the WRU could legally leave that competition. The BBC has asked the URC whether pursuing a different league could expose the Welsh union to legal action; its report did not establish that any action would follow.

The discussions about competition options coincide with plans to reduce Wales' professional teams from four to three by 2028. Cardiff and Dragons are to receive licences, leaving Ospreys and Scarlets competing for the west Wales licence, with a decision expected by summer 2027. However, new WRU chair Lyndon Faulkner has indicated that he will examine all options, including retaining four teams, and has expressed support for an Anglo-Welsh tournament.

Entry into the English top division has also changed. Traditional promotion and relegation ended from the start of the 2026-27 season, replaced by an application process. Applicants are assessed on playing standards, finances, investment prospects, facilities and geography, among other criteria. The initial conditions required prospective entrants to complete a season in the second-tier Champ before being considered.

Responding to Sweeney's comments, the WRU referred the BBC to its statement from the previous week. That statement reaffirmed its commitment to supplying four URC teams through the end of 2027-28 and said Wales' future professional operating model would be determined by the end of this season. The union said it would continue working with URC shareholders on future Welsh representation while reviewing competition opportunities that could benefit Welsh rugby.