The Scarlets have posted a loss of £2.1 million for the 2024/25 season, according to their latest financial accounts, marking the third consecutive year the west Wales region has recorded a deficit exceeding £2 million.
Improved but Still in the Red
The loss represents an improvement on the £2.6 million deficit from the previous year. However, turnover dropped from £11.3 million to £10.2 million, with declines in gate receipts, sponsorship income, and Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) funding. The club reduced outgoings by 10 per cent, including cutting the wage bill from £8.24 million to £6.94 million. A new share issue provided an additional £940,000 boost.
Debt and WRU Uncertainty
Debt remains above £10 million, with the bulk owed to the WRU and Carmarthenshire County Council, which owns Parc y Scarlets. In its annual report, the club described the operating environment for professional rugby in Wales as “challenging” and “deeply uncertain.” The WRU remains committed to reducing the number of clubs from four to three, potentially placing the Scarlets and Ospreys in direct competition for a single licence in the west.
“The ongoing review of the professional game by the WRU has created an unsettling backdrop for our players, staff, supporters and commercial partners,” wrote chairman Simon Muderack in the accounts. “The directors have engaged closely and constructively throughout this period to protect the long-term interests of the Scarlets. Against this backdrop, the Scarlets remain confident and resolute about our future. We firmly believe Parc y Scarlets to be the finest club rugby stadium in Wales, if not the UK.”
Professional Rugby Agreement Pending
The Scarlets remain the only Welsh side not to have signed the new Professional Rugby Agreement (PRA). Cardiff and Dragons signed last year, while the Ospreys did so earlier this summer. The Scarlets had anticipated finalising their commitment by the end of June, but that deadline has passed. The report states the club is “in the final stages of completing this agreement.”
“A significant development during the year has been our work with the WRU on a new Professional Rugby Agreement (PRA25),” the report stated. “PRA25 will relieve the regional clubs of a substantial portion of the Covid-related debt that has previously burdened the company and introduces a more sustainable funding model that provides greater long-term financial certainty. The directors regard the conclusion of this agreement as a pivotal step in placing the club on a stable financial footing in the near term.”
Other Financial Details
The report also revealed the Scarlets owe Carmarthenshire County Council £2.6 million. No direct reference was made to legal proceedings between the Scarlets and the WRU regarding the governing body’s takeover of Cardiff in April 2025, nor to US-based House of Luxury LLC (HOL), announced as potential investors in August 2025. In April 2026, the Scarlets confirmed they had secured “significant further investment” to ensure the “future stability of the club and wider region.”
