Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney has confirmed the Welsh Rugby Union has approached them about the possibility of two Welsh clubs joining the Gallagher Premiership, with the proposal now being evaluated.
WalesOnline exclusively revealed last week that WRU CEO Abi Tierney had informed the Professional Rugby Board that talks had been held with high-ranking representatives in England. The Premiership is looking to expand from 10 to 12 teams initially, before growing further in the future.
Expansion plans and evaluation
WalesOnline has been told that the first two new places will go out to tender before the end of the year, with Welsh clubs keen to apply. Speaking on the BBC's Rugby Union Weekly podcast, Sweeney confirmed there had been talks, with bosses now working to evaluate the proposal.
He also reiterated the public line given by Premiership Rugby chief Simon Massie-Taylor that English bosses are still focused on expanding from within England.
"We're really focussed on the English expansion," Sweeney told the BBC's Rugby Union Weekly podcast. "We have been approached by Wales. Getting into cross-border competition is not quite as simple as it might sound. There's all sorts of ramifications and potential complexities to that."
URC tensions and legal threats
"So we are doing all of the work necessary to fully evaluate that. But our focus is very much on English expansion and there's also the fundamental question of what's their ability to exist the URC where they have a legal commitment to that competition."
WalesOnline understands the URC has threatened the WRU with legal action if it continues discussions with Premiership Rugby and the RFU over the prospect of Welsh clubs joining the English league. The talks have further strained relations between the WRU and the URC, with the governing body already involved in a contentious process to reduce the number of professional teams in Wales from four to three.
The WRU is an equal shareholder in the URC and has a contractual obligation to supply four teams to the competition. However, WalesOnline understands the consequences of withdrawing a side become considerably less severe from 2028, under the terms of the tournament agreement, which has no specific end date.
Fan sentiment and next steps
Tensions have now escalated, with the URC writing to the WRU to make clear it should not enter into formal discussions with either the RFU or Premiership Rugby over the prospect of Welsh clubs joining the Premiership. The URC remains unpopular with large sections of Welsh rugby fans, with many believing Wales would be better off playing in a competition with English clubs.
