The United Rugby Championship has threatened legal action against the Welsh Rugby Union if it continues discussions with Premiership Rugby and the Rugby Football Union over the prospect of Welsh clubs joining the English league, WalesOnline understands.
WalesOnline revealed last week that the WRU has held talks with senior figures in England about the possibility of two Welsh sides switching to the Gallagher Premiership when it expands from 10 to 12 clubs. Chief executive Abi Tierney confirmed the discussions at a special meeting of the Professional Rugby Board last week.
Strained Relations and Contractual Obligations
The talks have further strained relations between the WRU and the URC, with the governing body already embroiled in a contentious process to reduce the number of professional teams in Wales from four to three. The Ospreys and Scarlets are the two clubs currently in the firing line if the WRU goes ahead with its plan to axe one side.
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.
URC's Firm Stance
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 Gallagher Premiership. The competition is equally firm in its position that Wales must continue to have four representatives.
But senior figures in Welsh rugby believe there could be a way of extricating the WRU from its contractual obligations if a move across the Prince of Wales Bridge became a realistic proposition. The URC and Welsh Rugby Union were approached for comment.
Expansion Prospects
As things stand, a tender process for entry into the Premiership is set to be launched in the coming weeks, with Welsh teams keen to apply. Meanwhile, there have been suggestions about a potential expansion of the URC, with South African outfit the Cheetahs, Georgia's Black Lion and a Madrid-based team all previously mooted as possible additions.
In terms of England, both the RFU and Premiership Rugby have publicly stated they are currently committed to helping English Championship sides make the step up to an extended Premiership, although the door has not been shut to Welsh sides. Premiership Rugby chief Simon Massie-Taylor said last week: "The assumption when we were doing Project Forge [English rugby's strategic plan] was that we were looking to develop English clubs."
"That's where we see a lot of potential, whether that's clubs within the Champ, clubs that maybe are outside the Champ and in the English system elsewhere, and previous clubs [e.g. Wasps or London Irish]. So we're putting a lot of resource and attention in developing them. It wasn't a debate at the time around Welsh clubs."
