WRU Chair Must Back Three-Team Plan
The Welsh Rugby Union's next chair will be expected to back plans to cut Wales' professional game from four teams to three, with the governing body setting a March deadline to decide which region will lose its place. Candidates to replace Richard Collier-Keywood this summer are being assessed on their ability to deliver the controversial restructuring, underlining the WRU's determination to press ahead despite widespread opposition.
The appointment is being made solely by the board, which unanimously backs the reduction in teams. The Professional Rugby Board was updated on the plans on Monday, with the WRU having sought fresh external advice on how best to reshape the professional game within its financial means.
The union remains committed to operating with one licence in east Wales, one in Cardiff and one in the west from the 2028-29 season, with a final decision on which team misses out expected by March. Cardiff and Dragons are understood to be in the strongest positions, leaving Ospreys and Scarlets facing an uncertain future unless they can agree to merge. It remains unclear how the WRU can reduce the number of teams without a formal tender process, though the governing body has consistently favoured reaching a consensus.
Joe Schmidt to Join Ulster in Consultancy Role
Former Ireland and Australia head coach Joe Schmidt is set to join United Rugby Championship side Ulster in a temporary consultancy role ahead of the new season. The 60-year-old left Irish rugby in 2019 after winning two Champions Cups with Leinster and guiding the national team to two Six Nations titles.
He then took on assistant roles with the Auckland Blues and New Zealand before becoming Wallabies head coach in 2024. After stepping away from that role following the Nations Championship southern series, he is now set to return to Ireland temporarily. The Australian newspaper reports that the IRFU has approved the arrangement, which will see Schmidt brought in to consult ahead of Ulster's new URC campaign. An announcement is expected in the coming days.
Schmidt will reunite with Ulster head coach Richie Murphy, who previously worked with him at Leinster and with Ireland. The news comes weeks after Schmidt told reporters: "I don't really have any ambition to keep coaching as a head coach or anything else. I don't feel like I need to be a head coach, and I certainly don't need to be a national head coach."
Dragons Prop Martínez Recalled to Argentina Squad
Dragons prop Rodrigo Martínez has been handed an Argentina recall after being named in Felipe Contepomi's squad for the upcoming clashes with South Africa and Australia. The loosehead has earned three caps for Los Pumas but has not featured since 2021. His inclusion in the 34-man squad gives him the opportunity to end that wait over the coming weeks.
Martínez is one of two players with Dragons links in the squad, with former Rodney Parade scrum-half Gonzalo Bertranou also returning to the international set-up. Argentina begin their Rugby Championship campaign against world champions South Africa in Buenos Aires on August 8 before taking on Australia twice, in Jujuy on August 29 and Mendoza on September 5.
Martínez joined the Dragons ahead of the 2025-26 season and will now have the chance to add to his international tally if selected by Contepomi. The full Argentina squad includes forwards like Guido Petti, Pablo Matera, and Tomás Lavanini, and backs such as Lucio Cinti, Matías Moroni, and Santiago Carreras.
