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English rugby exploring request for Welsh teams to join Prem, says RFU
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is considering a formal request from the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) for Welsh teams to join England’s Premiership. The league plans to grow from 10 clubs to 12 in 2029, and the decision could reshape Welsh rugby as the WRU reviews its regional teams and future competition arrangements.
RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney said expansion was designed to grow the English game, with entrants judged on financial strength, support, location and playing ability rather than automatic promotion. He said the RFU needs more detail, including how Welsh clubs could legally leave the United Rugby Championship, whose membership also includes teams from Scotland, Ireland, Italy and South Africa. The WRU is expected to reduce its four regions to three, while Worcester Warriors, London Irish and Wasps may also compete for the two places.
In short
- The RFU has received a formal request for Welsh teams to join the Prem.
- The league plans to expand from 10 clubs to 12 in 2029.
- Legal questions over leaving the URC remain unresolved.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Welsh teams joining the Premiership could give them access to a larger English competition, stronger commercial opportunities and regular matches against established clubs. Supporters of the move may see it as a practical way to sustain professional rugby in Wales while the WRU reshapes its regional structure, provided entrants meet clear standards for financial stability and competitiveness.
The case against
The Premiership’s expansion is intended to grow the English game, so adding Welsh clubs could divert places and resources from English teams seeking to return or advance. Leaving the United Rugby Championship may also create legal and competition complications, while reducing Wales’s regions and shifting its clubs into an English league could weaken the coherence and identity of Welsh rugby.
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