‘I’m no yes man’ – new WRU chair to review region cut
Lyndon Faulkner, who is due to become Welsh Rugby Union chair in November, says he will review the plan to reduce Wales’s professional regions from four to three in 2028. He rejects the idea that he was appointed to approve the change automatically, and says he would be prepared to reverse it if his review supported that.
Faulkner also wants to examine the WRU’s finances after it reported an £18m loss for the latest financial year, a figure he said surprised and worried him. He will chair the board and can influence its decisions, though he is not part of the executive team; he says the review should take account of the history of all four regions and the concerns of Ospreys and Scarlets, without extending an already lengthy process.
In short
- Faulkner says he will review the proposed cut from four Welsh regions to three.
- He says he would reverse the plan if the review justified it.
- The WRU’s latest financial year showed an £18m loss.
Explained simply
The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) governs rugby in Wales, including the national team and the professional game. Wales currently has four professional regions: Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets.
The WRU has proposed reducing that number to three from 2028, a change that would reshape the professional game and affect the regions and their supporters. The union has also reported an £18m loss for its latest financial year, bringing its finances into focus.
The chair leads the WRU board, which can influence major decisions, while the executive team manages its day-to-day work. Lyndon Faulkner is due to take up the chair in November; the review of the proposed change will consider the regions’ history and concerns, including those raised by Ospreys and Scarlets.