Arabic version: اتحاد الرجبي الإنجليزي يؤكد تلقيه طلباً من نظيره الويلزي بشأن دوري إنجليزي-ويلزي
According to BBC News, Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney has confirmed that the Welsh Rugby Union has formally asked to join an Anglo-Welsh league.
The Prem hopes to expand from 10 to 12 teams for the 2029-30 season and has a long-term ambition to grow further. Sweeney said the RFU had requested a written approach from the WRU and was seeking clarity on several issues before any discussions could progress.
“Our primary focus is on the expansion of the English game,” Sweeney said. He added that financial criteria, fan base, geographical location and on-field ability would help determine entry to the Prem.
Wales currently has four professional sides — Ospreys, Cardiff, Scarlets and Dragons — competing in the 16-team United Rugby Championship. The WRU is in the process of reducing that number to three by 2028, although new WRU chair Lyndon Faulkner has suggested he will review all options, including retaining four sides.
Sweeney said the WRU must clarify how it could legally leave the URC, of which it is a stakeholder alongside other national unions. The WRU has said it remains committed to providing four teams to the URC until the end of the 2027-28 season while it determines the future operating model for Welsh men’s rugby.
