Prem Rugby and RFU insist English clubs are priority amid Welsh expansion talk

Prem Rugby and the Rugby Football Union have moved to distance themselves from reports that Welsh sides could enter the Gallagher Premiership, issuing a joint statement on Tuesday that places English clubs at the centre of any future expansion plans.

The response follows a report claiming the Welsh Rugby Union is in advanced discussions with Premiership and RFU officials about transforming the top-flight English league into a cross-border competition. The WRU is under severe financial pressure after announcing a loss of £18.1 million for 2025-26 — a figure it says reinforces its argument to reduce the number of Welsh professional regions from four to three.

“Resources are currently focused on supporting English clubs throughout the pyramid who aspire to join the league,” the two bodies said in their joint statement. “The Prem is an attractive league and responsibility for its expansion sits with the Men’s Professional Rugby Board (MPRB), which has established detailed entry criteria that any prospective club would need to satisfy.”

The Premiership is targeting growth from 10 to 12 sides ahead of the 2029-30 season. Any club seeking entry faces costs of up to £23.5 million, covering the P-share that grants a percentage of central income and voting rights, as well as the obligation to fund a Premiership Women’s Rugby programme.

Admitting Welsh regions would require RFU approval given that it would fundamentally alter the competition’s domestic character — a significant procedural hurdle on top of the financial one. Neither body has explicitly ruled out Welsh involvement in the long term, but the language of Tuesday’s statement makes clear that no such application is being entertained at present.

The development adds another layer of complexity to an already turbulent period for Welsh rugby. The WRU’s mounting losses and the looming prospect of regional restructuring have prompted speculation about alternative revenue streams, with Premiership membership representing one potential lifeline — however distant that prospect currently appears.