United Rugby Championship (URC) chiefs have dismissed reports suggesting that the league is in discussions about forming a British and Irish League.
This follows a report from the Telegraph about discussions on a potential merger between the English Premiership and the URC to form a British and Irish league. However, the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) is said to be open to the idea of an expanded competition, but only if it involves all participating nations.
A major factor motivating this potential merger is the desire for Premiership clubs to boost commercial revenue to compete with the French league. Reports indicate that the Top 14 secures €136m annually from its television deal, while the URC and Premiership lag behind, earning €63m and €39m, respectively.
To reach revenue figures comparable to the French league, it is widely acknowledged that Ireland’s involvement is crucial. This is because of the strong commercial appeal of its provinces and their dedicated fan bases. Although there were previous plans for an Anglo-Welsh league, the inclusion of Ireland is seen as key to achieving greater financial success.
A Telegraph source said: “This won’t work without the Irish, there has been surprising progress on this. A decision is expected this year.”
To back this, Ireland has also flirted with the merger in recent months as it looks to increase revenue itself.
Last November, Kevin Potts, Chief Executive of the IRFU, said: “We, as administrators, are always looking at ways to make our tournaments more valuable. You are asking about the potential of a British and Irish scenario, yeah, that’s something we are open to looking at.
“We are looking at these things at the moment because the game needs to generate more money. Us as unions and CEOs, I guess it is driving us to be more collaborative and more innovative which we need to be to get more money into the game.
“It can’t sustain itself without increasing revenues.”
The merger would be more beneficial and sustainable for British clubs if it included only Ireland, rather than other URC nations like Italy and South Africa. However, this seems unlikely based on a recent message from the URC.
A URC statement read: “Contrary to media reports the BKT United Rugby Championship is not engaged in discussions regarding a British and Irish league.
“Since the introduction of the four South African teams in 2021, the league has enjoyed a sustained period of outstanding success achieving record audiences, attendances, social media growth and new levels of competitiveness.
“This is due in great part to the efforts of all 16 teams across Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales which has elevated the league to new heights. The BKT URC is committed to continuing this pace of growth ahead of the new season and far into the future.
