Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) confirms Cardiff Rugby will remain under its ownership for now, while Ospreys and Scarlets move closer to signing a new professional agreement amid plans to reduce the number of regions.
The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has confirmed Cardiff Rugby will remain under its ownership after a proposed takeover bid was withdrawn, as the governing body continues to reshape the professional game in Wales.
In a statement released on 22 April, the WRU said it had jointly agreed with Y11 Sport & Media that the firm would exit the bidding process to acquire Cardiff Rugby following what were described as “constructive discussions”. The decision, approved by the WRU Board on 16 April, leaves the capital’s region under union control “for now and until it makes commercial and strategic sense to revisit this decision”.
The development comes alongside progress on the WRU’s proposed 2025 Professional Rugby Agreement (PRA25), with both Ospreys and Scarlets set to be offered terms to align them with Dragons RFC and Cardiff Rugby.
WRU CEO Abi Tierney said the move was designed to bring short-term stability to the professional structure while maintaining a longer-term strategic shift.
“We know we need to move to three clubs, nothing has changed there, for both financial and performance reasons and so we can invest in the right way in our pathway to ensure the future of the game,” Tierney said.
“But this move brings stability to the system where it is needed and a calmness and assuredness to our plans for the future.”
Ownership pause, structural change still ahead
While the WRU acknowledged that Y11 had presented the strongest offer for Cardiff Rugby, it concluded that retaining ownership was currently in the best interests of the domestic game. The governing body reiterated that its ambition to reduce the number of professional sides in Wales from four to three by the end of the 2027/28 season remains unchanged.
A decision on how that reduction will be implemented is expected by June, with the WRU continuing to position the PRA25 as a mechanism to standardise funding and governance across the remaining regions.
Tierney added that the union will continue to invest £28m into player pathways over the next five years, alongside efforts to drive commercial growth within the professional game.
In its own statement, Y11 Sport & Media signalled support for the revised direction, highlighting its continued involvement with the Ospreys and development plans in Swansea.
“PRA25 for the Ospreys and top tier rugby in Swansea, partnering with Swansea Council and developing St Helens is the right outcome,” the group said, adding that it would continue to work with the WRU to “build a better pro rugby environment”.
The withdrawal also brings an end, for now, to uncertainty around Cardiff Rugby’s ownership future, which had been a focal point of wider debates over the sustainability of Welsh rugby’s regional model.
Marianne Økland, chair of the Professional Rugby Board, said the decision should help steady the system during a period of change.
“This decision will hopefully contribute towards stability to the system in Wales,” she said. “Welsh rugby now have an opportunity to work together to create a sustainable future for the whole game in Wales.”
