There has been no suggestion that table positions or historic success will be a deciding factor in the WRU’s final decision.
But the aim of going to three teams is ultimately to create success on the pitch, with Collier-Keywood saying “our [WRU’s] desire is to align to improve performance of both the national teams and the professional clubs”.
While Cardiff and Dragons appear to enjoy a geographic advantage – although there is the unlikely prospect that any team could apply for the licence to play in any location – Swansea-based Ospreys and Scarlets, who play in Llanelli, have been quick to remind decision-makers that they are the two most successful teams judged on several metrics.
Ospreys have already announced plans to redevelop St Helen’s in Swansea as their new home ground for the 2026-27 season, while Scarlets said they are “confident that the club will continue to play a central role in the future of the game in west Wales from its home at Parc y Scarlets”.
Scarlets revealed new proposed investors in August – although former WRU chief executive David Moffett resigned from that US-based company this week.
Ospreys said that on Friday morning they had met with WRU director of rugby Dave Reddin and chair of the Professional Rugby Board (PRB) Malcolm Wall to lay out their plans for Welsh rugby.
An Ospreys statement read: “Ospreys are Wales’ most successful region, having won more league titles, produced players who have won more Welsh caps and been selected for more British and Irish Lions tours than any other region.
“We will continue to engage with the WRU with the intention of reaching an agreement which continues that proud tradition.
“Our intention is and always has been to find a solution which works in the best interests of Welsh rugby and Ospreys Rugby, not only at an elite level but across the entirety of the game and the communities involved in it.”
