One to be jettisoned 

Is this why they both held out because they knew the shambolic archaic rat feast WRU were actually trying to shaft West Wales....the best part of Wales. 

Scarlets are Llanelli.

Both clown show clubs out there have been bailed out by WRU in recent years, neither have won the league. WRU will love to have a national side relying on Dragons.

Y11 have made enquiries about buying Cardiff. 

St. Helens deal can't move forward until new PRA is signed - council won't fund otherwise.

My guess is Y11 are willing to merge, just a question of who with. 

On any objective metric we would be safe: results, infrastructure, stable group of investors, assets, getting players in the Welsh team etc. 

I don't trust the WRU to do anything objectively. 

The Drags should absolutely undoubtedly be binned. Worst results by far, worst attendances by far, worst development record by far etc. 

I worry we'll be merged with the Ospreys, but hopefully the outcome of that would be playing 90% of our games at PyS because the Ospreys don't actually have a stadium. 

Voluntary mergers, or one gives up, or there's a tender process..

The 2 year notice period has been served, but none of us can take 2 yrs uncertainty.

 It’s also grossly problematic for the O’s who are in the middle of moving to St Helens and spending money/ lifting fans etc on the move. What a dithering inept bunch the WRU are!

By any performance metric, whether looking at one year or twenty one years of data, the Dragons are the team that should be cut if we are to be reduced to three. The WRU have made an absolute howler in allowing them to go back into private hands if that is their plan. There is no comparison in the contribution made to Welsh rugby between the Ospreys and Dragons since their formation, yet it seems the Ospreys are in the most precarious position.

There will again be pressure for us to merge with them to allow the two East Wales clubs to continue. I hope we resist with the same vigour we did in 2002/03. 

Absolutely agree. I hate to see it for Dragons fans, but they bring the least to the table. Their best players will find contracts in Wales. Across the board all four clubs have too many contracted that really aren’t pro standard. Reducing to 3 would allow more squad depth and focus on solid players in each spot. We’d easily benefit from Ben Carter and perhaps SLH at 6.

We are in the players offs and this is leaked, imparted, farted poo show that is the WRU. 

If Cardifffff had sneaked their way into the play offs nothing would have been released.

Jeez the incredible gifted talented City mutants would never be knee capped by their illustrious bosses and of course the historian depth of clown faced Abbi " i don't know much about rugby, but i spend my pay cheque with vigour and integrity "....

Screw the WRU lets get into the English league. 

If the Ospreys go watch Cardiff be given all their best players, it will be our punishment for not signing agreement,  remember when the warriors went we got shafted then as well. 

Grudgingly if the Os are merged with us ....that would be one hell of a side tbh and will create a super club which is not what the WRU actually want.....they want the Blue mutants to be everything. 

They never will be .

I agree

There is no professional rugby in Llanelli without WRU backing. The economics of the game just don’t allow for that. Would be the same at Saracens or Bath.

On the other hand, when it comes to any sort of bidding process, we are in the strongest position. More support than Os or Dragons, way more successful than Dragons, actually have a secure, top quality stadium unlike the Os (Or Cardiff, not that they are going anywhere)

Like they are now 

It's just ludicrous they think it will strengthen the game.....larger pool of players, larger opportunities for the talented unknowns to prosper.....insane stupidity from a reckless organisation designed for self interest. 

Yes but spectacularly failing.

Unsaid in the reporting:

- They have “activated the two-year notice on the old PRA”, but to whom? Just a board decision? Notified the URC, EPCR, the teams?

- Is it rescindable?

Why will it be a smaller pool of players?

Do you really think that there are four squads of players good enough for international rugby?

Is this the early days of the demise of Welsh rugby ?

Point well made.

And, a thought experiment: had they allowed Cardiff Rugby to dissolve, there would still have been a Cardiff RFC with a clean slate, right?

I'd always seen these heritage clubs as a back-up. Top of the SRC, no less.

How could you end up with *two* Cardiffs and no Llanelli/Scarlets?

Art Of The Deal is so pervasive in society at the moment; I'm crossing my fingers this is ratcheting up the pressure on Scarlets and Ospreys again.

Then again, I thought Putin was bluffing over Ukraine.

If you cast 4 nets instead of 3 nets, inevitably you are bound to catch more fish !!!!!!

Given that our board’s strategy since for the last 7 years seems to have been to survive until Rob Davies can’t afford to keep giving Ospreys £2m a year, I would be surprised if we went for any sort of merger other than what Nigel Short almost achieved. 

The Os have dwindling crowds, no home and one person writing the cheques. I can’t see our board giving up now. We will take our chances against the Os or Ds.

You’re right though about the potential for legal challenges, it’s a minefield that could potentially lead to more casualties.

I can see the merits in this. Questions that spring to mind:

Presumably the new west Wales region would have to be renamed ( to reduced animosity & encourage fee paying supporters from across the loughor to attend games)

The Llanelli RFC premiership club team would have to be resurrected.

Yes and no.

Less teams more competition for places can drive up standards.

That’s what I was thinking. If anything, the ideal outcome would be merging with the Ospreys and playing from PYS which is what I think will happen. We’d have the strongest squad too. No one cares if Wales do well it’s just the region I thought?

Leinster. 

Because any player with a chance will pack their bags and move.

If one of the regions is cut loose as part of a merger then that means that the chosen team no longer exist (as far as being a registered team with the WRU, or even both teams if rebranded). As such, could that team (or both) then be allowed to seek membership in the RFU even if they have to start in the championship (like Worcester).

Who knows, I wouldn’t bet against the WRU being in cahoots with the RFU and creating a new entity (merged and renamed region) that will be fast tracked into the championship and being based out of Cardiff.

Let’s paint Leinster red, then progress to the final and then see how hard the WRU work to try and justify merging us with another region.

All the evidence says otherwise.

Especially when the pool is small 

Do you really think that there are already more than 100 players good enough for international rugby playing in Wales?

Yes. They do. 

Read WR regulation 16

Why would there be one fewer academy?

Don’t RGC run an academy? What would prevent the WRU from running a “Dragons Academy” for example?

We want 4 regions going forward, nothing is off the table (3 regions), we have a deal, we have an agreement which all 4 regions agree to (in principle), we have a new agreement, ultimatum to the 3 regions, then ultimatum to the 2 west wales regions, now a merger again.

There have been more changes than there have been to the trade tariffs introduced by Trump.  Perhaps the WRU will be considering increasing their hotel portfolio in the Gaza Riviera alongside Trump, as a their next ‘Cunning Plan’ to increase their profits.

Add this to the fact that they want to restructure “axe” the schools game and there has to be another vote of no confidence vote in the WRU and in Teirney and Collier-keywood.

https://www.wru.wales/2025/05/wru-statement-27/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR7XfJJoIkmdd-euaK9t8ZRj4dlHQCcLq64xKEt4rW_6v_d_tO5aGcivnlUwBQ_aem_yALeKP1U5gkC52KD1P04Aw" rel="nofollow - https://www.wru.wales/2025/05/wru-statement-27/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR7XfJJoIkmdd-euaK9t8ZRj4dlHQCcLq64xKEt4rW_6v_d_tO5aGcivnlUwBQ_aem_yALeKP1U5gkC52KD1P04Aw

One swallow doesn’t make a summer. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e4q-BUN7CY" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e4q-BUN7CY

The few million allegedly saved from destroying a region will go.on womens rugby and their 2 pro sides and wage increases for test team. None of which is affordable. 

Meanwhile either 592,000 gwent residents will be lost to welsh forever 

Or about 520, 000 ospreylians or near 500,000 scarlets fans across the whole region lost forever

Ah well heyho still got a nice hotel and new roof 

It does not say that there will only be three.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/cm26jmd34qgo" rel="nofollow - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/cm26jmd34qgo

Not great at all ..Any more signings due? 

The first thing to remember with the WRU is that only one sentence in ten is true. One can expend alot of time trying to work out which the true one is but it's simpler to just accept the whole lot as false until some other evidence turns up. Trump is of the same ilk as was a late farming neighbour of mine. 

What's he said ?

My guess:

- WRU gave Steff the exclusive, for Wales On Sunday, about PRA activation and today’s statement (it appears they’ve brief him lately) - but he’s over-written it to focus on “Welsh region to be cut”.

- WRU’s actual  http://www.wru.wales/2025/05/wru-statement-27/" rel="nofollow - statement  doesn’t say this, it says it “will not return to the model of four evenly funded clubs”.

- BBC Sport has clearly had off-the-record guidance from WRU, as its story makes a point of repeating, twice in the body and specifically in the headline, the “unequal funding” angle: “There is no mention in the WRU statement that it will cut a region reducing the number to three professional sides”.

- Wales Online has updated its story to link to the WRU’s statement, but not in such a way that it tones down the “three regions” line.

- I’d expect a Wales Online follow-up/sidebar later today.

- If WRU specifically gave Steff the “three regions” line but rowed it back overnight for some reason, Wales Online’s angle looks exposed.

WRU’s stance may be:

- We’re obviously not going to break even on the Cardiff disposal so, no, we can’t give you equal funding.

- Get on board with PRA25 on that basis, or we need to acknowledge how we’re going to redistribute what we’ve got, let’s chat about that over the next two years - eg…

— Acknowledge the Cardiff over-funding (3+1 = 4).

— 2x signatories + 2x non-signatories (2+2 = 4).

— Favourable funding to one each of “west” and “east”, on the basis this may somehow be regionally fair (1 of 2 and 1 of 2 = 4).

— “Would any one of you like to leave the field at this point?”

For us, what really is the difference between signing and not signing at this point?

Link:  https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/tonights-rugby-news-wru-warned-31669665" rel="nofollow - https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/tonights-rugby-news-wru-warned-31669665

Potentially the likes of Jac Morgan and Morgan Morris. 

A little bit. The clubs knew this would more than likely happen if they didn’t sign. I’m sure anyone did too. 

Both sides should also come out and criticise the timing of the story, especially as we are still going in this season’s URC and the players could certainly do without this hanging over their heads.

Very sad news if true. 

As much as I can’t stand the Ospreys it’s because they are from Swansea and Neath our nearest and dearest rivals I would miss the derby more than any other game. Remember the days of climbing into St Helens as you couldnt get ticket took my ex wife ona first date to Swansea Llanelli at StHelens. Welsh rugby will be a damn site weaker without the Jacks. 

Newport and Cardiff are acting very poorly in all this and if there were any justice they should be made to merge and form the third region. 

Won’t happen because Abi has already said it can’t. She talks about respect and fairness disgraceful woman. 

Pretty disgusting from both sides, they’ve relied on the WRU for years now and get to play teachers pet. If the WRU want to fill a national side losing talent from us or Ospreys and rely on Dragons like Joe Davies, Chris Coleman, etc then they can fill their boots, Welsh rugby will be dead to me sadly.

I don't  think you should disparage Dragon's players who are innocent bystanders in this disgraceful action by the WRU.  They are pro players who train hard and play to the best of their ability and have friends and family.  Let's keep our focus on the real villians, the WRU.

They are the sponsors that we would be trying to hoover up.

I reckon St Helens or Pemberton (or Cardiff) make little difference to most of the denizens of Bridgend, Neath or Port Talbot

Fact of the matter is after two decades the dragons still can’t produce players and develop a team. Relying on them be to 1/3 of the welsh pro clubs is a disaster in waiting.

I’ve heard this too from a member of staff there about a week ago. I posted it in another topic a few days ago so this has come as no surprise. 

Correct. But the truth offends some

Yeh not sure why people are having a pop at the Dragons and Cardiff as if it’s a master plan. The fault is entirely with the WRU. All I know is there’s only one region that hasn’t even got a home ground after this season ends. 

That post seems to tick the racial and sexual discrimination boxes, and ignores her public statements about her past association with the game.

By the way, I am not a fan of Tierney or RCK. They have both excelled at double speak, and probably been much less than honest in the last year.