#parcyscarlets — Public Fediverse posts

SCARLETS: Club given 15 more years to repay taxpayers’ £2.6m — as accounts show just £5,380 left in the bank

The Scarlets have been given an extra 15 years to pay back £2.6 million owed to Carmarthenshire taxpayers, the club’s newly filed accounts reveal.

The money was lent by Carmarthenshire County Council and was originally due to be repaid in 2023. Under the new deal, the club only started paying back the loan itself this April — in equal chunks, spread over the years ahead.

Until then, the club had been paying interest on the debt at 4% a year.

The council has protected its money: the loan is secured against the club’s assets, meaning the council has first claim on them if the Scarlets ever couldn’t pay. The club has also promised not to borrow against anything it owns without the council’s say-so.

The detail is tucked away in the accounts filed this week — the same documents that showed the club losing more than £2m for the third year running.

And they show just how tight things got. On 30 June last year — the day the season’s books closed — the Scarlets had £5,380 in the bank, at a business turning over £10.2 million a year.

The club was also £259,303 into its overdraft.

Servicing its debts is costing serious money: £845,592 went out in interest alone during the year — more than £16,000 a week.

Altogether the club owes £11.5 million to its lenders, most of it to the council and the Welsh Rugby Union.

The WRU is owed around £9.5 million — much of it borrowed to survive Covid. But most of that is expected to be wiped away by the new deal between the union and the four professional clubs, which the accounts say was due to be signed last month.

The club’s bosses call that deal pivotal to putting the Scarlets on a stable footing.

There are real signs of improvement in the numbers. The annual loss shrank from £2.6m to £2.1m, the wage bill was cut by £1.5m, and the club’s backers put in £940,000 of fresh money during the year — followed by further “significant” investment in April.

On the pitch, it was a season of progress too: an eighth-place finish, a play-off quarter-final, and a return to Europe’s top club competition.

For the council, the loan is one part of a much bigger relationship. Its own commissioned report found the Scarlets pump £17.3m a year into the Carmarthenshire economy and support 336 jobs — and then council leader Cllr Darren Price called the club a catalyst for economic growth.

The accounts’ auditors are satisfied the club can pay its bills for at least the next 12 months, though they note it still leans on the support of the WRU, its funders, its directors and its fans.

Hanging over everything is the WRU’s plan to cut Wales’ professional clubs from four to three — leaving the Scarlets and the Ospreys fighting for one west Wales place, a situation chairman Simon Muderack says has created an unsettling backdrop for players, staff and supporters.

For Carmarthenshire taxpayers, the bottom line is this: £2.6m of public money, first lent years ago, now won’t be fully repaid until the 2040s — owed by a club the council itself says is worth £17m a year to the local economy.

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SCARLETS: Nigel Davies confirmed as boss for the long haul — as club posts third straight £2m loss

The Scarlets have confirmed Nigel Davies as their director of rugby for the next two seasons — as fresh accounts lay bare the financial pressure the Llanelli region is under.

Davies, a former Scarlets and Wales player, captain and head coach, returned to Parc y Scarlets on an interim basis in January and has now been handed the role permanently.

The club says he has spent the past five months leading a full review of its rugby operation — strengthening the coaching group, reshaping the squad and overhauling its performance, analysis and medical programmes.

Davies said it was difficult to put into words what the club meant to him, describing Scarlets as a huge part of his life for more than 40 years.

He said the work of the past five months was “only the beginning”, and that the club now had players, coaches and staff committed to building something supporters could be proud of.

Managing director Jon Daniels said Davies had made a significant impact since returning, and that his strategic review had been fully backed by the Scarlets board.

He said the appointment offered “continuity, clarity and leadership at a critically important time” for both the Scarlets and professional rugby in Wales.

But the announcement lands the same week as the club’s latest accounts, which show a loss of £2.1m for the year to June 2025, according to figures reported by the BBC.

It is the third year in a row the region has posted a loss of more than £2m, though the deficit is down from £2.6m the previous year.

Turnover fell from £11.3m to £10.2m, with gate receipts, sponsorship and money from the WRU all down, while the wage bill was cut from £8.24m to £6.94m.

The club’s debt remains above £10m, owed largely to the WRU and to Carmarthenshire County Council, which owns the Parc y Scarlets ground and is still owed £2.6m.

In notes accompanying the accounts, chairman Simon Muderack described the operating environment for professional rugby in Wales as “challenging” and “deeply uncertain”.

That uncertainty stems from the WRU’s plan to cut the number of professional men’s clubs from four to three — a move that would leave the Scarlets and the Swansea-based Ospreys competing for a single west Wales licence.

The union confirmed the three-club model in October 2025 and, despite a series of U-turns and delays, remains committed to reducing to three sides by the end of the 2027/28 season, with a decision on how to do so delayed again in recent weeks.

Both west Wales regions have spent the saga shoring up their positions, with the Scarlets confirming significant new investment from their existing funding group earlier this year.

The accounts note that the Scarlets are also in the “final stages” of signing the new Professional Rugby Agreement, or PRA25 — the deal the club says will relieve much of its Covid-related debt, including £4.8m owed to the WRU.

The Scarlets remain the only Welsh region yet to sign the agreement, having been expected to commit by the end of June.

Davies will lead the club into the 2026/27 season, with the squad back at Parc y Scarlets this week and further rugby announcements expected in the coming weeks.

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West Wales’s two regions are left competing for a single professional licence.

SCARLETS: Llanelli region appoint Irish title-winner Aaron Dundon as forwards coach

The Scarlets have appointed Aaron Dundon as their lead forwards coach ahead of the new season.

Dundon joins the Llanelli region from Leinster, the Irish province that won back-to-back United Rugby Championship titles.

He will take charge of the Scarlets’ forwards, overseeing the scrum, lineout, maul and contact areas as the region prepares for the new URC campaign.

Born in New Zealand, Dundon is a former Leinster player who made 49 appearances for the province before moving into coaching. His coaching career has taken in roles with Leinster, Ireland Under-20s, French clubs Grenoble and La Rochelle, Ulster, and Tasman Mako in New Zealand’s provincial championship.

The Scarlets’ director of rugby, Nigel Davies, said Dundon had come highly recommended.

“Aaron is someone who has been highly recommended by people whose opinions I trust enormously. Every conversation came back to the same qualities; his technical expertise, his preparation, attention to detail and ability to develop forward packs that consistently perform under pressure,” Davies said.

“He has developed within one of the strongest coaching systems in world rugby and has worked alongside some outstanding coaches throughout his career. Just as importantly, he is passionate about developing players, building strong relationships and continually driving standards.”

Davies said the club had wanted someone who could lead the entire forwards programme while keeping every area aligned.

“We wanted someone who could lead our entire forwards programme while ensuring every area works together. Aaron brings that leadership, but he also understands the importance of collaboration,” he said.

Dundon will work alongside the region’s existing lineout coach, Albert van den Berg, and Bradley Davies, who covers the contact area.

His arrival also allows Emyr Phillips, who had been combining scrum coaching with leading the Scarlets Academy, to move into a full-time academy role next season. Davies paid tribute to Phillips, saying his work developing the next generation of players was “fundamental to the long-term future of our club”.

Dundon said joining the Scarlets was an opportunity he relished.

“Joining a club with the history, ambition and identity of the Scarlets is a fantastic opportunity and one I’m incredibly excited about,” he said. “I’m looking forward to working closely with Dwayne Peel, Nigel Davies and the rest of the coaching team to help drive the club forward.”

He set out the style he wants to build, saying a strong set-piece would give the squad a platform.

“With a physical and dominant set-piece, the talented players in this squad can express themselves and play the exciting and expansive brand of rugby the Scarlets are renowned for,” he said.

“There’s a huge amount of potential within this group. The club has a fantastic squad which is building and I’m excited by what we can achieve together. The passion and backing of the Scarlets supporters are well-known throughout the game globally and I can’t wait to get started.”

The appointment is part of a wider strengthening of the Scarlets coaching group ahead of the new URC season, with the region having recently confirmed a new deal for captain Josh MacLeod.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

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Bristol Bears sweating on the fitness of key man after ‘tough’ victory at Scarlets

Bristol Bears are once again sweating on the health of one of their key men after double try…
#Bristol #UnitedKingdom #UK #GB #England #Headlines #News #Europe #EU #BillMata #BristolBears #Britain #Costelow #GabrielIbitoye #GreatBritain #HarryRandall #MaxLahiff #NorthamptonSaints #ParcyScarlets #PatLam #SamLousi #SamWolstenholme #SamWorsley #Scarlets #ViliameMata
https://www.europesays.com/uk/618770/

https://www.europesays.com/uk/618770/ Bristol Bears sweating on the fitness of key man after ‘tough’ victory at Scarlets #BillMata #Bristol #BristolBears #Britain #Costelow #England #GabrielIbitoye #GreatBritain #HarryRandall #MaxLahiff #NorthamptonSaints #ParcYScarlets #PatLam #SamLousi #SamWolstenholme #SamWorsley #Scarlets #UK #UnitedKingdom #ViliameMata

Scarlets unveil new away kit inspired by Llanelli’s heritage

Sosban Fach woven into the design

The shirt, produced in partnership with kit supplier VX3, carries the words of Sosban Fach, the traditional Welsh song adopted as the Scarlets’ anthem. The lyrics are printed across the front of the jersey, symbolising the club’s deep ties to its community and supporters.

A nod to Llanelli’s steel and tinplate past

The grey colour scheme of the shirt, shorts and socks is a deliberate reference to the tinplate and steel industries that shaped Llanelli and the wider West Wales region. Club officials say the design reflects both the area’s industrial heritage and the resilience of its people.

🥄 Why Sosban Fach matters to the Scarlets

Sosban Fach (“Little Saucepan”) is one of Wales’ best‑known folk songs. First adapted in the late 19th century, it became closely linked with Llanelli RFC and later the Scarlets regional side.

The connection comes from Llanelli’s tinplate industry, which produced saucepans and kitchenware for homes across Britain. Fans embraced the saucepan as a symbol of the town’s identity, and the song became a terrace anthem.

At Stradey Park, the Scarlets’ former ground, scarlet‑painted saucepans were famously fixed to the goalposts. The tradition continues at Parc y Scarlets, where supporters still belt out Sosban Fach before big matches.

The Scarlets’ official magazine is even titled “Sosban”, underlining how deeply the song is woven into the club’s culture.

On sale from today

The new away kit is available to buy from Friday 17 October at the Scarlets VX3 shop at Parc y Scarlets, as well as online at shop.scarlets.wales.

https://youtu.be/wsY7Kmi2-s4

🎶 Sosban Fach – full lyrics

Welsh:

Mae bys Meri-Ann wedi brifo,
A Dafydd y gwas ddim yn iach.
Mae’r baban yn y crud yn crio,
A’r gath wedi sgrapo Joni bach.

Sosban fach yn berwi ar y tân,
Sosban fawr yn berwi ar y llawr,
A’r gath wedi sgrapo Joni bach.

Dai bach y sowldiwr,
Dai bach y sowldiwr,
Dai bach y sowldiwr,
A gwt ei grys e mas.

Mae bys Meri-Ann wedi gwella,
A Dafydd y gwas yn ei fedd;
Mae’r baban yn y crud wedi tyfu,
A’r gath wedi huno mewn hedd.

Sosban fach yn berwi ar y tân,
Sosban fawr yn berwi ar y llawr,
A’r gath wedi huno mewn hedd.

English (translation):

Mary-Ann’s finger is injured,
And David the servant is unwell.
The baby in the cradle is crying,
And the cat has scratched little Johnny.

A little saucepan is boiling on the fire,
A big saucepan is boiling on the floor,
And the cat has scratched little Johnny.

Little Dai the soldier,
Little Dai the soldier,
Little Dai the soldier,
With the tail of his shirt hanging out.

Mary-Ann’s finger has healed,
And David the servant is in his grave;
The baby in the cradle has grown,
And the cat is sleeping in peace.

A little saucepan is boiling on the fire,
A big saucepan is boiling on the floor,
And the cat is sleeping in peace.

Note: As with many folk songs, versions vary slightly, but this is the form most often sung by Scarlets supporters.

#awayKit #kitLaunch #Llanelli #ParcYScarlets #Scarlets #ScarletsAnthem #ScarletsAwayKit #ScarletsKit #SosbanFach #steel #tinplate #VX3

https://www.europesays.com/uk/362567/ Inside the Scarlets’ meeting with fans as one defiant statement sparks raucous response #Britain #GreatBritain #ParcYScarlets #Scarlets #UK #UnitedKingdom #Wales #WelshRugbyUnion