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WRU: Ospreys and Scarlets still haven’t signed Welsh rugby’s new deal — four weeks after Ospreys said they would

Welsh rugby’s two west Wales regions are still unsigned on the deal that was supposed to secure their futures — and the WRU‘s plan to cut professional rugby in Wales from four teams to three remains very much alive in the background.

Ospreys chief executive Lance Bradley confirmed on Thursday that the region had not yet signed the new Professional Rugby Agreement — known as PRA25 — despite announcing its intention to do so four weeks ago.

The Scarlets are also yet to commit to the deal, which sets out how professional rugby in Wales will be run, including how much money each region will receive.

Bradley told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast the hold-up was not a cause for alarm. “It’s not signed yet, but it’s progressing towards that, so it’s very close,” he said. “It’s just a few details to sort out, there aren’t any problems with it.”

He also moved to dismiss reports suggesting the new agreement would mean budget cuts for the clubs. “There was some discussion about how you manage recruitment at relatively short notice, but no — there are no plans for a reduction in the budget,” Bradley said.

The two regions are currently signed to an older agreement that runs until 2028. Dragons and Cardiff — currently owned by the WRU — signed the new PRA25 deal in May 2025, which runs until 2030.

The Ospreys and Scarlets had held back from signing last year, releasing a joint statement seeking clarity from the WRU before they would commit. That stand-off triggered a significant escalation from the WRU.

In May 2025, the WRU announced it would move away from a model of four evenly-funded clubs — a move that sent shockwaves through west Wales rugby and fuelled fears for both regions’ survival.

What followed was one of the most turbulent periods in Welsh regional rugby history. Swansea Council went to the High Court seeking an injunction to halt a proposed WRU deal that it said would end the Ospreys. Fans launched a 10,000-signature petition. Politicians, supporters and public figures called for the WRU chair’s resignation.

The Y11 bid to take over Cardiff Rugby also collapsed in April — a significant moment that changed the landscape of negotiations, with the WRU subsequently moving to offer PRA25 to the Ospreys and Scarlets.

The WRU’s subsequent U-turn — offering both regions a professional rugby agreement — was celebrated by campaigners as a massive victory. But the deal still hasn’t been signed, and the WRU’s longer-term plan has not gone away.

The union wants to cut professional men’s rugby in Wales from four teams to three by the 2028-29 season, and has said it will outline the terms of how that will be achieved this summer.

Previous WRU proposals suggested only one team would remain in west Wales — which would mean either the Ospreys or the Scarlets ceasing to exist as a professional side. Bradley said he hoped it would not come to that.

“My personal preference would be that four regions is something that works very well,” he said. “Ospreys against Scarlets is the biggest club game in Welsh rugby — everybody likes to hate everybody else, but it’s a fantastic game and a fantastic rivalry, and I’d like to see it continue if possible.”

He added that the regions would need to see the full details of the WRU’s three-team plan before drawing any firm conclusions about what it would mean for west Wales rugby.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

WRU: ‘A massive victory’ — reaction as Ospreys and Scarlets handed lifeline in Welsh rugby U-turn
Politicians and candidates react to the WRU’s decision to offer professional rugby agreements to the Ospreys and Scarlets.

WRU: Cardiff Y11 ownership bid collapses
Y11 Sport and Media withdrew from the Cardiff Rugby bid process as the WRU moved to offer PRA25 to the western regions.

Welsh rugby regional duo seeking clarity on Professional Rugby Agreement
The Ospreys and Scarlets released a joint statement seeking clarity from the WRU before agreeing to sign the new deal.

WRU announcement leaves rugby regions in limbo over future
The WRU said it would move away from four evenly-funded clubs after the Ospreys and Scarlets declined to sign PRA25.

SCARLETS: Club welcomes WRU lifeline and signals new investment as season ticket sales surge

The Scarlets have welcomed the Welsh Rugby Union’s offer of a Professional Rugby Agreement, saying the development brings “increased stability, security and clearer governance” to professional rugby in west Wales.

The club confirmed it will undergo due diligence before signing the agreement, which was announced by the WRU this week as part of a wider U-turn that also saw the proposed sale of Cardiff Rugby to Y11 Sport & Media collapse. The Ospreys are expected to sign shortly too, bringing all four Welsh professional clubs onto the same contractual footing for the first time.

The deal offers what the club described as “a more equitable framework for the professional game” and the Scarlets said they would continue to engage constructively with the WRU on its future strategy.

The announcement comes alongside confirmation of significant new investment into the club from its funding group. In a statement, the Scarlets described it as “a clear vote of confidence in Llanelli, in our heritage, and in the future of professional rugby in West Wales.”

That investment followed a period of acknowledged financial difficulty at the club. Earlier this month, the Scarlets confirmed significant new funding from within their existing funding group in a carefully worded statement that thanked supporters for their “loyalty and patience during a difficult period” — language that resonated widely with fans who had watched months of uncertainty unfold. The club declined at the time to detail the scale of the difficulties or the level of investment secured.

The club also reported strong early uptake on season ticket sales this week, alongside renewed commitments from key sponsors and partners — a sign, the club said, of renewed momentum and positivity around the region.

Last weekend’s Welsh derby at Parc y Scarlets provided further evidence of the club’s pulling power, with more than 1,000 hospitality places sold out and a crowd of over 9,000 in attendance. A community festival involving more than 500 junior players from grassroots clubs across the region also took place on the day.

The Scarlets said they would be making a series of rugby recruitment and retention announcements in the coming weeks, with a new performance programme in place aimed at returning the club to top-tier play-off contention.

The wider political reaction to the WRU’s announcement has been strongly positive, with Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart — who launched legal action against the WRU during the campaign to protect the Ospreys — calling the outcome “a major win,” and MP Torsten Bell describing it as “a massive victory” for fans and campaigners.

The development has also been welcomed by Senedd candidates in Sir Gaerfyrddin, where earlier this week Labour, Plaid Cymru and independent candidates united to demand scrutiny of the WRU’s west Wales merger plans — arguing that the loss of the Scarlets would be devastating for the Carmarthenshire economy and culture.

The Ospreys have also responded positively. The region’s chief executive has spoken of his optimism for the future following confirmation that the club will also be offered the agreement and that plans for a redeveloped St Helens stadium in Swansea are proceeding.

The WRU has been clear, however, that its ambition to move to three professional clubs by the end of the 2027/28 season remains unchanged. CEO Abi Tierney said the union was “undeterred” from that goal, with a decision on how to implement the strategy expected by June. The agreement provides near-term stability — but the longer-term picture for all four regions remains unresolved.

Nonetheless, the Scarlets expressed confidence in the club’s direction, saying the hard work, energy and forward focus at the club on and off the field “continues at full pace” — with further announcements on the playing squad and recruitment to follow in the coming weeks.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

WRU: Cardiff Y11 ownership bid collapses
The full story of the WRU’s announcement and the collapse of the Cardiff sale.

WRU: ‘A massive victory’ — reaction as Ospreys and Scarlets handed lifeline
Political reaction including Rob Stewart’s exclusive video response.

Ospreys: Jones positive for region’s future after Y11 Cardiff collapse
The Ospreys’ response to the same announcement.

Scarlets: Club confirms ‘significant’ new investment after difficult period amid financial rumours
Our earlier coverage of the funding announcement that preceded this week’s news.

WRU — all our coverage
Full archive of Swansea Bay News reporting on the Welsh rugby crisis.