Prem Rugby and RFU prioritise English clubs in 12-team expansion plan

Prem Rugby and the Rugby Football Union have reaffirmed that their work on expanding England’s top flight is focused on English clubs, with a provisional aim of increasing the league to 12 teams for the 2029-30 season. According to reports from BBC Sport and the Guardian, the organisations set out their position in a joint statement amid renewed discussion of a possible Anglo-Welsh competition.

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The statement placed responsibility for expansion with the Men’s Professional Rugby Board, which has drawn up entry requirements for prospective members. Prem Rugby and the RFU said their resources were currently directed towards helping English clubs across the domestic pyramid that want to join the top division. Their stated focus was on those applicants, rather than an announcement that Welsh teams would be admitted.

The Prem currently has 10 clubs following the collapse of Wasps, Worcester and London Irish during the 2022-23 season. BBC Sport reported that traditional promotion and relegation had been removed from the start of 2026-27. Under the replacement system, clubs apply for admission and are assessed on factors including playing standards, finances, investment prospects, infrastructure and the potential for their location to broaden the league’s audience.

The initial expansion conditions also required a prospective entrant to complete a season in the second-tier Champ before being considered, the BBC reported. The league’s longer-term ambition is to grow beyond 12 teams. Any move involving Welsh clubs would require RFU approval because it would turn the competition into a cross-border league.

The Welsh Rugby Union, meanwhile, said it remained committed to providing four teams to the United Rugby Championship until the end of 2027-28. Ospreys, Cardiff, Scarlets and Dragons currently play in the 16-team competition alongside sides from Scotland, Ireland, Italy and South Africa. The WRU said it would determine the future operating model for the Welsh men’s game by the end of this season and continue discussions with fellow URC shareholders about future representation.

Welsh involvement in England’s women’s competition is a separate initiative. The WRU confirmed it was seeking places for Brython Thunder and Gwalia Lightning in Premiership Women’s Rugby. On the men’s side, it said it continued to review competition opportunities that might benefit Welsh rugby, without announcing a move away from the URC.