Incoming WRU chair Faulkner pledges review of plan to cut Welsh region

Incoming Welsh Rugby Union chair Lyndon Faulkner has pledged to review the decision to reduce Wales' professional regions from four to three in 2028. In his first interview since accepting the role, reported by BBC Sport, he said he would be prepared to reconsider the plan and rejected suggestions that his appointment required him to endorse it.

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Faulkner is due to take up the position in November, with the future structure of professional rugby and the union's finances among his priorities. He said he wanted to examine and challenge the organisation's existing work, bringing his business experience to decisions about what could be improved. His comments indicate a willingness to revisit the regional policy, not that the planned reduction has been reversed.

Ospreys and Scarlets are the two teams most threatened by closure under the shake-up, according to the BBC report. Faulkner acknowledged the distrust surrounding the process and the emotional importance of all four regions and their histories. He also said he did not want a review to extend a decision-making process that he recognised had already taken too long.

Financial scrutiny will form another significant part of his initial work. The WRU reported an £18m loss for its latest financial year, and Faulkner said the figures had surprised him because earlier financial information had appeared less concerning. He acknowledged that he had not known the full extent of the union's debt until its announcement the previous week. He identified managing costs and generating revenue as areas requiring attention.

Faulkner will chair the board rather than join the WRU's executive team. BBC Sport reported that he would have substantial influence, although he would not make final decisions himself. He broadly supported the union's move to rescue Cardiff and expressed enthusiasm for a possible Anglo-Welsh competition. Neither position amounted to a new competition announcement or a settled outcome for the regions facing uncertainty.

A former Pontypool centre and nephew of Wales international Tony Faulkner, the incoming chair built a career in technology after a knee injury ended his playing days. He said his motivation for accepting the post was to help Welsh rugby improve on and off the field. His promised review leaves both the regional decision and the response to the financial loss among the issues he intends to confront after taking office.