As we speak’s announcement will do little to calm the usually seething cauldron of Welsh rugby, notably in west Wales.
The WRU stated solely one of many three future groups in Wales shall be based mostly within the west the place each Ospreys (Swansea) and Scarlets (Llanelli) are based mostly.
Scarlets and Ospreys are on a earlier funding settlement till 2027 – price simply £4.5m a 12 months – after refusing to signal the brand new participation settlement earlier this 12 months.
There’s nonetheless a hope throughout the governing physique that the groups may merge however would open a young course of if they don’t.
That course of even opens the unlikely prospect that a type of groups may apply for the licence based mostly in Cardiff or east Wales.
The WRU, in the meantime, is a stakeholder within the URC – together with the 4 different nationwide governing our bodies – and would wish help from the league to change the variety of areas competing.
Surveys have proven a majority of Welsh rugby followers would really like the WRU to strategy the English golf equipment to see if there may very well be an Anglo-Welsh league.
WRU director of rugby and head of efficiency Dave Reddin has acknowledged that possibility was not on the desk and the WRU stays dedicated to the URC.
So whereas the current now has better readability, the longer-term way forward for Welsh rugby nonetheless stays unsure.
