Ospreys say report shows Wales must not cut teams

Ospreys say a report they commissioned into Welsh rugby concludes that the proposed cut of four professional clubs to three should not happen.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has said it intends to drop a side by 2028, with the decision made by next summer.

With Cardiff and Dragons set to be granted the capital and east licences, Ospreys and Scarlets are competing to be the side in west Wales.

Ospreys asked experts at Sheffield Hallam University to look at the issues and they produced the "Welsh rugby data report".

That found "the independent analysis of the data does not logically lead to a conclusion that the removal of one professional team in Wales is a strategic move grounded in evidence".

Ospreys say they back the need to keep four clubs.

The report has not yet been published in full. That will not be done until later this month when it will be sent to the regions and WRU.

Why four clubs should be maintained

The Ospreys highlight the reasons the report concludes the number of professional clubs in Wales should remain at four.

• Derbies: The report claims fixtures between the four Welsh clubs generated 48% of league attendances at home games in Wales from 2012 to 2026. With three clubs, those fixtures would fall from 12 derbies a season to six.
• Players: Removing one team would create what the report calls a "bottleneck", with fewer elite playing opportunities in Wales and a greater risk of more Welsh players moving to clubs outside the country.
• Wales: The report finds that Wales have recorded higher Six Nations finishes in the seasons when the Welsh clubs have performed well.
• All four clubs contribute: Over the period, the report records Cardiff with the highest average attendances, Scarlets as the leading club in the European Cup and Dragons with the highest stadium utilisation, alongside the Ospreys' record in the league and in supplying most players to Wales and the British and Irish Lions.

What has not been included in great depth in the initial findings are the financial constraints or how keeping four teams can be afforded.

The WRU has reported recent losses of £18m and says it has to reduce its spend on professional rugby from £26m to £20m by 2028. The four sides currently receive about £6.5m each.

The Ospreys report follows the Keystone report that was commissioned by the WRU, which said it outlined data why Welsh rugby needs to cut a side.

Why Ospreys say they are top Welsh side

The Ospreys say the report outlines how their league playing record between 2003 and 2026 is the strongest in the regional era, with four championship wins, six play-off appearances and their average league position the highest of the Welsh clubs.

They say the research shows they are second among the Welsh clubs in the European Cup but their 47 selections for World Cup squads and 181 selections for the Six Nations since 2008 are the most of any Welsh club.

They point to the 22 Welsh selections on the British and Irish Lions tours, which includes 15 individuals, and boast of representation on all six tours since 2005.

The Ospreys are playing this season at St Helen's, redeveloped in partnership with Swansea Council, with the investment of Y11 Sport & Media behind the club.

They say they have an academy drawing on the community clubs and schools of the region, while 'Ospreys in the Community' works across Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend.

Background of the report

Ospreys commissioned and paid for the report by Sheffield Hallam University into the 23 seasons since the regions were formed in 2003.

The region says the analysis and conclusions are the university's own and the fee was fixed in advance, regardless of the findings.

It was undertaken by the sport and physical activity research centre (SPARC) at the school of sport and physical activity.

The authors were Dr Steve Bullough (senior research fellow), Tim Vernon (principal research fellow), David Barrett (research fellow) and professor Keith Davids (professor of perceptual-motor learning).

The report reviews the data in the WRU's November 2025 club locations data pack, the Keystone report and the material published by the WRU at futurerugby.cymru in October 2026.

It also analysed club performance from 2003 to 2026, supply of players to Wales and the Lions, attendances and stadium use, population, clubs and schools, and a limited set of financial indicators.

The period covered were the 23 seasons from 2003-04 - when the four Welsh professional clubs were formed - to 2025-26, across the Celtic League, Pro12, Pro14 and United Rugby Championship (URC).

It is claimed Sheffield Hallam University is one of the UK's leading centres for sport research and ranked in the world's top 150 for sports-related subjects (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026).

SPARC is one of the largest sport and physical activity research clusters in the UK.

The website says it has previously worked with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, UK Sport, all four home nation sports councils, FIFA, the International Tennis Federation and The R&A.

What they say

Former Wales captain and Ospreys director Alun Wyn Jones, who chaired the working group that commissioned the report: "We want four clubs. This is not about one club's record against another's.

"Cardiff, Dragons, Scarlets and Ospreys have all put players in a Wales jersey, and the report shows what the four of them bring to Welsh rugby together.

"Decisions about the future of the professional game in Wales should rest on the fullest evidence available.

"We commissioned this work to add to that evidence, and we asked the University to follow the data wherever it led.

"We will send the full report to the WRU as soon as it is final and we look forward to discussing it with them."

Ospreys managing director Richard Lancaster: "We have completed phase one of the redevelopment of the historic ground at St Helen's, and season ticket sales and sponsorship have been very encouraging and demonstrates the community, and region is behind elite professional rugby football.

"The record in this report belongs to a great many people, past and future: the players and coaches, the community clubs and schools of our region, and the supporters who have backed the Club for 23 seasons.

"Sheffield Hallam has measured all four clubs on the same basis, and we believe the findings underline the significant consequences that reducing the number of professional clubs could have for Welsh rugby as a whole. Before any such decision is taken, every option to sustain four clubs should be properly explored."

Professor Keith Davids, Professor of Perceptual-Motor Learning at Sheffield Hallam University: "In our view, the rationale for change is not supported by evidence.

"Narrowing down the pool of players into fewer locations will narrow down the competition pool.

"This approach may not be helpful for the development of the whole system."

What happens next?

The report goes to the WRU board, chief executive Abi Tierney and the Professional Rugby Board (PRB) from 16 November and will be published in full by the end of this month.

Ospreys say they will offer the WRU, the PRB and the other three Welsh clubs a briefing on the findings and the method of the work.

The club will also hold briefings for members, sponsors and supporters' groups on request.

The Ospreys will ask the document is placed before the rugby summit the WRU has announced for December which will shape how changes will be made in Welsh rugby.