It comes after the council urged external intervention over proposals that could see Wales’ second biggest city and region lose professional men’s rugby.
At the centre of the dispute are negotiations between the Welsh Rugby Union and Y11 Sports & Media, the owners of the Ospreys, who are the preferred bidders to purchase Cardiff Rugby.
That takeover would allow the WRU to reduce Welsh rugby’s top tier from four regions to three by the owners winding up the Ospreys after the 2026-27 season.
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In response, Swansea Council has formally asked the Competition and Markets Authority to investigate the proposed deal, warning it could unfairly distort competition and strip the city of elite rugby.
The local authority’s concerns centre on the potential reduction in professional teams, how licences would be allocated, and the prospect of a single ownership group controlling two Welsh regions.
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Council leaders argue the proposals could restrict competition, reduce choice for supporters and harm Swansea’s economy, while undermining trust in how decisions are being made.
Stewart said the stakes for the city go far beyond the rugby pitch.
“The WRU's proposals would mean the end of the Ospreys as a professional men's rugby region,” he said.
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“This would be a huge blow to our city - economically, culturally and emotionally.
“Players, supporters, residents, community clubs and local businesses all deserve a fair and transparent process from the WRU.
“We cannot accept a situation where decisions are made behind closed doors to remove one of Wales's four professional teams and leave Swansea without top-level rugby.
“We are asking the CMA to step in urgently to protect competition and give our city and region the fair treatment it deserves.”
The council has also asked the CMA to consider interim measures that could pause the proposed takeover while any investigation is carried out, stressing the need for urgent and independent scrutiny.
Swansea Council has already underlined its commitment to professional rugby in the city by pledging £1.5 million towards the redevelopment of St Helen’s, which is intended to become the Ospreys’ long-term home following a temporary season in Bridgend during 2025-26.
That investment, the council says, was made on the basis that the Ospreys would continue as one of Wales’s professional men’s teams.
Beyond elite sport, the authority points to the Ospreys’ wider role in the local economy and their community programmes, which support grassroots clubs, schools and initiatives linked to health and wellbeing.
For many supporters – and not just those of the Ospreys - the issue is ultimately about fairness, ensuring a large rugby community are not sidelined by decisions taken without openness or proper competition, and that the future of the professional game in the city is decided through a process that is transparent, independent and just.
