An emergency, cross-party motion will be debated on Thursday evening at the city’s Guildhall calling on the WRU to abandon its controversial proposal to reduce the number of men’s professional regions from four to three.
With Ospreys owners Y11 Sport & Media confirmed as the WRU’s preferred bidders to take over Cardiff Rugby, fears have grown that the Swansea-based region would be the casualty of any restructuring, leaving Wales’ second-largest city without a professional men’s team.
The motion urges the WRU to “immediately reconsider its approach” and to withdraw proposals that councillors warn would have “a significant impact on sport and wellbeing in the Swansea Bay region” while also damaging the local and wider Welsh economy.
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Council leader Rob Stewart has called on members of the public to attend the meeting, underlining the strength of feeling in the city as uncertainty over the Ospreys’ future deepens.
Swansea Council has already said it is exploring legal options amid mounting concerns, while Ospreys players have publicly complained they have been “kept in the dark” about the region’s fate.
Opposition to the WRU’s direction has also attracted high-profile backing, with actor and lifelong Ospreys supporter Michael Sheen adding his voice to the growing campaign against plans to cut a region.
Sheen has spoken out against the prospect of Swansea losing its professional side, joining fans, players and civic leaders in demanding a rethink.
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The standoff has direct consequences for the Ospreys’ planned return to Swansea.
The region is due to move into a redeveloped St Helen’s ground in September after spending this season in Bridgend, but the council has made clear it will not release its £5m contribution to the project until the club’s long-term future is secured.
While the authority would support women’s rugby at St Helen’s, it insists this must be alongside — not instead of — a professional men’s team.
The WRU first outlined its intention to cut a region in October, citing financial pressures and concerns over player development.
It plans to issue three professional licences — in Cardiff, the west and the east — with Scarlets and Dragons widely expected to be retained, leaving the Ospreys’ survival under huge threat.
Swansea Council's emergency motion in full
This council is extremely concerned about the WRU's plan to cut regional rugby from four teams to three. It will have a significant impact on sport and wellbeing in the Swansea bay region and will negatively impact the economy of Swansea and south Wales.
We are especially concerned about the impacts the WRU plan has [for] Ospreys' future as a regional team, following the WRU confirmation that Y11 is negotiating to buy Cardiff rugby from the WRU. The Council is concerned that recent developments have deviated significantly from the WRU's own approach [and] is neither fair nor transparent.
The WRU have claimed there is not enough money or talent in Wales to continue with four regions. They have never provided detailed evidence to support this statement. We believe there is sufficient resources within the WRU to fund four successful regions going forward. The WRU received more than £20 million more than the Irish Rugby football Union, who have retained four regions and is achieving significant success at regional and national/ international level.
Given the significance of safeguarding the future of Welsh rugby acknowledging the impact on Swansea residents, future generations, wellbeing and the considerable concerns expressed by fans, players, clubs, and the wider public regarding the WRU's current proposals, we urge the WRU to immediately reconsider its approach [and] withdraw its proposal to reduce the number of professional regional rugby teams in Wales from four to three.
This council resolves that we:
Fully endorse and support the statements made by the leader and the council following the meeting with the WRU and Ospreys chief executives.
We fully support the council in taking any reasonable actions to ensure the future of the Ospreys as a regional professional side {to] continue playing in Swansea. This includes any appropriate legal action to prevent the WRU from ending regional rugby in Swansea.
We support any efforts the council may wish to take to explore opportunities to encourage, promote and develop women's rugby to be played in Swansea but this must be in addition to the retention of the Ospreys as a regional rugby team based in Swansea
We support the council in its commitment to redevelop St Helens to support the creation of an enhanced modern rugby venue to meet the aspirations of the Ospreys region to return to St Helens. This does not preclude the Ospreys negotiating use of the Swansea stadiums for individual games should they need to do so.
We request the leader or the relevant officers write to the WRU, the Ospreys, Y11, World Rugby or any other relevant party to outline the council's position and request assistance in taking whatever actions are necessary to protect regional rugby in Swansea, and the future success of rugby at all levels in Wales.
