EGM a ‘step backwards’ for Welsh rugby, says WRU chair

February 26, 2026 No Comments

EGM a ‘step backwards’ for Welsh rugby, says WRU chairJust nowShareSaveGareth Lewis,Wales political editor,Adrian Browne,Wales political reporterandGareth Griffiths,Rugby reporterShareSaveGetty ImagesWales suffered an excruciating 26-23 Six Nations defeat to Scotland in Cardiff last weekendThe chair of the Welsh Rugby Union has warned the Welsh Parliament that proposals to remove him and change the sport’s governance would be a “step backwards” for the game.An Extraordinary General Meeting of the WRU was called by member clubs on Sunday amid turmoil over plans to cut the number of professional sides from four to three.Richard Collier-Keywood also admitted that the WRU had struggled to bring the professional sides on board.He stated there was no “plan B” for professional rugby if he were to lose the proposed vote of confidence in his leadership, maintaining that moving to three teams was the only way to ensure rugby in Wales is sustainable.Collier-Keywood, senior independent director Alison Thorne and director of the community game Geraint John appeared before the Senedd’s sport and culture committee on Thursday.Welsh Rugby Union set to face EGM

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In robust exchanges Collier-Keywood defended the union’s plans, and suggested no decision had yet been made on which team would play in west Wales.

“I was brought in as an independent chair on a mandate of change,” he told the committee.

“Change is never easy, we recognise, and we are in the midst of significant change.

“My mandate was change and I think we are in the course of delivering that change.

“We recognise that is very painful but we are committed to delivering that change. You didn’t ask me to retain the status quo.”

On the union’s plans he added: “Am I inclined to throw that away two months into its implementation?

“Honestly, probably not, because I think you asked me to bring this change so that Welsh rugby would have a strong, proud sustainable future, and we’ve just started that process.”

Asked by committee chair Delyth Jewell what message he had for fans if the EGM proposals were to be voted through, Collier-Keywood stated “it really feels like a step backwards”.

He added: “We have professionalised governance, and it would be a totally backward step if you effectively reverse the changes that took place in March 2023”, a time at which the WRU made changes to its board.

Collier-Keywood also suggested that “no decisions” had been made as to which team would play in the west of Wales, although supporters and players at Ospreys feel their side is most likely to be cut, especially as Ospreys owners Y11 are in talks with the WRU to buy rivals Cardiff.

He told the committee: “The assumption was that Ospreys was going to be the club that was killed off.

“That is not the case in terms of what will necessarily happen as a result of Y11 owning two clubs.

“There is a totally separate process the WRU are going through of how we decide to award the licences.

“There is one west licence.

“Going forward I expect that we will carry out a fair and transparent process to determine who gets that licence. We have not done that yet.

“We will carry out that process because there may be some conditions we will put into that licence about where rugby needs to be played.”

Supporters of the side – based in Swansea, but playing this season in Bridgend – have demonstrated against the plans.

He was accused by committee member Alun Davies of living in a “parallel universe” if he thought Scarlets supporters would cross the river Loughor to watch their rugby, or that people in Bridgend or Swansea would watch the Scarlets play in Swansea.

Later in the session he admitted that it was a “fair reflection” that the WRU had “really struggled to bring the professional clubs with us on this journey.”

Thorne accepted that some people were angry, but told the committtee: “there’s also a very strong number of clubs who don’t feel like that. And so when we’re in the districts, we hear both sides of those elements.”

The WRU maintains that the only way for Welsh professional rugby to remain competitive and to be able to fund other parts of the sport such as a national academy and coach development programmes is to cut the number of teams.

Collier-Keywood stated that the WRU and the current sides were did not have the finances to be competitive because the cash and the player-base was spread too thinly.

A date for the EGM is yet to be verified.

Wales’ next Six Nations match is in Dublin against Ireland a week on Friday.

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