The row has deepened over the past fortnight as the WRU presses ahead with plans linked to the proposed sale of Cardiff Rugby to Y11 — a move that has left the Ospreys facing uncertainty beyond next season and triggered a wave of criticism from players, supporters and local leaders.
Swansea West MP Torsten Bell said he had held fresh meetings with both the WRU and Y11 in the past 48 hours and claimed it was now “clear” that the union was attempting to use Cardiff’s financial collapse to sideline the Ospreys from any future regional structure.
Torsten Bell said:
“It’s now clear that the WRU are trying to use Cardiff going bust to try to force the Ospreys out of professional rugby. They promised an open transparent process to decide which clubs would continue – but are trying to deliver a behind‑closed‑doors stitch‑up to prevent the Ospreys even being able to compete in that process.”
He said support was growing for an Extraordinary General Meeting of the WRU, warning that confidence in the union’s leadership was collapsing.
Torsten Bell said:
“Demand for an EGM is building as people see the chaos being driven by those who are meant to be stewarding our national game. It’s hard to see a way forward now that doesn’t involve a change in leadership at the WRU.”
His intervention follows weeks of mounting frustration across Welsh rugby. Ospreys players have already issued an ultimatum demanding clarity, while Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart has said legal options are being examined if the region is forced out.
Now Swansea East MP Carolyn Harris has added further pressure, calling the situation “deeply troubling” and urging the WRU to halt the process immediately.
Carolyn Harris said:
“It is deeply troubling that proposals are being advanced which would put the future of the Ospreys at risk, particularly when so much work has been done locally to support their move to St Helen’s and secure a sustainable future for top‑flight rugby in Swansea.”
She said supporters and players deserved transparency, not decisions “imposed without proper justification”.
Carolyn Harris said:
“The WRU should pause this process now. Decisions of this scale must be fair, transparent and clearly in the best interests of Welsh rugby as a whole. Supporters, players and communities deserve clarity and reassurance.”
The WRU has faced repeated criticism in recent weeks after senior executives were grilled by MPs in a stop‑start committee hearing that offered little detail on the Ospreys’ future. Ospreys coaches and players have also described meetings with union bosses as confusing and uninformative.
With political pressure now intensifying from both of Swansea’s MPs, the WRU is facing renewed calls to explain how the regional game will operate beyond next season — and whether the Ospreys will be allowed to remain part of it.
