The row over the future of Welsh rugby has intensified after Swansea West MP Torsten Bell held crisis talks with bosses from the Welsh Rugby Union amid growing anger among supporters.
The meeting took place in Swansea on Friday, just hours after new evidence emerged suggesting the WRU expected plans involving the proposed sale of Cardiff Rugby to the Ospreys’ owners Y11 Sports & Media would ultimately bring about the end of the Ospreys as a professional team.
Bell criticised the WRU leadership for what he described as misleading fans about the consequences of the controversial deal.
The dispute centres on the future structure of the professional game in Wales, with the governing body exploring changes that could reduce the number of men’s professional clubs.
Earlier this week, WRU chief executive Abi Tierney said that the potential purchase of Cardiff Rugby by Y11 did not automatically mean the end of the Ospreys.
However, notes from a January meeting with Swansea Council, recently published by the authority, suggested the governing body expected the deal to leave no future for the Ospreys as a professional region.
The publication of those minutes has sparked a political and sporting storm across Wales.
Bell said he had challenged WRU officials directly during the meeting.
He also warned the governing body not to repeat claims that the Cardiff takeover would not pre-empt the legally required open competition for future professional club licences.
The MP further questioned the WRU’s insistence that its plans had been shaped by widespread consultation with supporters.
Supporters’ groups linked to three of Wales’ four professional teams have already launched a petition opposing the proposals, while critics say the governing body has moved rapidly towards structural change despite backing a four-team model less than a year ago.
With an Extraordinary General Meeting of WRU members approaching, Bell urged rugby chiefs to rethink their approach.
“Today I met the WRU’s leadership. I urged them to do two things: reset their plans and be straight with fans,” he said.
“You can’t say in public that no decision has been made about the Ospreys’ future, when the truth is their plans would see the club disappear in 2027.
“Almost nobody supports what they’re doing, and absolutely no-one supports how they are doing it.”
Swansea Bay News previously revealed “smoking gun” minutes from a meeting between the WRU and Swansea Council which suggested the future of the Ospreys could be at risk.
The escalating confrontation between politicians, supporters and rugby authorities has deepened the uncertainty surrounding the future of the Ospreys and the wider structure of professional rugby in Wales.
