WRU postpones revamp of leading women's teams

Gwalia Lightning and Brython Thunder finished third and fourth respectively in the 2024-25 Celtic Challenge

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has postponed the proposed revamp of top-tier women's rugby in Wales that was due to be in place for 2025-26.

Celtic Challenge teams Gwalia Lightning and Brython Thunder were to be replaced by two fresh set-ups to continue in the Celtic Challenge, a competition in which two sides each from Ireland and Scotland also play.

The nation's four professional men's regions - Scarlets, Ospreys, Dragons and WRU-owned Cardiff and "selected universities" - were invited to bid to form the new teams.

But an internal email between senior WRU officials seen by BBC Sport Wales states the process has been paused "due to the ongoing transformation in the men's game".

Since the WRU took over financially-stricken Cardiff in April, the Arms Park club and Dragons have signed a new agreement with the governing body, but a split has emerged with the possibility of Ospreys and Scarlets entering a legal dispute with the governing body.

That scenario has left the long-term future of the west Wales teams in doubt, with options including them continuing, but on less funds than their east Wales rivals.

Speculation has also included the possibility of Welsh men's professional rugby being reduced to three or two teams.

Any reduction in the men's game would impact the options for where new women's teams could be based.

The email from WRU head of women's rugby Belinda Moore states: "We have made the decision that Brython Thunder and Gwalia Lightning will continue to represent Wales in the flagship tournament next season.

"We have taken this in the best interest of our players and management teams and believe this is the right way to guarantee a professional elite sporting environment for our players in the necessary timeframe.

"It remains central to the WRU's strategy to grow marketable and commercially viable high-performance clubs for our women players in Wales and we will revisit this in the near future.

"I would like to thank all parties for the work they have done to date during the tender process, it is not wasted, and we look forward to picking this up again in earnest at the appropriate time."

The WRU has confirmed the development in its domestic women's game with Moore stating: "In a pivotal year for the women's game, with the 2025 Rugby World Cup in England this autumn, we are making sure a stable, centrally supported high-performance environment is underpinning our senior women's squad."

Many of Wales' top internationals play for English sides in the Premiership Women's Rugby (PWR) league with the Celtic Challenge competition set up in 2023 to help develop players in Wales, Scotland and Ireland.