WRU to pause revamp of leading women’s teams, citing issues in men’s game

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.