Ospreys say report shows Wales must not cut teams

Ospreys commissioned and paid for the report by Sheffield Hallam University into the 23 seasons since the regions were formed in 2003.The region says the analysis and conclusions are the university's own and the fee was fixed in advance, regardless of the findings.It was undertaken by the sport and physical activity research centre (SPARC) at the school of sport and physical activity.The authors were Dr Steve Bullough (senior research fellow), Tim Vernon (principal research fellow), David Barrett (research fellow) and professor Keith Davids (professor of perceptual-motor learning).The report reviews the data in the WRU's November 2025 club locations data pack, the Keystone report and the material published by the WRU at futurerugby.cymru in October 2026. It also analysed club performance from 2003 to 2026, supply of players to Wales and the Lions, attendances and stadium use, population, clubs and schools, and a limited set of financial indicators.The period covered were the 23 seasons from 2003-04 - when the four Welsh professional clubs were formed - to 2025-26, across the Celtic League, Pro12, Pro14 and United Rugby Championship (URC).It is claimed Sheffield Hallam University is one of the UK's leading centres for sport research and ranked in the world's top 150 for sports-related subjects (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026). SPARC is one of the largest sport and physical activity research clusters in the UK.The website says it has previously worked with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, UK Sport, all four home nation sports councils, FIFA, the International Tennis Federation and The R&A.Former Wales captain and Ospreys director Alun Wyn Jones, who chaired the working group that commissioned the report: "We want four clubs. This is not about one club's record against another's. "Cardiff, Dragons, Scarlets and Ospreys have all put players in a Wales jersey, and the report shows what the four of them bring to Welsh rugby together."Decisions about the future of the professional game in Wales should rest on the fullest evidence available. "We commissioned this work to add to that evidence, and we asked the University to follow the data wherever it led. "We will send the full report to the WRU as soon as it is final and we look forward to discussing it with them."Ospreys managing director Richard Lancaster: "We have completed phase one of the redevelopment of the historic ground at St Helen's, and season ticket sales and sponsorship have been very encouraging and demonstrates the community, and region is behind elite professional rugby football. "The record in this report belongs to a great many people, past and future: the players and coaches, the community clubs and schools of our region, and the supporters who have backed the Club for 23 seasons."Sheffield Hallam has measured all four clubs on the same basis, and we believe the findings underline the significant consequences that reducing the number of professional clubs could have for Welsh rugby as a whole. Before any such decision is taken, every option to sustain four clubs should be properly explored."Professor Keith Davids, Professor of Perceptual-Motor Learning at Sheffield Hallam University: "In our view, the rationale for change is not supported by evidence. "Narrowing down the pool of players into fewer locations will narrow down the competition pool. "This approach may not be helpful for the development of the whole system."