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03/01/2025

Towards a merger of English rugby league: issues and prospects

English rugby, whose various developments we have already commented on in previous newsletters, is in a state of upheaval.

Under consideration is a proposed merger between the English Premiership and the United Rugby Championship (URC). This initiative, revealed by The Telegraph, could redefine the landscape of European rugby and offer interesting economic prospects for British and Irish clubs.

Background and motivation

The Premiership, which recently reduced its number of clubs from thirteen to ten due to financial difficulties, is looking to maximise its revenues. The merger with the URC is seen as a strategic way of increasing television broadcasting rights, a crucial issue ahead of the next bidding round scheduled for 2026.

Proposed structure

The URC currently includes clubs from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy and South Africa. The proposed merger with the Premiership, which would not include the Italian and African clubs, would create a British and Irish league. The aim would be to create a league of 16 clubs[1]. Discussions are still ongoing, and several projects are being considered, including the creation of an Anglo-Welsh league. The creation of such a league could revive historic rivalries while offering a more competitive and economically viable structure.

Challenges and Negotiations

The Telegraph reports that English clubs have expressed their conditional support for the merger, asking for guarantees that their revenues will increase significantly.

However, the implementation of such a restructuring is not without its challenges. In a press release, URC officials denied that they were engaged in formal discussions, pointing to the current success of the league with the inclusion of South African teams[2].

In any case, the merger of the Premiership and the URC would require the unanimous agreement of the clubs, which is not easy to obtain.

In addition, the investment company CVC, which has a stake in both competitions, is playing a key role in the negotiations. Its influence could be decisive in overcoming financial and organisational obstacles.

Potential consequences

This restructuring leaves open the fate of the Italian and South African clubs, who could find themselves without a major international tournament.

Although the merger between the Premiership and the URC has not yet been confirmed, it represents a major opportunity to revitalise British and Irish rugby. The discussions currently underway will have to overcome a number of challenges in order to arrive at a solution that is beneficial to all stakeholders. If it goes ahead, this merger could transform the landscape of European rugby for good, while strengthening its competitiveness on the international stage.


[1] RugbyRama, 12 September 2024

[2] Rugbypass, 9 September 2024


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