The 2026/27 season is shaping up to be another eventful one for Welsh rugby
The 2026/27 season is upon us and it promises to be every bit as eventful, and potentially more consequential, than the one that preceded it.
Once again, however, events away from the field are likely to command as much attention as those on it, with the Welsh Rugby Union embarking on a major restructuring of the professional game.
For Steve Tandy’s Wales, meanwhile, there is little respite. With the Rugby World Cup now just a year away, every game takes on added significance as preparations intensify for the tournament in Australia.
The professional game and Wales Women will provide their own storylines, too, ensuring there will be no shortage of intrigue throughout the year.
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These are the issues, personalities and developments likely to dominate Welsh rugby over the season ahead.
A new WRU chair
The WRU is closing in on the appointment of a new chair to replace Richard Collier-Keywood, with a successor expected to be in place by November.
Whoever gets the job will inherit one of the most difficult briefs in Welsh rugby. The professional game is facing a period of upheaval, with the WRU intent on reducing the number of professional teams from four to three.
WalesOnline has spoken to several potential candidates who were told they would need to accept that direction as part of the job.
But the chair is the most influential voice on the WRU board, and it will be fascinating to see whether the person appointed reaches the same conclusions once they are through the door and have had time to assess the situation for themselves.
Will the new chair seek to move people on and inject fresh thinking into key leadership positions? And how will they handle the inevitable turbulence as the WRU attempts to reshape the professional game over the next six months?
Let’s not forget they are likely to have the same independent non-executive directors on the board. This is a critical appointment.
There will also be a new chair of the Professional Rugby Board, with former Harlequins director of rugby Mark Evans one name in contention.
WRU announce what side will be cut
The uncertainty surrounding Welsh rugby has been dragging on for what feels like a lifetime. But by the end of this season, we should finally have some clarity over which side will be cut or whether the answer will instead be a merger in west Wales.
The WRU has issued one East licence, one Central licence and one West licence. Unless the Ospreys and Scarlets find a way to merge, that leaves one of the two clubs facing the prospect of disappearing altogether, barring a late change of heart from the governing body.
There is, however, another scenario that may be more plausible than many realise: the WRU could decide to dispense with both the Ospreys and Scarlets and create an entirely new professional team, based in west Wales and playing out of Parc y Scarlets and a redeveloped St Helen’s.
Workshops involving the WRU and its four professional clubs are due to begin in December, with a final decision expected in March.
That timetable should be treated with a degree of caution. The WRU has not always covered itself in glory when it comes to meeting self-imposed deadlines.
Even so, by the end of the season we should have a much clearer idea of what the future holds for professional rugby in Wales and which clubs, if any, will be left standing.
Toxic debates and legal challenges
Whatever outcome the WRU ultimately settles on, the battle is likely to become even more toxic before it gets better. There is a great deal of pain ahead for Welsh rugby supporters; that much seems certain.
If either the Ospreys or Scarlets is forced out of the professional game, it is difficult to imagine the matter ending without a legal fight. Neither ownership group is likely to surrender its position without an almighty battle.
And the arguments will not be confined to boardrooms and courtrooms. Expect the debate around the future of Welsh rugby to become increasingly bitter, with former players, influential administrators and other prominent voices entering the fray.
The next six months could be among the most divisive Welsh rugby has seen.
Steve Tandy’s moment of truth
This was always going to be a difficult job for Steve Tandy, who inherited a Wales side at an all-time low.
There were significant improvements in performance during the Six Nations, offering some encouragement, but those gains were followed by comprehensive defeats against Argentina and South Africa in the summer.
Tandy has sought to create a positive narrative around his tenure, talking about connections, culture and building for the future. It is an approach not dissimilar to that taken by Steve Hansen during his time as Wales coach.
Hansen regularly spoke about focusing on performance rather than results, although that message was often misunderstood by the Welsh rugby public.
Tandy is now finding out that, ultimately, results are what determine the mood around a national team.
He still has some goodwill among supporters. But that will not last indefinitely. If Wales continue to lose and victories remain elusive, the pressure on Tandy will become severe.
Yes, this is a long-term project, and many of Welsh rugby’s biggest problems are beyond his control. But that will not stop supporters drifting away. The only way to win them back is through victories on the field.
Wales face New Zealand, Japan and Australia in the Nations Championship this November before beginning their Six Nations campaign with a daunting trip to Paris.
The minimum requirement has to be victory over Japan this autumn and then Italy on the final weekend of the Six Nations.
If Wales collect another Wooden Spoon, the mood will shift considerably. Tandy could also do with taking a few scalps along the way.
The reality is that Tandy is likely to lead Wales into the 2027 Rugby World Cup whatever happens between now and then, with the WRU set to assess his performance after the tournament.
But that does not mean he can afford to wait until 2027 to turn things around.
It is a tough job. Tandy deserves time. But he also needs to improve Wales’s winning ratio and soon.
Wales U20s stars make their mark on senior side
This is a big call but expect at least a couple of the current Wales U20s squad to make Tandy’s senior World Cup squad.
Gloucester backrower Deian Gwynne stands a good chance of winning his first cap this season as does Cardiff centre Steffan Emanuel.
Both have been included in the senior alignment squads in recent months and are highly rated within the Welsh game.
Another potential World Cup bolter is new Ospreys signing Liam Wright.
The former Wallabies captain will be eligible to represent Wales next summer, just in time for the World Cup, assuming he does not represent Australia in the interim courtesty of his grandfather who was born in Pembrokeshire.
Wright is a powerful and athletic backrower who could potentially add some serious quality to the Wales backrow.
More players leave Wales
The uncertainty surrounding Welsh rugby is becoming increasingly damaging to the four professional clubs, particularly when it comes to recruiting and retaining players.
The Ospreys and Scarlets are likely to feel the effects most acutely, given the uncertainty over their futures and the possibility that one or both could look very different by the end of the season.
Players have short careers and cannot afford to gamble their futures on unresolved questions about the structure of the professional game.
So do not be surprised if some senior Wales internationals decide the safest option is to take their talents elsewhere, with English Premiership and French clubs likely to be ready to offer the security and financial incentives that Welsh rugby currently cannot guarantee.
The longer the uncertainty continues, the harder it will become for the Welsh clubs to keep their best players.
WRU changes to the pathway take shape
The WRU has put its plan to TUPE academy staff from the four professional clubs into the union on hold for financial reasons, but changes to the player pathway are still expected to take shape relatively soon.
A national academy now looks increasingly likely, alongside a broader restructuring of the academy system in Wales.
The detail will matter. The WRU will need to set out exactly how the new model will work, where responsibility will sit and how it intends to develop the next generation of Welsh players.
With the professional game itself facing major upheaval, the restructuring of the pathway could prove just as significant in determining the future of Welsh rugby.
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