Swansea Council has branded the handling of the Welsh regional rugby restructure proposals ‘wholly unacceptable’.

The council had met with the Chief Executive of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), Abi Tierney, and the Ospreys Chief Executive, Lance Bradley, on January 22 to discuss the future of regional Welsh rugby, with the council having revealed key details from the meeting in a statement yesterday.

According to the council, the WRU had proposed that Welsh regional teams should be cut from four to three if the acquisition of Cardiff Rugby by Y11, the owners of the Ospreys, was to go ahead.

The plans also involve the elimination of the Ospreys as a professional regional team playing at St Helen's following the 2026/27 season.

Y11, Ospreys and the WRU had objected to the council’s publication of the full minutes from the meeting, which means the possible alternative rugby uses for St Helen's have been kept confidential.

In its statement, the council confirmed that it had ‘expressed deep frustration that despite extensive and recent discussions about the redevelopment of St Helen's, it had not been informed earlier of these proposals’.

It added that the ‘lack of transparency and engagement is wholly unacceptable’.

Among its main criticisms of the move, the local authority has highlighted issues surrounding the absence of proper consultation around the decision, an alleged lack of fairness, and the repercussions for young players, communities, and residents across the city.

The council has also issued pre action letters to the WRU and Y11 due to ‘serious concerns’ about the proposals violating UK competition law. The letter asks that the restructure is paused and the plans are reconsidered, as well as arguing that ‘the council will suffer loss as a result of these unlawful acts'.

‘The council remains resolute in standing up for the city and will continue to challenge the removal of regional rugby from Swansea’, the statement reads.

In a statement, the Ospreys said that no decisions about its future beyond the 2026/27 have been made but emphasised that it remains operational as a professional club which competes in the URC, while reinforcing its commitment to supporting players, staff, and fans.

‘Given the sensitivity of these matters, and the fact that they involve multiple parties and ongoing discussions, it would be inappropriate for Ospreys Rugby to comment on interpretations of meetings, unfinalised proposals, or legal correspondence’, it adds.

Y11 and the WRU have been contacted for comment.