Welsh Rugby Union Eyes Expansion into Premiership Women's Rugby
The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) is actively pursuing the inclusion of two Welsh teams in the Premiership Women's Rugby (PWR) league starting from the 2027-28 season. Currently, PWR consists of nine teams and is exploring opportunities to expand beyond England's borders.
Nadine Griffiths, the WRU's director of women's rugby, revealed that Wales, Scotland, and Ireland are each interested in entering two teams into a prospective cross-border competition.
"We have put an expression of interest for two Welsh teams to go into the PWR," Griffiths stated during an appearance on the Scrum V podcast.
"In total it's the Celtic Challenge as a whole, so six teams, two from each of the nations.
"We can't deny that that's a better competition for us to play in, but we also can't rely on us getting into that."
In March, PWR initiated an 'expressions of interest' process to consider additional clubs joining the league. The WRU formally submitted its interest in May.
The PWR, which launched in 2023 following the rebranding of the Premier 15s, currently features nine teams. Griffiths suggested that the league could potentially expand by adopting a two-conference format to accommodate more teams.
At present, the Celtic Challenge includes two teams each from Wales, Scotland, and Ireland.
Griffiths believes that involving teams from all home nations would enhance the appeal of the PWR.
"It's a more commercially viable product if it's a UK league, isn't it?" she added.
"In terms of it being completely national, I think that really does open the doors commercially. That's my opinion on it."
Griffiths was appointed as the WRU director of women's rugby in April, bringing experience as a former Wales international player.
Current Welsh Teams and Ambitions for Growth
Wales currently fields two women's sides, Brython Thunder and Gwalia Lightning, competing in the Celtic Challenge, which was established in 2023. However, joining the PWR—the most lucrative and competitive domestic women's rugby league in Europe—has been a longstanding ambition for Welsh rugby.
Notably, 28 of Wales' 38-strong Six Nations squad for the 2025-26 season are players currently competing in the PWR.
Griffiths emphasized that even if two Welsh teams secure places in the PWR, maintaining a separate domestic competition in Wales remains essential.
"We need to have a robust domestic league, based within Wales, that will give the playing opportunities to our [players] who are just coming out of 18s and to our under-21s to develop," she explained.
"So the plan is to have a Celtic Challenge-type competition that would sit underneath that pro league."
