Semi-professional clubs in Wales are set to begin the bidding process to enter a new competition which will sit above the Welsh Premiership and below the regional game.
The new 10-club competition, which was exclusively revealed by WalesOnline in June, has finally been given the go-ahead and will be part of the professional game, not the community game. It is hoped this will help to bridge the gap between the regional game and the semi-professional level, with this new competition coming into force for the 2024/25 season.
The league will almost certainly involve the majority of the 14 clubs currently in the Premiership, who will have to apply for a licence to enter. Each club which is accepted will receive £110,000 of central funding, providing they meet certain criteria, and will partner with a professional side - Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys or Scarlets - while there will also be a salary cap.
WRU community director Geraint John is addressing all clubs on Thursday evening (August 24) to lay out their route to promotion or relegation for the 2024/25 season, with the new competition set to have a knock-on effect on the community game.
The Premiership will remain a 14-team league, and given 10 sides will have been pulled out of it most clubs in the second-tier Championship will get promoted. This could prompt a domino effect at every level of the community game.
Clubs will begin the bidding process over the coming weeks and months, with more funding on offer if granted inclusion. There have been suggestions some clubs may not want to enter, with them having to balance between keeping their own identity along with the needs and demands of their assigned region.
