The WRU wants to add two Welsh clubs to the Gallagher PREM

Last week, Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney confirmed the Welsh Rugby Union has formally approached its English counterpart to explore the possibility of two Welsh clubs joining the Gallagher PREM.

There are, however, considerable obstacles to overcome before such a move could become reality. The WRU must first convince the key decision-makers in English rugby that Welsh clubs would strengthen the competition.

It would also need to negotiate a release from the United Rugby Championship, in which it remains a shareholder.

For Welsh rugby, the attractions of joining the PREM are clear. Yet there has been no shortage of scepticism, particularly on social media, with some questioning what Welsh clubs could offer English rugby.

So what, precisely, would they bring to the table?

The PREM is preparing to expand from 10 clubs to 12, with further growth envisaged in the longer term. Several clubs from the Championship are expected to consider applying, with former PREM club Worcester Warriors also among the potential candidates.

London Irish, meanwhile, are working towards a return to professional rugby after their collapse in 2023.

Welsh sides are also expected to apply when Premiership Rugby (PRL) opens its tender process in the coming months.

There are compelling commercial arguments for their inclusion, beginning with access to an established rugby audience in a country where the sport remains deeply ingrained.

Two Welsh clubs would revive historic Anglo-Welsh rivalries and create opportunities for additional sponsorship and broadcasting interest.

Any Welsh applicants would, of course, need to demonstrate that they could compete financially.

Their inclusion would also require an agreement on competition and media revenues to replace the £1.8m each club currently receives from the URC.

There is, though, one potentially significant advantage for the existing PREM clubs.

Welsh sides could offer the prospect of non-dilutive growth, with their central payments coming from the WRU, as it does under the current PRA 25 arrangements, rather than from the Rugby Football Union.

If the PREM expands by admitting two additional English clubs, the RFU's central funding would have to be spread across 12 teams, potentially reducing the share available to existing clubs.

But if two Welsh sides were invited instead, that funding would continue to be distributed among the 10 English clubs, leaving the existing financial arrangements largely unaffected. In that respect, Welsh expansion could offer a route to a 12-team competition without diluting the central funding available to its current English members.

That would allow the competition to expand its audience and commercial reach without placing an additional burden on the RFU's existing financial commitments to its English clubs.

Geography is another selling point. Much of the support for Wales's four professional clubs is concentrated within reasonable travelling distance of Bristol, Bath and Gloucester, while Exeter, Leicester and Northampton are also accessible for travelling supporters.

Welsh fans have a long history of crossing the border to follow their teams for fixtures against English opposition.

There is also a sizeable Welsh diaspora in London, providing a potential audience within reach of Harlequins and Saracens, as well as other major rugby occasions in the capital.

For the PREM, the prospect is of bigger crowds, more vocal away support and a new series of rivalries on either side of the Severn. Those are attractions that would be difficult to replicate through expansion into unfamiliar markets.

Welsh teams would be competitive

There is also the question of playing strength.

It is true that Welsh clubs have struggled to make a significant impact in the URC, but it would be wrong to assume they would remain the same proposition after a move to the PREM. A change of competition could bring about a considerable shift in their fortunes, both on and off the field.

There is a strong case for believing attendances would increase substantially over time, and not simply because of the prospect of greater travelling support.

Welsh supporters themselves may be more inclined to turn out regularly to watch their team play Bath, Leicester or Northampton than they are to attend fixtures against Benetton, the Lions or Zebre.

A sizeable pool of potential supporters remains untapped because they have little or no interest in the URC.

The Anglo-Welsh rivalry is woven into the fabric of Welsh rugby and still has the capacity to stir considerable emotion among supporters.

Reintroducing those contests on a regular basis could give the professional game in Wales a renewed sense of purpose and connection with its audience.

There is also the financial structure of the competition to consider. The URC does not operate a salary cap, whereas the PREM's £6.4m cap offers a more achievable framework for Welsh clubs to build competitive squads.

With the right investment and recruitment strategy, they could become a very different proposition within a couple of seasons.

Existing funding directors may also be more inclined to invest their own money if the clubs were competing in the PREM.

More importantly, a place in English rugby's top flight could make the Welsh regions considerably more attractive to significant external investors, opening the door to fresh capital and a more sustainable financial model.

There are, however, practical obstacles to overcome, particularly when it comes to stadium requirements.

Parc y Scarlets and Cardiff Arms Park will meet PRL's minimum criteria on stadiums.

The Dragons have ambitious plans to redevelop Rodney Parade, while the Ospreys are looking to increase the capacity of St Helen's with a new stand from Bath.

Cardiff's ownership is another consideration, given the club is currently owned by the WRU.

But that need not prove a significant stumbling block. The prospect of a place in the PREM could make the club a considerably more attractive proposition to outside investors, potentially allowing the governing body to sell the club relatively quickly.

Wales has a proud record of producing international players and remains an important part of the game's talent pool.

Bringing two Welsh clubs into the competition would add to its depth.

There could also be significant benefits for the Welsh player pool. The prospect of competing in the PREM would make the two Welsh clubs more attractive destinations for leading players, including those currently playing their rugby in England.

The best Welsh players will naturally want to represent the strongest Welsh sides, and concentrating a greater proportion of the country's leading talent in two competitive teams could help raise standards across the domestic game.

Even if Wales retained two clubs in the URC, the presence of two sides in the PREM would create a more attractive proposition for players considering a return home, and the best Welsh players would likely gravitate towards the two PREM clubs.

Bath co-owner Bruce Craig has previously spoken positively about the prospect of Welsh involvement, highlighting the history, tribalism and geographical proximity of the two countries.

Ultimately, the argument is not simply that Welsh clubs would benefit from joining the PREM.

It is that their inclusion could offer the English competition an established audience, new commercial opportunities and a distinctive sporting identity at a time when it is looking to grow.