The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) have released a statement on the future ownership of Cardiff Rugby, with Y11 Sport & Media the reported winner.

The WRU took ownership of Cardiff after the club went into administration in April 2025, with the Welsh governing body looking for new investors.

Ultimately, the Union had a choice between Y11 and another consortium that includes former Cardiff director Martyn Ryan as well as three television and film producers based in the United States of America.

Since the WRU’s ownership of Cardiff, they have also announced that it will be reducing the number of men’s sides from four to three.

Y11 are the current majority stakeholders in Ospreys, and with WRU chair Richard Collier-Keywood setting out the Union’s desire to have one region in the West, East, and Cardiff, the fear is that the Swansea-based region will be the one to go.

The statement read: “The WRU board met for its January meeting today and considered the recommendation from the executive leadership team on the sale of Cardiff Rugby.

“The board reviewed in detail the final two bids and unanimously approved the proposal to move forward with a preferred bidder into an exclusivity period.

“Following this decision, the WRU has obligations to liaise with a number of stakeholders over the next few days.

“We will then discuss the decision with the two bidders and the management of Cardiff Rugby and expect to be in a position to have completed this by next week.

“The WRU hopes to finalise the detailed negotiations with the preferred bidder and sign a binding agreement within a matter of weeks.”

If Y11 are confirmed as the owners of Cardiff, both clubs would be in violation of World Rugby’s regulations on ownership.

Regulation 14 states: “No individual, body corporate, partnership, trust or any other entity may directly or indirectly own or control more than one club except with the prior written consent of the Union concerned, or where clubs from different Unions are involved, the written consent of the Unions concerned and World Rugby.”

With the Union not ruling out both Cardiff and Ospreys playing in the United Rugby Championship for the 2026/27 season, perhaps a compromise can be found.

The CF10 Rugby Trust, an independent voice for Cardiff supporters, released a statement on Tuesday morning saying that they have been ‘very vocal’ in their opposition to the Y11 bid.

“This winning bidder has not been confirmed officially at this stage,” their statement read.

“However there is intense speculation in the media that the owners of the Ospreys, Y11 have been chosen as the preferred bidder. It will come as no surprise that we are angry about this decision as we have been very vocal in our opposition to this outcome.

“CF10 Board members will meet on Tuesday night, when hopefully more news will have emerged, to discuss the situation. We will hold a full member meeting very shortly to ask for views on the way forward.”

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