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Welsh rugby faces a year of unprecedented change and turmoil and WalesOnline is starting a new chapter as we keep you informed on what’s going on behind the scenes
Welsh rugby finds itself in the midst of an unprecedented storm in 2026 as a seismic year for the future of the game in this country lies ahead.
Off the field, the Welsh Rugby Union’s bid to push through its plan to cut from four to three professional teams faces huge resistance amid the looming threat of an EGM, the prospect of bosses being ousted and a sport seemingly plunged into civil war.
On the pitch, the Wales national teams face a monumental task to arrest the slide that has afflicted the men’s and women’s game over the past few years, with fans desperate for a change in fortunes.
Put simply, everything is at stake over the weeks and months ahead and WalesOnline will be leading the way to break the stories that matter, hold those in power to account and inform readers what’s really going on behind closed doors.
Our reporters have set the agenda during Welsh rugby’s ongoing crisis, telling the stories some would rather not be told and offering expert analysis on every major twist and turn. The game in Wales is nothing without those who support it and our aim is to ensure fans know what’s really happening by asking the questions that matter and finding out the truth.
This year also marks a new chapter for us, as we launch WalesOnline Premium, a new way for our readers to experience and to support that journalism.
Try WalesOnline Premium now for £1.
Premium will give our storytelling, reporting and analysis a sustainable future.
Subscribing will give readers unlimited access to all our rugby, sport, news and lifestyle content as well as giving them a better experience with fewer ads on our website and app. There will be a limit to the number of stories non-subscribers can read.
If you subscribe to WalesOnline Premium this is what you will get:
- A new ad-lite subscription service offering unlimited access to WalesOnline and our app, as well as a cleaner viewing experience with far fewer ads
- Access to subscriber-only articles crafted specifically for readers who want their stories to dig a little deeper. This will include unique insight from our specialist writers alongside thought-provoking comment.
- The News Digest, everything you need to know for the day, delivered straight to your app at 7am with your morning coffee, again at lunchtime and once more in the evening to keep you up to speed throughout the day.
- A range of puzzles, available on our app to Premium subscribers.
Our journalists are at the heart of rugby in Wales, breaking stories, investigating the key issues, following the national team around the globe and writing insightful comment and explainers.
In the last year, our rugby specialists, Steffan Thomas and Ben James, have delivered exclusive after exclusive from the moment the WRU first decided to cut the number of professional clubs in Wales last May to the news the sport’s governing body faces an extraordinary general meeting as clubs try to oust the leadership.
We have been the first to break the news of every significant development during a remarkable saga that has a long way to run yet and will define the very future of our sport. We are, and will continue to be, the home of Welsh rugby news.
Subscribe and become part of the WalesOnline community now. Membership starts at £4.99 a month, with the first month just £1, or £39.99 for the year.
This gives you full access to everything WalesOnline has to offer, not just our industry-leading Welsh rugby content. That includes award-winning journalism from our investigations editor Conor Gogarty, who has exposed the huge problems in Wales’ flagship hospital, as well as revealing how police forces try to protect rogue officers by keeping them anonymous.
To have unlimited access to the site, you’ll need to subscribe. And some articles will be exclusive to subscribers from the outset. These will cover a range of topics from sport to politics, business and life in communities across Wales.
All readers will be able to access a number of stories free every month before being asked to subscribe.
If you do subscribe, thank you – it means a lot to our newsroom. You’ll be doing something immensely powerful – you’ll be helping to sustain quality journalism.
Your support will enable our journalists to uncover what’s happening across Wales, ask tough questions and deliver stories that truly make a difference in our nation and beyond.
Thank you for being part of our story. We can’t wait to turn the page on this next chapter with you.
