Wales to reduce professional franchises from four to three

CARDIFF, July 29 : Wales are to go ahead with plans to cut their number of professional franchises from four to three, spelling the end for either the Ospreys or Scarlets.The Welsh Rugby Union on Wednesday confirmed the proposed change to the professional game and plans to establish three men’s teams from the 2028/29 season – one based in the capital, one in west Wales and one in east Wales.Cardiff, owned by the Welsh Rugby Union, and Dragons, an independently backed business, are set to be given licences, leaving Swansea-based Ospreys and Llanelli-based Scarlets to compete for the remaining spot.“The WRU Board has examined in detail a range of factors when determining the three future licence areas and has confirmed that only incumbent teams will be considered eligible for a licence. This