Former England star urges the Premier League to stop the ‘madness’ and welcome clubs from the rival Celtic nation into the league.
The top division in English rugby is called the PREM, and right now there are only 10 clubs playing. But a former British and Irish Lion player has shared an idea for how the league could grow to compete with France’s Top 14.
Stuart Barnes wrote in his Telegraph column about how the PREM could become the best league in the Northern Hemisphere and also help a Celtic nation that’s struggling.
The Top 14 is seen as the best league in world rugby, maybe because it still has relegation—where the worst teams move down a division. The PREM technically has relegation too, but no club has actually been relegated since 2020. That year, Saracens got a heavy points penalty for breaking salary rules. When they returned the next season, no team was sent down because relegation was paused during Covid. Since then, no club has dropped to the second tier.
The BBC also reported that starting in the 2026-27 season, the PREM will stop having the usual promotion and relegation system. Instead, clubs wanting to join will apply and be judged on different criteria, rather than earning it by winning the lower league.
This change has made Barnes think about Welsh clubs joining the PREM to help save Welsh rugby and also make the PREM stronger.
Right now, four Welsh teams play in the URC (United Rugby Championship), but the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) is thinking about cutting down because it’s too expensive to support all the teams.
Barnes said: “It’s time to stop the madness and start big games like Cardiff versus Bath. I’ve talked before about all four Welsh teams joining the PREM—it was more of a hopeful idea than a real plan. But what if just two teams joined?
“That would be a great fix for everyone. The WRU, which has a big meeting Monday, really needs some help. They tried to keep four teams on January 1, 2025, but within nine months, that number dropped to two—until fans got upset, and it went back up to three.
“So come on, PREM—let’s help Welsh rugby fans, the unions, and yourselves.”
If a Welsh team leaves the URC, the league might bring in a club from somewhere else in Europe, like London Irish, Georgia, Spain, or another South African team.
This is a big decision for the URC, who seem happy with how things are now. But Barnes thinks they should add two new teams and let two Welsh clubs move to the PREM.
He said: “Here’s the plan. The PREM takes in two Welsh teams. That leaves the WRU with only two pro teams in the URC. Instead of dividing money three ways, the funds get split between just those two.
“The PREM would gain from more fans, exciting rivalries on both sides of the Severn River, and could finally challenge France’s Top 14.
“Not having promotion from the Championship is a problem, but with Welsh teams like Scarlets and Cardiff joining, the league will fill stadiums and get broadcasters fighting for TV rights.”
Even though this is just Barnes’ idea, and nobody in charge may act on it, it’s an interesting way to solve some issues for both the PREM and Welsh rugby, while also helping the URC grow the game in countries like Georgia and Spain.
URC fans might not like Barnes saying their league is weaker and that the best Welsh club should play in England.
Barnes said: “Ideally, at season’s end, the lowest Welsh clubs in the URC and PREM would have a play-off, with the winner playing in the PREM. This would leave the other league behind because of the URC’s big problems.”