The former WRU chair believes Welsh rugby could get the best of both worlds

Former Welsh Rugby Union chair Gareth Davies has called for the governing body to split its teams between the Gallagher PREM and United Rugby Championship.

The WRU has sent a formal letter to the Rugby Football Union in a bid to enter Welsh teams into the PREM when it expands from 10 to 12 teams. But the RFU currently say they are committed to English expansion, while the URC has threatened Wales with legal action.

That hasn't stopped former WRU chair Davies from believing Welsh rugby could possibly get the best of both worlds.

“I think if we can get two teams in the Premiership and maybe two teams carrying on playing in the URC,” Davies told S4C’s Newyddion.

“There might be an opportunity for the young players to get experience and to develop them.

“It’s an opportunity. There’s been an opportunity before and it wasn’t taken some years ago.

“The opportunity is there. I think there’s a lot to consider especially the fact they are a member of another competition at the minute so they’ll need to handle that correctly.

“I think two teams is the best they could get playing in England.”

Keeping two teams in the URC might seem a little pie in the sky, given the cross-country league is hardly likely to be thrilled by the WRU's attempts to join the Prem.

Threatening legal action seems far removed from welcoming two teams to stay - but it could perhaps be feasible if the URC is unable to fill the spots, with the league likely to want to keep the number of teams rather than risk losing fixtures.

Throughout, URC CEO Martin Anayi has seemed committed to the idea of four Welsh teams in the URC.

Former Wales fly-half Davies has also warned the WRU it will cost them if they succeed in persuading both the RFU and PRL to let them join.

“Maybe there’d be a bit of a cost to enter,” he told Newyddion.

“I think they’d need a big cheque to buy the shares they’d need to be a part of the league.

“Then we’ve got to think are we going to be able to spend £40m to play in a competition where everyone else loses money.”