The Welsh Rugby Union, led by chair Richard Collier-Keywood and CEO Abi Tierney, has put in place new banking facilities which are essential to support the ongoing improvement of the financial position of Welsh rugby.
As a result of significant re-financing, the WRU’s banking facilities have increased in size from £46.8m to £55m in total. This financial boost supports the commercial growth of the WRU and enables the immediate investment needed to improve professional rugby, as described by the new One Wales plan published at the end of October 2025.
The WRU has now repaid Welsh rugby’s £12.4m loan with Welsh Government, taken out to aid financial recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic, ahead of its due date.
The new debt is a shared arrangement with Goldman Sachs and HSBC with significantly improved terms which will benefit the whole game in Wales.
The revised structure of the loans simplifies existing debt into a single, longer-term interest-only £30m loan, together with a rolling credit facility (RCF) of £25m and further capacity to draw down £5m of future loans when needed.
The new arrangement is on improved terms including more commercial flexibility and less restrictive covenants.
“We are grateful to the Welsh Government for their support for Welsh rugby over the course of the pandemic, but we are delighted to announce today that we have completed our refinancing with Goldman Sachs and HSBC,” said CEO Tierney, who inherited the debt position when she joined in January 2024.
“Putting Welsh rugby’s finances on a secure footing has been a key priority for us and this new arrangement will provide much needed financial stability for the future of the game in Wales.
“We are currently transforming the structure of our professional game, having decided to reduce the number of professional sides in Wales from four to three. The central part of our new ‘The Way Forward/Ymlaen’ strategy is about increasing our levels of investment across the whole game.
“From next season we will invest an extra £28m in community and professional pathways over a five year period to maintain a production line of young Welsh talent and a new licensing deal currently being negotiated with our professional sides will ensure they are competitive once again with their peer groups in budget terms.”
Mental Prophet
Sport Trivia: Which South African golfer is known as the \”Big Easy\”? Answer: Ernie Els. His full name is Theodore Ernest Els. Ernie turned pro in 1991 at the age of 19. He is one of the most successful golfers in South Africa and the world. He is known as the \”Big Easy\” due to his large stature and seemingly effortless golf swing. He won 62 tournaments in his first 15 years as a professional golfer.
Chapstick
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