Jonathan Davies urges Welsh Rugby Union board to step down

Former Wales captain Jonathan Davies on 14 August 2026 called for the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) board to step down, making the appeal on social media amid growing criticism of the governing body.

Calls for changes at the WRU have also come from Welsh business leaders and local Swansea politicians, who have demanded chief executive Abi Tierney leave her role. The board comprises 11 members following the departure of chair Richard Collier-Keywood in March 2026: Tierney; interim vice-chair John Manders; independent directors Jamie Roberts, Jennifer Mathias, Andrew Williams, Alison Thorne and Amanda Bennett; elected members Claire Donovan, Chris Jones and Colin Wilks; and interim Professional Rugby Board chair Marianne Okland. The WRU has been asked to comment.

The union has outlined plans to reduce the number of professional teams from four to three by 2028, and said WRU-owned Cardiff and a privately-backed Dragons side are set to be granted licences. That proposal has left the Scarlets and Ospreys uncertain about their futures, with the west Wales licence likely to be awarded either to the Llanelli-based Scarlets or Swansea-based Ospreys. WRU chiefs said the process to decide the framework for the final decision will begin in December and finish before the end of the 2026-27 campaign.

Scarlets managing director Jon Daniels has denied any plans for a merger with the Ospreys and has called for greater transparency from the WRU. The Ospreys have publicly stated they believe four professional sides is the way forward and told the WRU its plan to reduce a team is wrong. The process for replacing Collier-Keywood is ongoing, and the WRU has indicated the successor for the independent chair role will need to support the three-team proposal.

BBC pundit and former Wales fly-half Davies has joined those urging the board to quit. "This board has been in place for three years and failed to deliver," Davies said on social media. "It is now time for them to have a look at themselves and decide whether it is time for them to step aside and leave somebody else come in and take over. "An interim board to settle the ship and pick a board fit for purpose."

Davies added: "The economy and the game in Wales is suffering. It is time now for people to voice their opinions, ex-players, regions, and the clubs and the fans most importantly and say change is needed. "It is up to us to force the changes otherwise this is not going away and in five or 10 years we will be in a far worse state. "Let's get together and try and make a change."

Davies wrote that "Welsh rugby has stopped belonging to the people" and added: "That is the first thing I would fix," wrote Davies. "The people of Wales need to decide whether they want rugby union as part of their identity, culture and soul. "And we all know the answer to that. The purpose of the Welsh Rugby Union is to deliver that to the people. "To provide a game that exists in every village and town - that forms a foundation stone to build a pathway to bring on our best talent - into the regions and to the national side. "To harness the unique passion and talent that exists in Wales and build a sustainable future."

Former Cardiff board member and Welsh businesswoman Hayley Parsons has also called for the WRU to stand down, and Rob Regan, a former chief operating officer of Principality Building Society, says he is ready to stand as part of an alternative interim board and appoint a new permanent one.