Cardiff supporters have warned the Welsh Rugby Union that they oppose any move to sell their club to owners connected with rivals Ospreys.
CARDIFF Rugby was taken into WRU ownership after entering temporary administration in April 2025, and the governing body is now seeking new investors. Final bids are due by Monday, with a sale expected within weeks.
Speculation has grown that Ospreys’ owners, Y11 Sport & Media, are among the bidders, potentially with a plan to merge the two sides into a single entity. Such an outcome would align with the WRU’s stated aim of reducing the number of Welsh professional men’s teams from four to three.
Neither the WRU nor Y11 has commented publicly on the rumours. The lack of clarity has fuelled anxiety among Ospreys supporters about their club’s future, while Cardiff fans have voiced strong opposition on social media to any takeover linked to a rival.
The independent supporters’ body CF10 Rugby Trust said it has raised concerns directly with the WRU.
CF10 chair Lynn Glaister told BBC Radio Wales that supporters fear Cardiff would be permanently associated with the loss of another historic club if such a deal went ahead.
“We have told the WRU that whoever owns Cardiff, it needs to be positive for Cardiff rugby,” she said. “Another club’s owners taking us over risks Cardiff being branded as the team that ended another side for good.”
Welsh rugby has been facing prolonged uncertainty since the WRU announced last October that it intended to cut one professional men’s licence. The governing body has since said it plans to award three licences — one in Cardiff, one in the east and one in the west — potentially setting up a direct battle for survival between the Swansea-based Ospreys and Llanelli’s Scarlets.
A takeover of Cardiff by Ospreys’ owners would achieve that three-team structure without a competitive tender process, a prospect that has intensified opposition from supporters.
Glaister said communication with fans has been limited. “We are grateful the WRU chair and chief executive have met with us and listened, but we have not been told who has actually bid for Cardiff,” she said, adding that those involved in the process are bound by non-disclosure agreements.
CF10 confirmed it is aware of at least one alternative bid, led by former Cardiff director Martyn Ryan, backed by a group that includes three US-based television and film producers. That consortium, Glaister said, engaged with supporters before the formal process began and outlined its vision for the club.
By contrast, she said, the identity and intentions of the other bidder have not been shared.
“The other bidder remains a secret,” she said. “If you want to own Cardiff, we believe you need to be open, meet supporters and be clear about your plans.”
