Welsh Rugby Union considering playing home games in England
The Welsh Rugby Union is considering playing home Six Nations games in England because of Covid crowd restrictions in Wales.
First Minister Mark Drakeford imposed restrictions on sporting events in Wales, effectively meaning professional games are behind closed doors.
The Welsh government are said to be disappointed with the idea of moving Wales’ games to England.
However, playing games behind closed doors would mean that the Welsh Rugby Union would be out of pocket. The WRU lost £13.5 million in match-day revenue during the 2021 Six Nations after home games against England and Ireland were played behind closed doors.
Additionally, the local Cardiff economy would greatly suffer from behind-closed-doors too – as Wales imposes restrictions on hospitality venues.
Scotland also has restrictions on spectator numbers of 500, France has a limit of 5,000 fans and Italy has a Covid pass system in place after tightening restrictions in December.
The WRU’s preference is to play home fixtures this year in front of full crowds in Cardiff and hope restrictions will be lifted in time.
As things stand, sporting events in England have no restrictions, so Wales’ visit to Twickenham on 26 February will be played before a full house of 82,000, provided spectators can prove full vaccination status or a negative lateral flow test.
There is no date set for when measures could be eased, with the next review scheduled for 7 January.
