Index  ›  business  ›  BBC
business · BBC ↗

Scarlets announce £2.1m loss in 'challenging' time

BBC Published Jul 1, 2026 Reviewed Jul 3, 2026 ✓ Reviewed by citations.press editors
Citation-ready fact
Scarlets reported a £2.1 million loss for the 2024-2025 season, down from £2.6 million the previous year, according to the club's latest accounts.
2100000 GBP · Scarlets loss
View source ↗
Citation-ready fact
Scarlets' turnover fell from £11.3 million to £10.2 million in the 2024-2025 season, driven by declines in gate receipts, sponsorship, and Welsh Rugby Union funding.
11300000 GBP · Scarlets turnover previous year10200000 GBP · Scarlets turnover
View source ↗
Citation-ready fact
Scarlets reduced its wage bill by 10% in the 2024-2025 season, from £8.24 million to £6.94 million.
8240000 GBP · Scarlets wage bill previous year6940000 GBP · Scarlets wage bill10 % · Scarlets outgoings reduction
View source ↗
Citation-ready fact
A new share issue boosted Scarlets' finances by £940,000 during the 2024-2025 season.
940000 GBP · Scarlets share issue proceeds
View source ↗
Citation-ready fact
Scarlets' debt remains in excess of £10 million, primarily owed to the Welsh Rugby Union and Carmarthenshire County Council, which owns Parc y Scarlets.
more than 10000000 GBP · Scarlets total debt
View source ↗
Citation-ready fact
Scarlets owes £4.8 million to the Welsh Rugby Union, including loans taken out during the pandemic, and says the new Professional Rugby Agreement (PRA25) will help repay it.
4800000 GBP · Scarlets debt to WRU
View source ↗
Citation-ready fact
Scarlets continues to owe Carmarthenshire County Council £2.6 million in relation to Parc y Scarlets.
2600000 GBP · Scarlets debt to Carmarthenshire County Council
View source ↗
Citation-ready fact
Scarlets chairman Simon Muderack stated in the 2024-2025 accounts that the operating environment for professional rugby in Wales has been 'challenging' and 'deeply uncertain' due to the WRU's review of reducing professional clubs from four to three.
4 · current number of professional Welsh rugby clubs3 · proposed number of professional Welsh rugby clubs
View source ↗
Citation-ready fact
Scarlets confirmed in its 2024-2025 report that it is in the final stages of completing the Professional Rugby Agreement (PRA25), which the directors described as a pivotal step toward financial stability.
View source ↗

Scarlets made a loss of £2.1m during the 2024-2025 season, according to the club's latest accounts.

It is a third year in a row the Welsh region have posted a loss of more than £2m.

The financial results cover the period to June 2025, with the loss down from £2.6m from the previous 12 months.

Turnover dropped from £10.2m compared to £11.3m with gate receipts, sponsorship and money received from the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) all down.

The region made cuts to outgoings of 10%, with the wage bill down from £8.24m to £6.94m.

A new share issue also boosted finances by £940,000.

Scarlets' debt remains in excess of £10m, with money owed primarily to the WRU and Carmarthenshire county council, who own the Parc y Scarlets ground.

While the figures in the latest annual report only cover the period until mid-2025, comments in the financial report from the Scarlets hierarchy also discuss events of the past 12 months.

The report says the operating environment for professional rugby in Wales has been "challenging" and "deeply uncertain" with the WRU looking to reduce the number of professional clubs from four to three.

The union has stated it will look to implement this controversial policy by the 2028-29 season, although it has not yet outlined how that process will happen.

Welsh rugby's governing body has previously stated there will be one licence for a professional side granted in the east, one in Cardiff and one in the west, which could pit Llanelli-based Scarlets and Swansea-based Ospreys against each other.

"The ongoing review of the professional game by the WRU, including consideration of a possible reduction in the number of professional clubs in Wales, has created an unsettling backdrop for our players, staff, supporters and commercial partners," Scarlets chairman Simon Muderack wrote in notes accompanying the accounts.

"The directors have engaged closely and constructively throughout this period to protect the long-term interests of the Scarlets.

"Against this backdrop, the Scarlets remain confident and resolute about our future. We firmly believe Parc y Scarlets to be the finest club rugby stadium in Wales, if not the UK."

The Scarlets' report states they were expecting to commit to the PRA by the end of June.

Though that did not happen, the report adds that Scarlets are "in the final stages of completing this agreement".

Scarlets say signing the PRA will help the repayment of £4.8m they owe the WRU, which includes loans taken out during Covid.

"A significant development during the year has been our work with the WRU on a new Professional Rugby Agreement (PRA25)," the report stated.

"PRA25 will relieve the regional clubs of a substantial portion of the Covid-related debt that has previously burdened the company and introduces a more sustainable funding model that provides greater long-term financial certainty.

"The directors regard the conclusion of this agreement as a pivotal step in placing the club on a stable financial footing in the near term."

The report also states that Scarlets continue to owe Carmarthen county council £2.6m, which is in relation to the Parc y Scarlets ground.

There is no direct mention in the report of any legal action arising between Scarlets and WRU about the governing body taking over Cardiff in April 2025, when Wales' capital side went into administration.

There is also no information provided about US-based House of Luxury LLC (HOL), who were announced as potential investors in August 2025.

In April 2026, Scarlets put out a statement saying they had secured "significant further investment" to ensure the "future stability of the club and wider region".

This article was originally published by BBC ↗. citations.press indexes the source-backed facts above and links to the original. Something wrong? Corrections policy · Report an error