Plaid Cymru Senedd election candidates emphasize call for Scarlets’ survival

22 April 2026

Plaid Cymru Senedd election candidates emphasise call for Scarlets’ survival

Cefin Campbell and Mari Arthur, Plaid Cymru’s candidates in Sir Gaerfyrddin for the Senedd election next month have reiterated their call to the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) for the Scarlets to be protected in any future plans for the future of professional rugby in Wales.

This comes after WRU’s Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) last week in Cardiff, after more than 50 member clubs demanded accountability.

Plaid Cymru representatives in Carmarthenshire have long argued for the survival of professional rugby in the region, pointing to the Scarlets’ £17 million contribution to the local economy and the 400 full and part-time jobs that are supported by the club. The club also boasts an impressive pedigree, having produced 34% of Welsh internationals in the past decade alone. 

Cefin Campbell and Adam Price, currently seeking re-election as Plaid Cymru candidates to the Senedd for Sir Gaerfyrddin, as well as Plaid Cymru MP for Caerfyrddin Ann Davies, submitted a formal response to the WRU's consultation last year, declaring that dissolving the Scarlets would not solve WRU’s historic mismanagement of professional rugby in Wales.

Lifelong Scarlets supporter and Plaid Cymru’s lead candidate in Sir Gaerfyrddin, Cefin Campbell, said:

"Like thousands across west Wales, this club is in my DNA. I am an ardent supporter of the Scarlets and share supporters’ disillusionment at the confusion and vague plans presented by the WRU.

“Watching them play Cardiff over the weekend, the thought of losing this club – which has produced so many greats for the national team such as Phil Bennett, Delme Thomas, Ray Gravell, Stephen Jones and Ken Owens to name a few – weighed heavily on my mind. The economic and social impact on the region would also be immense.

"I’m also a fan of club rugby in all its forms. The Ospreys are our neighbours and rivals and that rivalry is part of what makes the game here so special. The WRU should not be forcing west Wales to choose between its clubs. That is not a solution.”

Mari Arthur, also a Plaid Cymru candidate in the election in May, said:

"I’m so proud that we as Plaid Cymru representatives in the area have led the way in defending the Scarlets over months and years of speculation over their future. We have made  it absolutely clear to the WRU that we are fundamentally opposed to any plan that puts the future of the Scarlets at risk. Unfortunately, that threat still hovers over our club.

"The Scarlets are central to the identity and economy of this region and are a cornerstone of the game in Wales. We call on the WRU's incoming leadership to start again: to pause this plan, engage with the alternatives, and protect the long-term future of the Scarlets.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

  • Photograph of Cefin Campbell, Plaid Cymru’s lead candidate in Sir Gaerfyrddin at the Scarlets’ game against Cardiff on Saturday.

  • Llanelli RFC was founded in 1872; the Scarlets regional brand was launched 7 July 2003. 

  • The WRU's Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) took place Monday 13 April 2026. WRU chair Richard Collier-Keywood steps down 16 July 2026. Former PRB chair Malcolm Wall stepped down March 2026.

  • The WRU's original favoured option was a two-region model. The consultation revised this to three regions but still leaves only one west Wales licence, pitting the Scarlets against the Ospreys.

  • For more information, contact Owain Meirion 07932 901942.