Wales: annual turnover of the Welsh Rugby Union from 2014-2023, by source

In 2023, the highest share of annual turnover for the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) came from match income, reaching 39.5 million British pounds. This was a decrease from the previous year when match income brought the WRU 43 million British pounds in turnover.

How was the WRU formed?

In March 1881, following a significant defeat by England, in Wales’ first ever international rugby match, representatives from 11 Welsh rugby clubs met, in the Castle Hotel in Neath, to form a union that could organise regular international matches. Although the name ‘Welsh Rugby Union’ was not adopted until 1934, its precursor, the Welsh Football Union, was one of the earliest sports associations in the United Kingdom and a founding member of the sport's international governing body, World Rugby in 1886.

How many employees work for the WRU?

In 2023, the monthly average number of employees at the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) reached over 400. The largest share of employees that year were engaged in performance rugby totaling 104. Meanwhile, the average staff costs for the group that year were over 20 million British pounds, with 19.3 million British pounds being spent on wages and salaries.