Carwyn Jones joins Scarlets board and backs four Welsh teams

Former First Minister Carwyn Jones has joined the Scarlets board and argued that Wales should retain four professional rugby teams. The club says the appointment takes effect immediately, on 24 September.

A call for west Wales to stand together

In the Scarlets announcement, Jones criticises the proposal for a single professional licence in west Wales. He argues that both teams should have a future and calls for decisions to be based on evidence, transparency and practical solutions. The appointment is a board change, not confirmation of a settlement over the professional game’s future.

Experience beyond the Senedd

Jones served as First Minister from 2009 to 2018 and represented Bridgend in the Senedd between 1999 and 2021. The club also identifies him as a Bridgend Ravens director and a member of the Football Association of Wales’s Finance, Audit and Risk Committee.

What the announcement leaves open

Scarlets executive chairman Simon Muderack welcomes Jones’s leadership experience and knowledge of Welsh communities. The announcement does not set out a new investment figure or a revised funding agreement for the club.