Jim Hamilton claims ‘large majority of influential people’ want URC and PREM merger with South Africa sidelined

Former Scotland international Jim Hamilton insists that a United Rugby Championship and PREM Rugby merger is a “realistic” proposition.

In 2024, there were talks between the leagues and there was particular interest around setting up an Anglo-Welsh division.

After that failed to come to fruition, it all went quiet, but speculation is starting to mount that it is back on the table with CVC reportedly taking a leading role.

The private equity firm have invested in both the URC and the PREM – as well as the Six Nations – and Hamilton believes that they will start to take a more active role in shaping the future of the sport.

It may not be a smooth negotiating process given the number of parties involved, while the South Africa conundrum remains, but there appears an appetite to make it happen according to the ex-Scotland lock.

‘South African teams will drop out’

“This for me is happening. If anything realistically is going to happen, I can see this happening. I think this will happen in the next two or three years and I think the South African teams will drop out and potentially be in a Champions Cup of some form,” he said on The Rugby Pod.

“A lot of people want this to happen. As much as there might be people coming out saying: ‘We don’t want this to happen’, there’s a large majority of influential people that want a merge between the PREM and the URC without the South African teams.”

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Former England fly-half Andy Goode, who was also on the show, insists that the role of CVC will be absolutely key in whether this ambitious project happens.

“When CVC get mentioned, they’ve owned a percentage of the PREM and a percentage of the URC and the Six Nations,” he said.

“They have sat there on their hands for however long and eventually you know that when you are a private equity fund and you’ve invested in something you need to see a return.

“They’re going to make changes to suit them at some point, but it’s the old rugby union issue; you’ve got to get everyone to agree it.”

How CVC are positioning themselves

Hamilton then chimed back in, adding: “With CVC, I’ve spoken to someone who was involved with this deal and I’m like, ‘why don’t they come out and get on a podcast?’ And they go, ‘Why? They don’t need to do that. Let it all unfold, let the house burn down a little bit more and then we’ll come in with the fire extinguishers, and we’ll tell you how it’s going to go down’.”

Goode compared rugby’s situation to Formula One after CVC helped build that sport before selling it on to Liberty Media Corporation, making more than $8 billion.

“That’s what we said ages ago. As the struggles continue around the club game, they’re going acquire more and more at a cheaper amount,” he added.

“It’s what they did in F1. They build it up, sell it for way more and off you go.”

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