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Welsh Premiership

Welsh Premier Division
Country  Wales
Founded 1990
Number of teams 16
Level on pyramid 1
Relegation to Welsh Championship
Domestic cup(s) WRU Challenge Cup
Current champions Ebbw Vale
Most championships Neath (7 Titles)
Website Principality Premiership

The Welsh Premier Division (Welsh: Prifadran Cymru) known for sponsorship reasons as the Principality Premiership (Brifadran Principality) is a rugby union league in Wales first implemented by the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) for the 1990–91 season.

For the 1999-2000, 2000–01 and 2001–02 seasons, it was reformatted as the Welsh-Scottish League with the addition of Edinburgh and Glasgow alongside the Welsh teams; and run jointly by the Scottish Rugby Union and the Welsh Rugby Union.

Originally at the top tier of rugby in Wales, the league lost this status in 2003 with the implementation of the WRU's "Regional Rugby" plan, by which the country would be represented in top-level competitions, i.e. the Celtic League (now Pro12 and Heineken Cup), by five (now four) regionally based sides. The clubs in the Premier Division became largely developmental sides for the regional teams.

Over succeeding years the league structure was to be changed in order to strengthen the structure of the semi-pro sides feeding the regions. Under the WRU's plan, playing records and facilities will be the main criteria in determining which clubs would stay in the Premiership.

In the 2005–06 season the Welsh Premier Division consisted of 16 clubs. Division One Champions Maesteg and runners-up Glamorgan Wanderers were promoted from Division 1 to join 14 clubs who played Premiership rugby the previous season. The clubs relegated down to Division 1 were Caerphilly, Llanharan and Newbridge, thus, reducing the division from 17 to 16 clubs.

For the 2006–07 season, the Welsh Premier Division was reduced once more to 14 teams. The 2006–07 league was won by Neath RFC, making it three wins in three years.


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