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Swansea Council will debate an emergency motion over the Welsh Rugby Union's (WRU) plans to cut regional rugby from four teams to three.
With Ospreys owners, Y11 Sport and Media, in talks to buy Cardiff there is the prospect that Swansea will not host a professional men's team.
The cross-party motion at a meeting on Thursday, 29 January (17:00 GMT) will propose the council should "urge the WRU to immediately reconsider its approach [and] withdraw its proposal to reduce the number of professional regional rugby teams in Wales from four to three".
The motion says the Union plans will "have a significant impact on sport and wellbeing in the Swansea Bay region and will negatively impact the economy of Swansea and south Wales".
Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart has encouraged the public to attend the meeting at the Guildhall at 17:00 GMT on Thursday, 29 January.
Swansea's local authority has previously said they are considering legal action amid growing doubts over the future of the Ospreys, while players say they have been "kept in the dark" over the region's fate.
Fans of both Ospreys and Cardiff have voiced opposition to Y11 Sport and Media's bid to take over the capital club which has been in the hands of the WRU since going into administration in April 2025.
Meanwhile, Ospreys and Swansea council have said they are working together to assess options to ensure the rugby club will play at St Helen's next season.
Ospreys are due to move into a redeveloped St Helen's ground in the city in September after spending the 2024-25 season playing games in Bridgend.
The council are due to put £5m into the project but says it will not release the funds until the Ospreys' future is secure.
The authority would support the development of women's rugby at the site but only in addition to, and not instead of, a professional regional men's side.
The WRU announced in October 2025 they wanted to cut one of the four men's professional teams, citing financial issues and the lack of top-quality Welsh players.
They intend to issue three licenses, one in Cardiff, one in the west and one in the east, with Llanelli-based Scarlets, and Dragons in Newport, expected to be handed those.
This council is extremely concerned about the WRU's plan to cut regional rugby from four teams to three. It will have a significant impact on sport and wellbeing in the Swansea bay region and will negatively impact the economy of Swansea and south Wales.
We are especially concerned about the impacts the WRU plan has [for] Ospreys' future as a regional team, following the WRU confirmation that Y11 is negotiating to buy Cardiff rugby from the WRU. The Council is concerned that recent developments have deviated significantly from the WRU's own approach [and] is neither fair nor transparent.
The WRU have claimed there is not enough money or talent in Wales to continue with four regions. They have never provided detailed evidence to support this statement. We believe there is sufficient resources within the WRU to fund four successful regions going forward. The WRU received more than £20 million more than the Irish Rugby football Union, who have retained four regions and is achieving significant success at regional and national/ international level.
Given the significance of safeguarding the future of Welsh rugby acknowledging the impact on Swansea residents, future generations, wellbeing and the considerable concerns expressed by fans, players, clubs, and the wider public regarding the WRU's current proposals, we urge the WRU to immediately reconsider its approach [and] withdraw its proposal to reduce the number of professional regional rugby teams in Wales from four to three.
This council resolves that we:
Fully endorse and support the statements made by the leader and the council following the meeting with the WRU and Ospreys chief executives.
We fully support the council in taking any reasonable actions to ensure the future of the Ospreys as a regional professional side {to] continue playing in Swansea. This includes any appropriate legal action to prevent the WRU from ending regional rugby in Swansea.
We support any efforts the council may wish to take to explore opportunities to encourage, promote and develop women's rugby to be played in Swansea but this must be in addition to the retention of the Ospreys as a regional rugby team based in Swansea
We support the council in its commitment to redevelop St Helens to support the creation of an enhanced modern rugby venue to meet the aspirations of the Ospreys region to return to St Helens. This does not preclude the Ospreys negotiating use of the Swansea stadiums for individual games should they need to do so.
We request the leader or the relevant officers write to the WRU, the Ospreys, Y11, World Rugby or any other relevant party to outline the council's position and request assistance in taking whatever actions are necessary to protect regional rugby in Swansea, and the future success of rugby at all levels in Wales.
