Dragons rugby club chief executive Rhys Blumberg has said that avoiding a potential reduction in the number of Welsh professional teams is adding pressure on the club to achieve strong results. The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), the governing body of rugby in Wales, has announced plans to cut the number of professional men’s teams from four to three by 2028. Under this plan, the privately-owned Dragons and WRU-owned Cardiff Blues will be allocated licenses for the east and central regions, leaving the Llanelli-based Scarlets and Swansea-based Ospreys to compete for the remaining western license. Blumberg acknowledged the added pressure but remains optimistic about the Dragons' chances for a successful season. Despite historically being the weakest-performing Welsh team, the Dragons showed notable improvement in the 2025-26 season. They reached the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup and earned 28 points in the United Rugby Championship (URC), a significant jump from nine points in the previous season. However, they finished near the bottom of the URC due to missed opportunities and were overtaken by the Scarlets in terms of wins, making them the lowest-ranked Welsh team in 18 of the past 23 seasons. Blumberg has set an ambitious but achievable goal of finishing in the top eight of the URC this season. The Dragons will face a challenging start to the 2026-27 season, beginning with a match against Benetton on September 25, followed by home games against both the Scarlets and Ospreys. Blumberg admitted that there is a sense of tension among the Welsh clubs, fueled by years of uncertainty and disputes with the WRU. While the Dragons are currently safe from being cut, they continue to support the idea of maintaining four professional teams. The WRU’s proposal has sparked controversy, with calls for the governing body’s board to resign and legal action being pursued. The WRU has stated that a formal process to finalize the decision will begin in December and conclude before the end of the current season. Scarlets managing director Jon Daniels has denied any merger plans with the Ospreys and urged the WRU to be more transparent. Blumberg acknowledged that legal challenges are likely, citing the WRU’s financial limitations, which it claims make it impossible to support four competitive teams. Blumberg also dismissed suggestions that Welsh clubs might join the English Premiership, despite some speculation that Welsh rugby could benefit from leaving the URC. The English Premiership is set to expand to 12 teams in the 2029-30 season, but Blumberg does not believe an Anglo-Welsh league is feasible in the near future. He remains focused on the Dragons’ performance and the ongoing negotiations with the WRU.