URC: First survival, now a rebuild for Welsh rugby

If survival was the priority last season for the Welsh regions, the new campaign is set to mark the start of the rebuild.

After last summer's bloodletting, the build up to the United Rugby Championship (URC) 2024-25 season has been peaceful - by Welsh rugby standards.

Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets suffered a mass exodus of talent as a result of seeing their funding slashed by £2m each this time last year.

Their budgets have been trimmed further to £4.5m each but the feeling - or rather hope - is they are over the worst.

It was against that financial backdrop that Ospreys' charge to the quarter-finals in May - the first Welsh team to do so in six years - was so surprising.

It is likely to take something even more remarkable for a region to replicate that run.

The URC was more competitive than ever last season with the likes of Edinburgh failing to reach the knockout stages even after winning 11 of 18 games.

And murmurs of a British and Irish league continue, with Welsh fans still lukewarm at the prospect of playing more games in Bloemfontein and Galway than at Bath or Gloucester.

URC bosses are quick to point to the growth of attendances, broadcast audiences and social media engagement last season. But nothing creates interest more than winning games.

Here BBC Sport assesses the prospects for each of the four Welsh regions prior to the big kick-off.

Last season: 12th

No team was better than Cardiff at picking up bonuses in the URC last season, including a staggering 10 losing bonus points.

That fighting spirit helped generate enormous positivity around the Arms Park bringing bumper crowds to watch homegrown youngsters on course to play for Wales.

New recruits such as fly-half Callum Sheedy, Ireland prop Ed Byrne and Wales scrum-half Aled Davies could help convert so many narrow defeats into wins.

Tomos Williams' departure has been tempered by the emergence of Ellis Bevan but losing the ball-carrying of Rhys Carre is a blow.

Cardiff can capitalise on playing five of their first seven games at home and face just one top five team - champions Glasgow - before March.

Coach's comments: Matt Sherratt

"It's my second year and it's important I don't change my philosophy.

"We talked a lot about staying in the fight and playing a good brand of rugby and if we go away from that, we will lose our identity. That's more important than anything.

"Hopefully with some of the new recruits adding experience, we can can turn some of those tight losses into wins."

Key Man: Taulupe Faletau

It may sound bizarre to pick a 33-year-old but the British & Irish Lion number eight played barely half an hour for Cardiff last season so having his remarkable ability available again - as he targets a late October return - could be like having a new signing.

Opening fixtures: Zebre (H), Scarlets (A), Glasgow (H), Scarlets (H)

Last season: 15th

If last summer was about consolidating the Dragons squad, this summer has been about adding experience from the transfer market.

Steve Cummings and Shane Lewis-Hughes will bolster a pack that lost hooker Bradley Roberts to retirement while fly-half Lloyd Evans could spark life into the URC's bluntest attack last season.

Wales trio Aaron Wainwright, Rio Dyer and Taine Basham also decided to stay but it is undoubtedly time for Dragons to show progress from their usual basement battle.

Disappointingly, they are without new signing Solomone Funaki for the opening weeks and Wainwright for even longer, due to injury.

But a good start - not least in the opener against Ospreys - is essential with four of the first five games at Rodney Parade before ending the season with five on the road.

Coach's comments: Dai Flanagan

"We want to create a real identity of the Gwent way to play rugby and that means having players who are more physical, uncompromising and go the distance.

"It feels like a new dawn here with local young lads, like captain Ben Carter, and its exciting to see where they can take us.

"We've got a few games at home in the first block and we have to relish the chance to play in front of our people. That block will set the tone for the season."

Key Man: Filo Tiatia

Dragons' best signing could actually be off the field with the arrival of Tiatia as defence coach.

Only Zebre shipped more points last season but the former All Black - twice a league winner with Ospreys - will bring a solid structure and steely edge that Dragons have lacked.

Opening fixtures: Ospreys (H), Leinster (A), Sharks (H), Lions (H)

Last season: 8th

Last season's surprise package face an even tougher challenge this time in Toby Booth's final campaign as head coach and the club's last at Swansea.com Stadium.

Keeping the likes of Wales trio Jac Morgan, Dewi Lake and Adam Beard fit will prove crucial.

And while Nicky Smith's exit is a significant loss, snagging scrum-half Kieran Hardy and Steff Thomas from rivals Scarlets could prove astute.

They kick-off the season with a tough run of games and must switch two home matches to Bridgend due to fixture clashes with Swansea City.

Coach's comments: Toby Booth

"We moved a step closer last year which was great but the difficulty is trying to keep improving.

"We have to maintain top eight performances and standards and look up and not down. Does it mean we are going to be there again? No, because you need the injury gods to play their part, win tight games and finish what you started.

"Our biggest advantage is we have got consistency, through no choice of our own, but this young group has got better through the experience."

Key Man: Jac Morgan

Wales' World Cup co-captain missed five months of last season following knee surgery in December and suffered a hamstring injury in the quarter-final that ruled him out of touring Australia. But a fit and rested Morgan, named club captain, is a match-winner.

Opening fixtures: Dragons (A), Stormers (H), Munster (A), Bulls (H)

Last season: 14th

Dwayne Peel must find a way to get these perennial slow starters out of the blocks quicker.

Last season Scarlets won just two of their first 11 games - only a marginal improvement from one win in 10 at the start of the previous campaign.

The departures of long-term stalwarts Ken Owens, Jonathan Davies, Scott Williams and Samson Lee were expected, though losing Lions prop Wyn Jones could be a blow.

Peel has focused on bolstering the pack with Springbok hooker Marnus van der Merwe, props Henry Thomas and Alec Hepburn and Australian lock Max Douglas.

That, in turn, could help breath life into the second lowest scoring attack in the league who still managed to do the double over Cardiff, who they face twice in the first four weeks.

Coach's comments: Dwayne Peel

"We have a fresh group this season and we've already spoken of how important it is to get a good start because we have been guilty over the last couple of seasons of not picking up points in that first block of games.

"We have plenty of quality attacking players who can break the line.

"But there were times last season when we weren't as good at securing possession, so our recruitment has been around making sure the contact area and set piece is right."

Key Man: Sam Lousi

For all the new names, retaining all-action Tongan forward Sam Lousi, along with back-row Vaea Fifita, could prove the best move.

Lousi has been among their most consistent players regularly among their leading players for offloads, tackles and lineouts.

Opening fixtures: Benetton (A), Cardiff (H), Connacht (H), Cardiff (A)