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The Welsh Rugby Union has appointed its current chief operating officer to a new role tasked with driving commercial revenues.

Leighton Davies will take up the new role of chief commercial officer, which the union were previously describing as a chief growth officer, this summer.

Mr Davies was recruited by the union from US resin manufacturing company Purolite, where he was global controller, as its chief financial officer in March last year. However, he was elevated to chief operating officer at the start of the year in a move seeing him taking on all operational aspects of the WRU, including the Principality Stadium and its legal team. He has played a key role in driving efficiency savings across the business. He also sits on the Professional Rugby Board (PRB).

In his new role he will not just be tasked with seeking to grow the union's commercial revenues, but across the whole of the game in Wales.

His appointment comes following a split between the four regions, with the Dragons and the now WRU-owned Cardiff agreeing to a new three year funding deal with the union The Ospreys and the Scarlets opted not to signed so called Professional Rugby Agreement (PRA) 2025, so will remain on the less advantageous current agreement for the next two years.

Separately the union is undertaking a structural review of the regions, which could see the number cut to three, or a two-tier funding model. The review will seek approval from the PRB, which is made up of representatives from both the union and the four regions.

The union' s position is that the PRB has a fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of Welsh rugby as a whole and not the narrow interest of any individual club. Whatever the outcome the union said it is ending what was roughly an equitable funding commitment to the regions.

As the Dragons and Cardiff have signed PRA 25, their funding from the WRU, which will increase from next season incrementally, is protected for the next three years.