The Welsh government has a role to play in holding Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) to account over its planned changes to the game, a Reform UK politician has said.

Llyr Powell made the comments after his party was narrowly defeated in a Senedd debate after calling for ministers to support four professional regions.

He said in the same way the Senedd chamber sent a signal to Tata about the importance of steel jobs in Wales, it should do the same to the WRU about four rugby sides.

The WRU, which want to cut the number of sides from four to three, has been asked to comment.

The Welsh government said it "challenged" the WRU to "show decisions are transparent" and consideration for the wider community.

It added: "The Welsh Rugby Union is an independent organisation, and the Welsh Government has no direct role in its decision-making."

"The work the regions do in communities is much larger than even just rugby," he told Politics Wales.

"If we feel that there is a strong part of Welsh identity at risk, I think the government should voice its opinion.

"We haven't seen that yet. That's why we put it forward," said Powell, the Member of the Senedd for Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni.

The WRU wants to cut the teams to three; one in Newport, another in Cardiff and the prospect of either the Ospreys or the Scarlets surviving long term.

In the debate, culture and sport minister Heledd Fychan said she could not give an assurance that the WRU protected all four regions given it is an independent body.

"These changes are going to mean, if they come to fruition, that there would be a social, linguistic and economic impact," she said.

"And that's why, as a minister, I have challenged the WRU to show that the decisions are transparent, that they are evidence based and sustainable, and that the impact of any changes on players, fans, staff, communities and the wider game have been fully considered, as many have suggested, before any decision is made, not afterwards, but before.

"But we can't, as a government, direct the WRU to maintain a specific structure for the professional game."

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Powell said he believed there was cross-party consensus for the Senedd to hold the WRU account on the basis of public money that had already been invested in the game over the years, from grants issued during the pandemic to council investments in stadiums in Llanelli and Swansea.

He claimed there had not been enough consultation with communities.

But the WRU has said it has carried out its widest-ever consultation.

It has also just published evidence outlining how it decided where the three professional men's sides in Wales should be based.

The final decision on which team is culled is expected in June 2027, in time for the start of the 2028-29 season.