The Welsh Rugby Union are expected to push forward with plans to reduce the number of professional clubs in Wales to two, WalesOnline understands. At a WRU board meeting later this month, the executive will propose what it sees as the "optimal" new structure for the professional game. If the WRU board agrees, a formal consultation process will begin with key stakeholders , including the four professional clubs - Cardiff , Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets - along with the official supporters groups, the Welsh Rugby Players' Association and a selection of past and current players. The WRU will hope to gain consensus during the consultation period, which will last until October. WalesOnline first revealed the WRU's desire to transform Welsh rugby back in May and things are now moving into a critical period. While the current direction of travel is towards two teams - one based in the east and one in the west - that does not mean things won't change over the next couple of months. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. The WRU are doing all they can to fend off any potential legal challenges that come their way as a result of pushing through such a radical and painful change. If all parties cannot agree the make-up of new teams amongst themselves, the WRU have plans to appoint an independent panel and put the licences out to tender, based on a set of criteria. The Ospreys and Scarlets remain publicly defiant about their independent futures, with the former pushing ahead with St Helen's redevelopment plans and the latter announcing new investors last week. The tense situation has been magnified this month, with Carmarthenshire-based politicians and a Scarlets' supporters' group objecting to the Ospreys' stadium plans . The Scarlets' new US investors, House of Luxury, have also said they are not considering any form of merger. What could prevent the WRU from reaching a compromise and settling on three teams instead of two is the United Rugby Championship does not want an uneven number, while the Gallagher Premiership would not entertain anything above two Welsh clubs in a potential Anglo-Welsh league. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. While the end result is still uncertain, what is certain is that Welsh rugby is about to be turned on its head in a similar manner to what former CEO David Moffett did back in 2003 with the inception of regional rugby. If a cull were to happen there have been suggestions in some quarters the WRU would prefer the remaining two clubs to be based in Cardiff and Swansea but current CEO Abi Tierney categorically denied they had reached that conclusion in a press conference this week. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free There are some within the upper echelons of Welsh rugby who would prefer an aggressive tiered-funding model where two clubs would be funded to a far greater extend than the remaining two. But while this would appease some existing supporters there's a feeling it will not solve Welsh rugby's underlying issues - namely a lack of financial clout when it comes to competing with the stronger sides and a lack of talent in the professional game. If the WRU push forward with two clubs the contracts at the four professional clubs will be honoured but many of those players will be expected to turn out regularly in Super Rygbi Cymru which will receive greater investment.