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Another shock announcement rocked Welsh Rugby on Friday as the Scarlets revealed a new investment partnership with the US based House of Luxury LLC. The news comes at the end of a week where speculation over the Scarlets continued existence has been rife on social media. The news not only has huge implications for the Scarlets but possibly for professional rugby in Wales as the WRU continue to deliberate which regions will be cut as part of their long awaiting re-structure.
House of Luxury of HOL is a US based luxury asset agency claiming ‘global expertise’ in high-value assets, including sport, real estate and automotive. They say their sports & entertainment division invests in teams with ‘untapped potential’, supporting them through capital, leadership and operational excellence. It is headquartered in Montana. In 2025, House of Luxury LLC was recognised as 34th on the 50 fastest growing businesses list by WPO (Women Presidents’; Organisation) and JP Morgan Chase.
Their sports & entertainment division is lead by David Moffett. He is familiar to Welsh rugby fans as he was one of the key architects of regionalisation back in 2003 that lead to the current arrangement of 4 pro teams. Since then he has worked for the NZRU and dabbled - controversially - in politics. It is understood he will not be directly involved in running the Scarlets as he is responsible for all of HOL’s sporting and entertainment ventures, not just them.
HOL’s Chief Executive Kirsti Jane is a British entrepreneur who lives in Wales. Describing her career path as ‘unconventional’ she has won multiple awards. She is also a vocal Welsh rugby fan and has posted strong criticism of the WRU and their CEO Abu Tierney on LinkedIn in recent times.
For HOL’s venture with the Scarlets, they have announced 3 new directors:
Dan Biggar, 112-cap Welsh international
Andy Golding, leading brand strategist in sport. Has a PhD in the sustainability of professional rugby and has worked as an educator.
Leanne Batts, innovation lead for NZ Rugby and digital sports strategist
The appearance of Dan Biggar on the list caught the eye of many fans as he is a legendary players for the Scarlets’ biggest rivals the Ospreys. It is understood that his role will be purely ambassadorial and involve promotional work only.
HOL’s ‘Chief Experience Officer’ Simon Kozlowski has already been making his presence felt on the Welsh rugby scene, giving an interview to ITV and posting actively on social media - including interacting with fans who attempted to mock him and/or House Of Luxury. Screenshots also so surfaced of an apparent attempt by Kozlowski to purchase Welsh Premiership side Pontypridd a number of years ago. According to House of Luxury’s LinkedIn, he was not appointed to his current role until 4 months ago. His current twitter account was created in April.
HOL say they were attracted to the Scarlets for two main reasons: Firstly, they believe them to be a strong brand. The Scarlets can trace their roots back 150 years and have a very clear identity on and off the pitch. Regarding their ‘untapped potential’ that HOL say they specialise in, the Scarlets are operating a skeleton crew thanks to the budget restraints plaguing welsh rugby. Digital marketing and social media, for instance, are areas where the Scarlets have not been able to spend as they would like. This is a large part of what has drawn them to working with HOL.
Secondly, there is the Scarlets’ stadium, Parc y Scarlets. HOL believe this facility has a great deal of potential as an events venue. The consensus in West Wales is the stadium is currently under utilised, with events such as concerts rarely taking place there despite its suitability for such occasions. The Parc is arguably the Scarlets’ greatest asset and a potential source for significant income. HOL have said ‘this partnership will create jobs, attract international investment to west Wales, and deliver an amazing experience for our fans. Our vision extends far beyond rugby to create lasting value for the entire region’.
HOL will eventually own a 55% controlling stake in the Scarlets. For now, the deal is being referred to as a ‘partnership’ rather than a takeover. HOL will assume responsibility of non-rugby activities for the Scarlets immediately - effectively Monday the 11th of August 2025. The current board, lead by Simon Muderak and Jon Daniels, will remain in place and HOL will report into them.
The Scarlets say the deal brings them long term financial stability. It is not stated anywhere that this means the region will be alleviated of its debt, but it is thought that is the ultimate goal. HOL have assumed liability for all of the Scarlet's’ financial obligations. The Scarlets will retain their current branding, colours, home stadium and values.
The deal comes just a few months after the collapse of Helford Capital’s ownership of Cardiff - a deal that was heralded as the saviour of that club only to fail within 18 months. As such, many fans have expressed nervousness of a repeat of those events which lead to the WRU assuming control of Cardiff and was the trigger point for the wider destabilisation of professional rugby in Wales.
Because of the nature of the partnership, it is unclear what level of checks HOL are required to be subject to by the WRU. The percentage stake is much lower compared to the Cardiff deal (55% to 84.55%) so there may be different or fewer processes to be followed. The circumstances of the deal are also different, as Cardiff’s sale was forced by the passing of their long time financial backer Peter Thomas.
The timing of the deal has caught everyone by surprise. Rumours of new investment into the Scarlets have circulated for some time but the announcement comes at the end of a turbulent week which saw the Scarlets Supporter’s Trust, Crys 16, and a group of West Wales MPs formally objected to the Osprey’s redevelopment of the historic St Helens ground in Swansea. They say the renovations pose an existential threat to the existence of the Scarlets as the WRU are in a consultation period which is expected to see at least one of the Scarlets or Ospreys close down. The events have cause huge division in fanbases and fuelled animosity on social media.
In a statement Scarlets CEO Simon Muderak was very direct with his language, saying: ‘The new deal with HOL puts the Scarlets in control of its own future as we act boldly to move forward with a partner that will add significant resources and ambition. Crucially, it enables a future where Scarlets will continue to play in Llanelli, retain Scarlets’ strong identity and represent the whole of west Wales with pride.’
In their statement, the Scarlets also said HOL will provide leadership in navigating legal, structural and competitive reform within Welsh rugby, adding that the deal comes at a ‘critical time’. The statement also contained multiple references to the Scarlets’ history and their contribution to West Wales both economically and culturally.