Photo Credit: Instagram Photo of @vancityreynolds
Glamorgan confirmed on Monday that Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney were approached about expanding their sports investment from football to cricket by acquiring a stake in Welsh Fire, a team in the Hundred competition.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has granted a 51% stake in each Hundred team to host venues and is now seeking buyers for the remaining 49%.
The Hundred has sparked debate, as it differs from other English cricket competitions by featuring eight city-based teams instead of the traditional 18 first-class counties. Each team has both men’s and women’s squads, with Welsh Fire based at Glamorgan’s Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.
Reynolds and McElhenney became co-owners of Wrexham AFC in 2020, another Welsh team competing in English leagues. Their ownership was documented in the Disney+ series *Welcome to Wrexham*, with the club now leading in League One, the third tier of English football.
Tentative inquiries have been made to gauge the duo’s interest in Welsh Fire, considered one of the less commercially appealing teams in the Hundred, especially compared to the more sought-after London-based teams at Lord’s and the Oval.
“It is a feasible option,” Glamorgan chief executive Dan Cherry said.
“Contact’s been made. There’s not been anything substantial come back yet, but we’re in the process and I know that they’ll certainly be included in any process that we’ve got going forward.
“All bids and offers that are going to come in are going to be interesting to us.”
Cherry, a 44-year-old ex-Glamorgan batsman, added:“There’s obvious interest in what Ryan Reynolds and the guys have done at Wrexham, which has been fantastic for football in North Wales.
“That doesn’t necessarily mean to say that it’ll be the right option for us, but if they’re interested in talking to us, obviously it’s an exciting proposition.
“We want to make the right decision for the club and the game. We want to find the right partner, the right investor that’s going to improve what we do and support us along the journey — not take over.
“We’re looking for a true partner that can add value — not looking to lose control and sell our soul, as some people would have it.”
In July, the ECB confirmed that they had engaged in discussions with Indian Premier League (IPL) owners regarding the acquisition of stakes in the Hundred.
The IPL, a financially dominant T20 league fueled by cricket’s immense popularity in India, the world’s most populous nation, has transformed the global cricket landscape. Players can now pursue lucrative careers without relying solely on the traditional five-day international Test matches.
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