A Premiership Rugby Union team has held “serious discussions” with Reading FC about playing two home matches at the Select Car Leasing Stadium next season.
Bath will need to find an alternative venue for the final two home games of its 2026/27 Premiership campaign as redevelopment work gets under way at the Recreation Ground.
The club’s fixtures against Harlequins on the weekend of 15 May and Saracens on 5 June are due to be moved away from Bath’s historic home.
Speaking to BBC Radio Berkshire, Reading owner Couhig confirmed the Royals have discussed the possibility of hosting the matches at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
“We’ve had serious discussions with Bath,” he said.
However, the American businessman would not reveal how far the talks had progressed.
“The stadium is well equipped for it, they would be foolish to not try and pursue us,” Couhig said.
A Bath spokesperson said: “Discussions with a number of venues are still ongoing and we will confirm our alternative location in due course.”
If Bath reach the Premiership semi-finals and are given a home tie next June, that match would also have to be played away from the Recreation Ground.
The club’s owners are accelerating redevelopment plans at the Rec, with the aim of completing the project in time for the start of the 2028-29 Premiership season.
The Select Car Leasing Stadium, then known as the Madejski Stadium, has previously hosted regular top-level rugby.
It was the home of London Irish between 2000 and 2020, before the Exiles eventually left the ground.
Couhig believes the stadium is well suited to hosting Bath, particularly following a number of upgrades carried out during the summer.
Those works have included changes to the stands and the installation of a new pitch.
“This pitch is built in a way that it could handle that and recover very quickly [from rugby],” Couhig told BBC Radio Berkshire.
“Our football team is the first priority tenant and we would make sure it is handled the right way.”
Reading’s final scheduled home League One fixture of the 2026/27 season is against Sheffield Wednesday on 1 May.
However, the Royals could have an additional home fixture later in May if they reach the League One play-offs.
Any agreement with Bath would therefore need to take Reading’s own fixture schedule into account.
Couhig also said that hosting Bath could provide Reading FC with additional funds to invest in the playing squad.
“Let’s say we did something with Bath Rugby, then we’d be allowed additional money under the SCMP [salary cost management protocol] to spend on our football players,” he said.
The Reading owner added that any money generated from hosting the rugby fixtures would be reinvested into the football team.
Bath’s Recreation Ground redevelopment is being brought forward to allow construction work to begin sooner, with the club aiming to ensure the stadium is ready for the start of the 2028-29 campaign.
For now, Bath has not confirmed where the two Premiership fixtures will be played.
The Select Car Leasing Stadium is among the venues being discussed, with Reading confirming talks have taken place but no agreement has yet been announced.
