Ospreys vow to fight WRU plans that could see team axed
Mark Mansfield
The Ospreys have vowed to fight plans that could see the team axed, insisting the Welsh Rugby Union is wrong to cut the number of Welsh professional teams from four to three.
The club says four sustainable professional sides remain the best foundation for Welsh rugby and has acknowledged it is now in direct competition with the Scarlets for the sole west Wales licence.
The WRU announced last month that it intends to reduce the number of professional men’s teams from four to three by 2028, with Cardiff and the Dragons set to receive two of the licences.
That leaves the Ospreys and Scarlets facing uncertainty over the remaining west Wales licence.
The Ospreys have now set out their opposition to the plan as they prepare for their first season at their new long-term home at St Helen’s in Swansea.
A spokesperson for the Ospreys board said: “Welsh rugby needs reform and change, the Ospreys have never disputed that. What we dispute is the destination.
“The WRU’s proposed move to three professional men’s teams would leave West Wales, one of the most passionate rugby regions in the game, represented by a single side.
“The Ospreys do not accept that outcome as inevitable, or as the right one.
“Four sustainable professional clubs, built on the communities, pathways and history they represent, remain the stronger foundation for the Welsh game, and the Ospreys will keep making that case.
“The Ospreys and Scarlets are, for now, in direct competition for the West Wales regional licence. We’re not going to pretend otherwise.
“Our answer to that competition is straightforward: invest, build, compete, win. St Helen’s, our squad, our commercial growth and, ultimately, our results will make the case for us.
“This is the beginning of a new chapter for the Ospreys.”
The WRU has said the process to establish the framework for deciding which club receives the west Wales licence will begin in December, with a decision expected before the end of the 2026-27 season.
Scarlets managing director Jon Daniels has previously ruled out a merger between the two clubs and called for greater transparency from the WRU over the process.
St Helen’s
The Ospreys’ intervention comes as work continues on the redevelopment of St Helen’s ahead of their move to the ground for the coming URC season.
The project is backed by £5.1 million from Swansea Council and a further £2.5 million from Ospreys owners Y11 Sports & Media.
Foundations for a new 3G playing surface have been laid, while the phased redevelopment is also due to include a new South Stand, a revamped West Stand and terrace, a fan zone and new hospitality facilities.
The club’s first United Rugby Championship fixture at St Helen’s is scheduled to be against the Dragons on October 24.
Ospreys director Roger Blyth said: “There is real momentum around the club. St Helen’s is taking shape, supporters have backed us in significant numbers, we have strengthened the playing squad and there is growing confidence across the business.
“The last year has tested everyone connected with the Ospreys, but the response from our supporters, players, staff and partners has been exceptional and galvanised the organisation, establishing stronger foundations for our future.
“There is still a great deal of work ahead, but we are excited about where the Ospreys are going and determined to build a successful and sustainable future.”
New signings
The club has also strengthened its squad ahead of the new campaign, despite the uncertainty surrounding its longer-term future.
Former Wallabies captain Liam Wright is joining from Queensland Reds, while Australia international centre Lalakai Foketi and versatile back Lawson Creighton have also been recruited.
Welsh back Dan John has returned to Wales from Exeter Chiefs, while Wales fly-half Dan Edwards is among the existing players retained.
Head coach Mark Jones said: “We are extremely positive about the direction of the rugby programme.
“The players and coaches showed tremendous resilience last season, and we believe the additions we have made to the squad give us a really strong platform to build from.
“There is a good balance within the group between experience and exciting young talent, and our focus now is on making sure we get the best out of that.
“We want to compete, we want to keep developing players and we want to give our supporters a team that represents this region with pride.”
Season membership sales for the club’s first campaign at St Helen’s have exceeded last season’s total and the Ospreys’ initial expectations, while the club says sponsorship income has also increased, despite uncertainty about the region’s future.
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Having spent years in French and English club administration, the structural problem here is one I’d flag before taking either side of the Ospreys-Scarlets question: the WRU has created an eighteen-month audition in which the two clubs’ rational strategies are now bad for Welsh rugby. Every pound both spend between now and the decision is spent competing against each other for a licence rather than developing players for Wales, and the one option that might genuinely serve west Wales, honest cooperation on pathways and academies across the region, is the single move the process punishes. Jon Daniels asking for transparency… Read more »
I supported the All Whites when Roger Blyth was playing, at St.Helens. – Great club stalwart and great club. Not ‘region’. Obvious that the whole of Swansea is backing the Ospreys. They are digging in for the long term. With the WRU its only a matter of time, and a short time too. The present management need to be replaced and then build from the base. Domeinhorn – can you persuade a few more movers and shakers in Welsh rugby?