Rugby supporters toast ‘start of a new chapter’ at revamped home

Richard Youle, Local Democracy Reporter

Rugby supporters are celebrating the “start of a new chapter” as their club prepares to return to its revamped seafront ground after more than two decades.

The Ospreys have been granted a premises licence for St Helen’s, allowing alcohol to be sold until 1am in parts of the ground, while the concourse, pitch and bowl areas will have an 11pm limit followed by 30 minutes’ drinking-up time.

It has been granted by a council licensing-subcommittee following a hearing last week after which members retired to consider their decision.

St Helen’s is undergoing a major overhaul in a project involving the council – its owner – and the Ospreys to prepare for professional and community rugby on a new all-weather pitch.

Stands are being erected, a new event marquee on the Mumbles Road side of the ground is up, and the pitch has been laid. A new fan zone is also being created.

The new licence replaces one which had been in place at the rugby and former cricket venue.

The Ospreys Supporters’ Club said it was extremely excited about “the start of a new chapter” at St Helen’s, adding: “We’ve been keeping tabs on progress over the summer and the excitement has really ramped up over the last few weeks when we’ve seen the redevelopment take shape.

“We are hoping that St Helen’s will become a proper fortress for the Ospreys but also a fantastic community hub for local rugby clubs and organisations. It’s going to be a great facility for the city of Swansea and the wider region.”

The Ospreys’ first home match in the United Rugby Championship is at 7pm on October 24 against the Dragons followed by a 7.45pm kick-off the following Saturday against visiting Cardiff. Hospitality and post-match awards will take place at the event marquee.

Cllr Sandra Joy, whose Uplands ward includes St Helen’s, said she could sense excitement building and that she’d spoken to people who’d travelled to the ground to watch the refurbishment work.

“Many have a strong history, or connection to this ground – someone whose father played here, another who scattered the ashes of her ‘obsessed’ brother here, and an ex-groundsman who explained to me exactly how the ground should be laid,” she said.

Fellow Uplands councillor Allan Jeffery said many residents were excited at the prospect of first-class rugby on the doorstep as well as having a new community asset which will be used by the likes of Swansea RFC, Swansea University, and Gower College Swansea.

“I have yet to meet with any of my neighbours who have expressed opposition to preserving the long-term history of such an iconic place,” he said.

Cllr Peter May, who represents Uplands, said the Ospreys’ licence application was well-thought-out, the meeting very thorough, and that the conditions imposed “more than adequately” protected local residents. “People are really encouraged that we have got the guarantee going forward of sporting facilities,” he said.

St Helen’s has hosted rugby and cricket internationals and is where Swansea rugby club claimed the scalps of visiting Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand. The newly-created Neath-Swansea Ospreys played there for a couple of seasons before moving to the Liberty Stadium, Landore, in 2005.

The Ospreys left the stadium in 2025 and played last season’s home matches in Bridgend.

Gower College Swansea will open the curtain at St Helen’s when it hosts Cardiff and Vale College at 2.30pm on October 7 followed by a Swansea University match against Bath University at 6.30pm. Swansea RFC plays Ebbw Vale at 2.30pm on October 10.

Speaking last month Ospreys managing director Richard Lancaster said it was exciting to set out the programme of games as part of a phased opening of St Helen’s.

Uncertainty remains in the background though as one of the Ospreys or Scarlets would have to make way, unless they merged, as part of Welsh Rugby Union plans to reduce the number of professional sides from four to three by 2028.

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