OSPREYS HAVE CONFIRMED that they will play their home games at a redeveloped St Helen’s sports ground from the 2025/26 season, a decision which will keep the Welsh outfit in their current home city of Swansea.
Ospreys announced back in January that they would depart the 20,000-capacity Swansea.com Stadium — home of Swansea Football Club — and move into a smaller ground, with The Gnoll in Neath and Bridgend’s Brewery Field among the facilities initially considered for the relocation.
However, the region confirmed today that they will remain in Swansea and redevelop St Helen’s, the ground at which Wales played their first ever international rugby match in 1882.
Ospreys will collaborate with the City and County of Swansea Council to refurbish the storied venue, with their multi-million-pound plans for the site including the construction of new stands, the installation of a 4G pitch, and the creation of a new fan-zone area.
Lance Bradley, CEO of Ospreys, said: “Moving to a ground we can call our own home will be transformational for everyone involved with the club – including players, staff, supporters and sponsors.
“Our investment demonstrates our confidence not only in the plans we have both on and off the pitch, but also our confidence in the future of Welsh rugby and the plans being developed by the Welsh Rugby Union.”
Ospreys will continue to play at Swansea.com Stadium during the upcoming season before moving to their new ground next year.
So the Ospreys are finally going home. The O’s have always been a Swansea team, and Swansea rugby has always been St Helens…
@Sea Point: Ospreys have been the only proper region, rather than superclub. Durning their hayday if the gladiatos and qinning celtic leagues, the Ospreys shirt was the best selling shirt in the UK, the fans were refered to them as the one true region, and called it Osprellia. Ospreys are bigger than Swansea RFC ever was.
@Kingshu: No, really? They were still always a Swansea team despite the Neath involvement in their origin and the token black gear (Swansea being the “All Whites”). And in their heyday when the always packed out St Helens, Swansea were bigger than Ospreys more consistently. Bridgend were a totally separate entity (Celtic Warriors) at the beginning of the URC, so playing the odd game there was never going to win their fans over . :-D
@Kingshu: the Ospreylia reference was for Wales not the Ospreys, when the Welsh picked 13 Ospreys to start a six nations match. One of Gatlands first selections.
There’s a lot of local rivalry in Welsh rugby. i was at a game between Munster and Ospreys in Neath about 20 years ago and met some Ospreys supporters from Neath who said they would never go to Swansea to support the team.