The Ospreys

[Neath_Jack]

The same could have been said when we almost went out of business. Twice.

The people of Swansea rallied round for us and should do the same for the Ospreys.

Absolutely could have been said, doesn’t change my opinion though.

Use it or lose it.

 

[magicdaps10]

The same could have been said when we almost went out of business. Twice.

The people of Swansea rallied round for us and should do the same for the Ospreys.

This is where they need to stand up and be counted now.I do believe that people though are different now to what we saw in the early 2000s and 80s when it came to our existence. I don't think people have the fight in them these days.

Could you imagine if this was happening to one of the clubs pre region day?
Llanelli
Neath
Pontypridd

I suppose when it comes to the regions and what's happening to the Ospreys, you can't go far from the old saying
Divide and conquer.

 

[monmouth]

What i don't understand what has Y11 done for the Ospreys since acquiring 75/% in 2020 there appears little investment .
Now they are the preferred bidder for
Cardiff Rugby .
Why didn't they buy Cardiff Rugby ?

They've tried. And to merge with the scarlets and Ealing. They've been trying to get out for ages. Ospreys has been just chucking money into a pit for them. They obviously believe Cardiff offers more opportunity, and to be fair, in rugby, it probably does.

It's not like when we (SCFC) were going down the tubes. The FA (nor FAW) wasn't trying to actively put us out of business for their own purposes. The Ospreys have been given proper contractual notice ending in 2027. If their owners decline to bid for the single licence available in the west (and, of course they won't; WRU made sure of that by awarding them cardiff) then there's nowhere left to turn. The WRU's view will be that it's not killing rugby in Swansea at all. It's killing current support of 4000 people but the pathways for youngsters that want to play, will still be available 10 miles down the road, or 30 miles east. Swansea will simply become part of the western region...presumably the Scarlets.

I know...I think it's a pile of old pony too, but there it is, that'll be the rationale. It's interesting to see what the council might do, but I think it's just trying to gain political capital in 'we tried our best'. I'm no competition law expert but they look pretty much powerless to me, even though it stinks.

 

[monmouth]

Oh, and to add insult to injury, the WRU have suggested Ospreys will be merged with Swansea RFC in the semi pro welsh league, thus consigning the first welsh club to beat the all blacks to the dustbin of history too.

 

[Niigata Jack]

What i don't understand what has Y11 done for the Ospreys since acquiring 75/% in 2020 there appears little investment .
Now they are the preferred bidder for
Cardiff Rugby .
Why didn't they buy Cardiff Rugby ?

They moved the O's out of the Liberty and we all know why now, because the Ospreys haven't got a home now, Y11 are a bunch of sneaky back stabbing underhanded Wankers.
Buying Cardiff was always their goal, I'm sure I remember someone trying to buy Cardiff off Peter the pies Thomas at one point, I wonder if its the same lot in different clothes.

 

[Niigata Jack]

They've tried. And to merge with the scarlets and Ealing. They've been trying to get out for ages. Ospreys has been just chucking money into a pit for them. They obviously believe Cardiff offers more opportunity, and to be fair, in rugby, it probably does.

It's not like when we (SCFC) were going down the tubes. The FA (nor FAW) wasn't trying to actively put us out of business for their own purposes. The Ospreys have been given proper contractual notice ending in 2027. If their owners decline to bid for the single licence available in the west (and, of course they won't; WRU made sure of that by awarding them cardiff) then there's nowhere left to turn. The WRU's view will be that it's not killing rugby in Swansea at all. It's killing current support of 4000 people but the pathways for youngsters that want to play, will still be available 10 miles down the road, or 30 miles east. Swansea will simply become part of the western region...presumably the Scarlets.

I know...I think it's a pile of old pony too, but there it is, that'll be the rationale. It's interesting to see what the council might do, but I think it's just trying to gain political capital in 'we tried our best'. I'm no competition law expert but they look pretty much powerless to me, even though it stinks.

No way will Swansea Rugby fans turn and support Scarlets, neither will Neath either.

 

[monmouth]

No way will Swansea Rugby fans turn and support Scarlets, neither will Neath either.

No that's what I said, but there's only 4000 of them. It was never going to increase crowds whichever way they jumped. Only winning will do that. Players wanting to play pro rugby absolutely will travel 10 miles, as they always have in both directions. Not least Jac Morgan..

 

[Niigata Jack]

The same could have been said when we almost went out of business. Twice.

The people of Swansea rallied round for us and should do the same for the Ospreys.

Would make no difference when the controlling board WRU wants them out. I fing hope it all collapses around their feet and the WRU booted out and booted back over the Bridge

 

[Londonlisa2001]

No that's what I said, but there's only 4000 of them. It was never going to increase crowds whichever way they jumped. Only winning will do that. Players wanting to play pro rugby absolutely will travel 10 miles, as they always have in both directions. Not least Jac Morgan..

It’s not only 4000 though.

Don’t forget that the record attendances at the Liberty until we went to the premier league were all Ospreys matches. Over 20,000 on a number of occasions.

It’s like saying there were only 2000 Swans fans that would have cared if we went under when we were at our lowest.

To be honest, the issue with it all is largely around the owners. They won’t take action as they not only don’t care but want it to happen. So the only people that can take action are other local people or the council or other public figures.

The absolute best thing that could happen is the Ospreys playing in the English league and pissing all over the remaining Welsh clubs re attendances and success. The second best thing will be a legal challenge. But God knows who will do that.

Swans owners should buy them, move them back to the stadium, creating a Swansea Football and Rugby club, put them in the English league again and piss all over the rest.

 

[Londonlisa2001]

Would make no difference when the controlling board WRU wants them out. I fing hope it all collapses around their feet and the WRU booted out and booted back over the Bridge

I hope the whole WRU collapses in a giant heap.

 

[Niigata Jack]

No that's what I said, but there's only 4000 of them. It was never going to increase crowds whichever way they jumped. Only winning will do that. Players wanting to play pro rugby absolutely will travel 10 miles, as they always have in both directions. Not least Jac Morgan..

Agh right, yes players will indeed move down there, that has always happened both ways, its understandable if the rewards are better.

 

[monmouth]

It’s not only 4000 though.

Don’t forget that the record attendances at the Liberty until we went to the premier league were all Ospreys matches. Over 20,000 on a number of occasions.

It’s like saying there were only 2000 Swans fans that would have cared if we went under when we were at our lowest.

To be honest, the issue with it all is largely around the owners. They won’t take action as they not only don’t care but want it to happen. So the only people that can take action are other local people or the council or other public figures.

The absolute best thing that could happen is the Ospreys playing in the English league and pissing all over the remaining Welsh clubs re attendances and success. The second best thing will be a legal challenge. But God knows who will do that.

Swans owners should buy them, move them back to the stadium, creating a Swansea Football and Rugby club, put them in the English league again and piss all over the rest.

The 20,000 happened 3 or 4 times when the team was successful and packed with star players, but I take your point. I think St Helens would have maybe doubled that 4000, we'll never know. The WRU can't afford 4 so this is their easiest route to 3 and they would argue if any of the remainder were successful their crowds would also increase, and they are currently all around double the Ospreys crowds.

I would love your 'Swansea' scenario, as I've never taken to 'Ospreys', but the WRU and the RFU (and possibly World Rugby) would have to agree and approve*, plus the cost of a 'P' share to join the English Prem is something like £15m as I understand it. Playing budgets would need to be a minimum of £12m/pa to even compete never mind succeed and all in a sport that is in serious decline other than in France. The die was cast in the late 90s after the breakaway season when Griffiths turned down 5 places in a Anglo-Welsh league and demanded 8, and the horrendous greed and incompetence in handling post 1995 professionalism by every single iteration of the WRU. The real villains, that are still at it.

*Surely the WRU would have to agree under restraint of trade as they are otherwise preventing existence, but it's a pipe dream really. It would be rather delicious though.

 

[Neath_Jack]

ITV should have all future rugby games removed from their broadcasts. That in game advert was shite.

They just can’t do sporting events, awful.