The Ospreys

[Colin-swansea]

Can anybody tell me why the Ospreys can't apply to join the English rugby pyramid. If the Ospreys become the region to miss out why should the WRU try to block a move to England.

 

[Dillwyn the Dog]

Can anybody tell me why the Ospreys can't apply to join the English rugby pyramid. If the Ospreys become the region to miss out why should the WRU try to block a move to England.

They wouldn’t be able to. If they did the ospreys could launch a massive lawsuit against them for restraint of trade. They could probably sue them for that anyway as the WRU bailed out cardiff so therefore they have a conflict of interest. Ditto Newport were bailed out by the WRU. They were kept alive just so they the ospreys could be jettisoned. It stinks to high Heaven.

 

[jack_lord]

The pathways will still exist and there will be a professional club 8 miles down the road in what is, in travel terms, a Swansea suburb. Fans won't transfer loyalty, but prospective players will. They just want to play for Wales.

It's not as if anyone watches the Os. Crowds are minuscule, and half of those in Llanelli and Newport, and a third of those in Cardiff. Add in the fact all those have their stadiums, so there's not much going for a team named after a bird. The chance was missed after the 1990s breakaway season, when Swansea, Cardiff, Newport, llanelli and one other should have joined an Anglo Welsh. The WRU, as always, put a stop to that and ruined everything instead. Now there is no visible way out and we're probably heading for the Argentine model after death by 1000 cuts.

The structure's still not cut and dried though. Y11 aren't guaranteed to get Cardiff and Swans sellout Rob Davies (who always preferred rugby) is very quiet.

I understand your point although the attendance picture isn't quite that. Apart from the last couple of years the average attendance of the Blues and the Ospreys was quite similar and going back ten years the average was a couple more thousand in favour of the Ospreys. The Dragons have had an average crowd of about 5000 for the last ten years being the worst "supported" club. The Scarlets had a broadly similar stadium support to the Ospreys but in fairness to the supporters they have continued to turn up over the last few years.
I don't like the snapshot in time view the WRU are taking. The pathway may exist but I can guarantee that a fledgling prospect will get overlooked in favour of a local Llanelli product because the same would happen if they had the region in Swansea when choosing their players.

 

[jack_lord]

That said, If the Ospreys could play in the English set up then I would be far more eager to watch the games as the play at St Helens and closer to a lot of us West Swansea folk.

 

[Darran]

So if you say for arguments sake each club has a squad of 40 players for four clubs that’s 160 players the Welsh rugby team can choose from.
If you cut the clubs to three clubs who have squads of 40 players that’s 120 players the Welsh rugby team can choose from.

Makes sense to someone I suppose.
Thick peanut hugging twats.

 

[Darran]

That said, If the Ospreys could play in the English set up then I would be far more eager to watch the games as the play at St Helens and closer to a lot of us West Swansea folk.

Well yeah but the WRU pay their wages.

 

[monmouth]

I understand your point although the attendance picture isn't quite that. Apart from the last couple of years the average attendance of the Blues and the Ospreys was quite similar and going back ten years the average was a couple more thousand in favour of the Ospreys. The Dragons have had an average crowd of about 5000 for the last ten years being the worst "supported" club. The Scarlets had a broadly similar stadium support to the Ospreys but in fairness to the supporters they have continued to turn up over the last few years.
I don't like the snapshot in time view the WRU are taking. The pathway may exist but I can guarantee that a fledgling prospect will get overlooked in favour of a local Llanelli product because the same would happen if they had the region in Swansea when choosing their players.

Oh I agree with you. Plus it should be based on future projections assuming successful teams, and then a Swansea based team wins hands down. It's just we are where we are, and I'm stuck in the current reality, and the WRU wants to get to 3 (actually 2, but they shat out). I actually think if the WRU could have a blank sheet of paper, they would have one team in Cardiff and one in Swansea, but they would want total control of players coaching and everything rugby. If Ospreys had a stadium holding say 12000, I think they'd win out.

 

[jack_lord]

Oh I agree with you. Plus it should be based on future projections assuming successful teams, and then a Swansea based team wins hands down. It's just we are where we are, and I'm stuck in the current reality, and the WRU wants to get to 3 (actually 2, but they shat out). I actually think if the WRU could have a blank sheet of paper, they would have one team in Cardiff and one in Swansea, but they would want total control of players coaching and everything rugby. If Ospreys had a stadium holding say 12000, I think they'd win out.

If only there was another ground in Swansea

 

[J_B]

So if you say for arguments sake each club has a squad of 40 players for four clubs that’s 160 players the Welsh rugby team can choose from.
If you cut the clubs to three clubs who have squads of 40 players that’s 120 players the Welsh rugby team can choose from.

Makes sense to someone I suppose.
Thick peanut hugging twats.

The other 40 will be playing in England and France earning more money than they could in Wales.

 

[monmouth]

If only there was another ground in Swansea

I think that ship sailed.

 

[Frankie Burrows Cap]

So if you say for arguments sake each club has a squad of 40 players for four clubs that’s 160 players the Welsh rugby team can choose from.
If you cut the clubs to three clubs who have squads of 40 players that’s 120 players the Welsh rugby team can choose from.

Makes sense to someone I suppose.
Thick peanut hugging twats.

Tbf around half of those 160 are not good enough to be playing in the league they currently are, let alone international level.

Condensing the player pool and centrally contracting, whilst allowing those who want to play in the French or English league, is actually one of the better ideas the WRU have had (albeit probably 20years to late!)

 

[Frankie Burrows Cap]

If I had a couple of quid and actually enjoyed rugby, I would be tempted to take the Ospreys across the border and compete in the English competition or at least look in to the possibility of doing so rather than just fold as a club.

Cracking new stadium sold out every other week.

Do we think the stadium redevelopment will actually take place now? Obviously some modernisation is needed but surely there’s no reason Swansea RFC & CC couldn’t work together to keep it multi purpose?

The idea that short/medium term that crowds in the semi-pro league in Wales (or the Championship in England) would attract more than a few thousand is fanciful at best IMO.

 

[monmouth]

Do we think the stadium redevelopment will actually take place now? Obviously some modernisation is needed but surely there’s no reason Swansea RFC & CC couldn’t work together to keep it multi purpose?

The idea that short/medium term that crowds in the semi-pro league in Wales (or the Championship in England) would attract more than a few thousand is fanciful at best IMO.

I think new St Helens phase 1 was contingent on WRU confirmation that the Os had a long term future. Such a shame if it can't happen.

 

[Smurph]

Do we think the stadium redevelopment will actually take place now? Obviously some modernisation is needed but surely there’s no reason Swansea RFC & CC couldn’t work together to keep it multi purpose?

The idea that short/medium term that crowds in the semi-pro league in Wales (or the Championship in England) would attract more than a few thousand is fanciful at best IMO.

Can't see it going ahead if they scrap the Ospreys.

In terms of crowds watching the Ospreys in the English league, I think people will be surprised the support people would put behind them if they stadium did go ahead.

I'd watch them travel up the English leagues in a redeveloped stadium.

 

[MajorR]

Sod Welsh rugby. The WRU have already alienated so many rugby supporters in the valleys and North Wales and are now alienating those in Neath/Swansea area while retaining the failed Dragons and the insolvent Cardiff.
The sport is dying in this country and I have no interest now in following any of the remaining regions or the international team even though I am a passionate Welshman

It’s not just Neath and Swansea, it’s Aberavon, Maesteg and Bridgend - they are all in the Ospreys region and all have ties to the O’s.