The Ospreys Supporters Club are extremely disappointed, though not surprised, by the outcome of last night’s WRU EGM, where it was confirmed that plans remain in place to remove one of the elite professional teams in West Wales.

Despite recent leadership changes, the WRU’s position remains unchanged. This only reinforces our view that those making these decisions are increasingly out of touch with the very people who sustain Welsh rugby – community clubs, supporters, and local representatives.

The current situation Welsh rugby finds itself in is not accidental; it is the result of years of chronic mismanagement and neglect at the top of the game. Attempting to remove a professional side in order to correct those failings is unacceptable and risks causing lasting damage to the sport in one of its strongest heartlands.

This approach further exposes a deeply fractured relationship between the WRU and the wider rugby community. One characterised by a lack of trust, poor transparency, and decisions imposed rather than earned. It reinforces the sense that the same top-down, heavy-handed culture remains firmly in place.

We stand firmly behind the need for four competitive professional teams and call on the WRU to urgently reconsider its position, rebuild trust through genuine engagement, and work collaboratively with stakeholders before further damage is done to Welsh rugby.

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After the meeting, further questions were submitted by the OSC to the WRU and we are waiting on a reply.

Also after the meeting regarding “4. Consultation document: Financial evidence and data quality”, the OSC provided the following specific examples to illustrate concerns raised during the consultation session with Dave Reddin.

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Three of Welsh rugby supporters’ clubs have backed the launch of a petition calling time on the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU)’s proposed restructuring of the professional game, including plans to reduce the number of men’s elite teams from four to three.

The petition backed by OSC, CF10 and DOSC comes amid a fierce and widespread backlash to suspicions that Ospreys could be axed as a professional team. Criticism of the WRU’s plan has come from supporters, players and even political leaders.

The supporters groups warn that the proposal risks long-term damage to Welsh rugby and could undermine the very outcomes the WRU says it wants to achieve. They are urging the WRU to pause the current process and adopt a more collaborative approach, giving greater weight to the views of supporters, communities, the four professional teams, and former players.

In a joint statement, the supporters said: “We are passionate supporters of Welsh rugby and deeply concerned about the direction being proposed. Reducing the number of elite teams from four to three would have serious consequences for our national sport and the communities that sustain it.

“We do not believe these proposals will deliver the stability or success the WRU hopes for. Welsh rugby only has one chance to get this right, and rushing through such a fundamental change without proper consensus risks lasting harm.”

The petition calls on the WRU to stop the current proposals and allow more time for meaningful engagement with all stakeholders, arguing that the future sustainability of Welsh rugby depends on bringing fans and communities with them.

“Welsh rugby belongs to its communities as much as its administrators,” the statement continues. “We are asking the WRU to listen, to reflect, and to work with supporters to build a model that secures the future of the game for generations to come.”

The petition is now open and supporters across Wales are being encouraged to add their names and make their voices heard.

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The WRU have today published their decision on the future of elite rugby in Wales following the month-long consultation where the OSC engaged positively throughout the whole process.

We are extremely disappointed with the outcome which will mean one less professional club in west Wales whilst two remain in south-east Wales, resulting in uncertainty for staff, supporters and players alike.

Top level rugby has been played in the Ospreys region for 154 years and with a population size in excess of 500,000, the thought of no professional rugby being played in this area is unthinkable.  Ospreys are Wales’ most successful and decorated professional team with four league titles and one Anglo-Welsh trophy, not to mention the 1,648 Welsh caps won by Ospreys players since the inception of the region in 2003 – contributing more international caps than any other professional team in Wales.  In addition, Ospreys have had 22 British and Irish Lions tourists – more than any other professional team in Wales.  This success has resulted in Ospreys being a world recognised and respected rugby brand.

Off the field, Ospreys have a fantastic and award winning community programme and the plans laid out for St Helen’s for further engagement and collaborative working with Swansea University, the Local Authority, community clubs and the local community as a whole, mean an exciting outlook for rugby and sport in the Ospreys region.  To ignore these facts when choosing where professional rugby should be played would be inexcusable and unforgiveable.

We appreciate supporters’ frustration with the  constant uncertainty, but we would encourage supporters to continue to come together off the field to show strength and unity to ensure that professional rugby is kept in the Ospreys region for future generations and for many years to come.

The Ospreys are the only Welsh team to provide players to every British & Irish Lions tour since the creation of regional rugby in in 2003.  The Ospreys have been represented a total of 22 times in the touring party (if a player has appeared on three tours, he’s counted three times). 

The Ospreys club has been represented in the senior Welsh national team by its players 1648 times since 2003, significantly more often than any other Welsh club.  

70 different players have represented Wales whilst at the Ospreys, only topped by Cardiff with 72.  However, with two new call ups into the Autumn International squad in Morgan Morse and James Fender, that could soon change.

The Ospreys are by far the most successful Welsh region in the various versions of the league competition, with four titles in the Celtic League and Pro12 era.

Through strong league performances, the Ospreys have qualified for the top level European Champions Cup competition 17 times.

The Ospreys reached more Anglo-Welsh Cup finals than any other team, avenging their narrow loss in 2007 with a win over the Leicester Tigers the following year.

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Following the closure of the consultation period, we have received this letter from the WRU:

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Our new OSC badges have arrived!

The 2025-26 badges mirror the brighter colours what we’ve seen in the Ospreys shirts for the past few seasons.

All profits from badge sales go to the Ospreys Supporters Club chosen rugby related charity.

You can purchase your badge from us on matchday at the Riverside Tavern and will soon be available from our online shop by clicking on the link below.

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As part of the WRU’s consultation process the Ospreys and the OSC will be engaging with supporters to find out your views before the OSC have a consultation session with the WRU week commencing 8th September.  This is in addition to the survey that the WRU will start on 1st September.

Click on the graphic below to have your say!

Click here to see our statement on the WRU’s consolation announcement

In advance of the WRU supplying consultation documentation directly to the OSC (which we will share here), we’ve found a copy of the pre-release consultation pack from the WRU:

The WRU have a FAQ document:  Click here to see the latest version.

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