EditorOSPREYS: Fans close in on 10,000-name petition target as WRU told it has “lost the argument”
The petition stood at 8,980 names as of this morning. Supporters say that already outstrips the 7,000 responses the WRU said it was pleased with after its own consultation exercise — the process that led directly to the announcement of the three-region plan.
Ospreys Supporters’ Club chair Sarah Collins-Davies said: “The WRU lauded the fact it was really happy with the 7,000 responses it had to the consultation process. We have had more people sign our petition than those who took part in their survey. And this has only been over a short period.”
She added: “The WRU is trying to control the narrative. But people can see through it. We are delighted with the response we have had so far from other clubs and countries. They can all understand the plight we are facing.”
The petition has drawn responses from across Wales and beyond, with fans setting out in stark terms what losing the Ospreys would mean.
Adrian, from the Swansea area, wrote: “Players and supporters from areas including Gower, Swansea, Swansea Valley, Neath, Port Talbot, Afan Valley, Bridgend and Ogwr will all be impacted by removing the Ospreys. Rugby will slowly die in the region.”
Gerry warned simply: “Once they’re gone they will be GONE.” Jonathan added: “Moving from four top teams to three will not address the decline in support for Welsh rugby — it is a short-sighted decision.” Support has also come from France, with several French-language signatories expressing solidarity with the campaign.
The WRU’s plan would see the four regions replaced by three — one in the east, one in the capital and one in the west. The Ospreys, the most successful Welsh region in the professional era with four league titles to their name, are widely feared to be the side facing the axe.
The crisis has unfolded at pace over recent months. Swansea Council launched High Court action to block Ospreys owners Y11 Sports & Media from taking over Cardiff Rugby, who went into administration last year. Welsh rugby clubs forced an extraordinary general meeting — still due at Principality Stadium on April 13 — after which chair Richard Collier-Keywood announced he would step down in July, with a vote of no confidence against him subsequently withdrawn.
Former Ospreys players including Shane Williams, Ryan Jones and Alun Wyn Jones signed an open letter calling for the proposals to be halted. Swansea West MP Torsten Bell and Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart have also spoken out against the plan.
The Senedd delivered its own verdict. Delyth Jewell MS, chair of the Welsh Government’s sport and culture committee, wrote to Collier-Keywood saying the WRU risked “losing the soul” of Welsh rugby and had “lost the argument over the future of the professional game.”
Despite the pressure, WRU chief executive Abi Tierney has insisted there will be no U-turn.
Meanwhile, Swansea Council and the Ospreys have sealed a landmark deal at St Helen’s — including a new 4G pitch and modernised stands — with work set to start soon. The Ospreys are expected to be playing home matches at the famous old ground by the autumn.
The petition can be signed at change.org.
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