Ospreys boss responds to politicians' St Helen's concerns and admits 'surprise' at reaction

Wales Online

3 days ago

Ospreys boss responds to politicians' St Helen's concerns and admits 'surprise' at reaction
The Ospreys boss spoke out after west Wales politicians raised concerns over the redevelopment of St Helen's
Ospreys CEO Lance Bradley
(Image: L Churchouse)
Ospreys chief Lance Bradley admits the Welsh club were "quite surprised" by concerns raised by Carmarthenshire politicians over the redevelopment of St Helen's.
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Tuesday brought the positive news that the Swansea-based region had been granted planning permission for work to start at the famous old ground on the city's seafront. The Ospreys will be leaving their old home at the Swansea.com Stadium and forging a new future at St Helen's, with the hope of moving in by the end of the year.
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But on Wednesday Plaid Cymru MP Ann Davies, along with Member of the Senedd Cefin Campbell and Labour MP Nia Griffith, spoke of their concerns over the impact it could have on the game further west on rivals the Scarlets. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
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They have asked for the Welsh government to step in on the matter and call it in, while the Scarlets Supporters' Trust also raised their own objection.
Mr Campbell told Radio Wales: "What I'm asking is whether we need two stadiums within six or seven miles of each other when there is a good stadium in Llanelli already.
"I have no problem, if that's the way the Welsh Rugby Union want to go, to merge the Ospreys and the Scarlets and that's been mooted many times in the past and if that's the direction of travel then we would be more than happy to see first-class rugby played in Parc y Scarlets but my fear is by developing this new stadium in Swansea that Parc y Scarlets and rugby in Carmarthenshire and further west in Wales will become dormant."
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Bradley offered a confident response, dismissing the concerns raised by Mr Campbell and stressed the benefits that a made-over St Helen's would have not just for rugby but for the wider community in the city.
"I'm flattered that he should think that we should have such a huge impact on our friends in Llanelli," Bradley began.
"The fact is St Helen's isn't a new stadium, St Helen's is actually a very old stadium where Wales played their first international game, and we're very conscious of the fact that when we move there it's the redevelopment of an iconic ground, it isn't something new, and we will be fully respecting the heritage of the place and the history of the place to provide a top-class facility not just for the Ospreys but for Swansea RFC, Swansea University and a big part of the plans and something Swansea Council were very keen on is the community use as well.
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"So I can't see it will have an impact on Parc y Scarlets."
Bradley also dismissed suggestions that the Ospreys had been "tipped a wink" by the WRU amid the impending consultation process which could see the number of professional clubs in Wales cut, adding he was "a bit surprised" by the timing of the objections.
He said: "We haven't been tipped a wink at all. There is a process going on with the WRU that all the clubs are involved in and as far as I'm aware we've all had the same amount of information, the same opportunities to input what we think, so that's certainly not the case.
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"Were we surprised? Yes, we were a bit surprised because this isn't something that suddenly got announced yesterday, this is something we announced we were planning over a year ago.
"So it was slightly surprising that some of the MPs and Senedd members from Carmarthenshire should wait until now to raise a concern. But that's their right to do that if that's what they want to do."
Despite the reaction, Bradley maintained there were no second thoughts whatsoever over the move and that his focus was on the positivity he has seen from the club, supporters and wider community to the news.
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"Not at all because the reaction you are talking about is from three people from Carmarthenshire, our primary concern is Ospreys and the reaction from Ospreys fans and from our staff and players as well and Swansea Council and indeed from most of the Swansea public is overwhelmingly positive and that's what we are focusing on," he added.