Valiant Valkyries show off their skills with Wales stars
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Wales Online
2 hours ago
- Wales Online
Unanimous backing for Ospreys redevelopment of St Helen's sports ground given by councillors
Unanimous backing for Ospreys redevelopment of St Helen's sports ground given by councillors It's a key moment for the regional rugby side and chief executive Lance Bradley pledges to respect the ground's history St Helen's Rugby and Cricket Ground, viewed from the Mumbles Road end (Image: Wales Online ) Plans by regional rugby club the Ospreys to redevelop Swansea's historic St Helen's sports ground have been unanimously approved. Ospreys chief executive Lance Bradley addressed the council's planning committee to say the redevelopment was really important for the club's future and also for that of Swansea RFC and Swansea University, which will continue to play matches there. Mr Bradley said the aim was for schools and age-grade representative rugby to also benefit as part of a rugby 'hub' at the seaside venue. 'It's an incredibly iconic ground,' he said. 'We will completely respect the history of the place.' Mr Bradley referred to 'uncertain times' in Welsh rugby and said the opportunity to redevelop St Helen's would be a a significant factor in ensuring the future of professional rugby in Swansea. The plan is to refurbish and cover the existing north stand, which will remain standing-only, re-orientate the pitch in a north-easterly direction towards the clubhouse and replace the current turf with a 3G surface, build a new southern stand and add two stands at either end of the pitch. The club's preferred option for the southern stand is a two-storey rather than a single-storey structure incorporating changing rooms, a medical room, toilets and corporate hospitality. A report before the committee said the club couldn't unequivocally confirm the two-storey option at this stage. It added that the capacity of the ground would be between 8,044 and 8,396. Never miss a Swansea story by signing up to our newsletter here Ospreys chief executive Lance Bradley outside the Guildhall, Swansea, after approval was given for the redevelopment of St Helen's sports ground (Image: Richard Youle ) Uplands ward councillor Peter May addressed the committee to say he'd lived close to St Helen's Rugby and Cricket Ground, which opened in 1873, for 29 years and that he backed the project. He said the Ospreys had had 'a dialogue not monologue' with local councillors and residents and that in his view the scale of the proposed venue was 'about right' for the area. Cllr May said he would, though, want buses available to take spectators away from the ground if there were evening midweek or late weekend matches. He acknowledged that Swansea Cricket Club would have to vacate the ground it has occupied for 150 years but this was partly due, in his view, to Glamorgan Cricket Club's decision not to play fixtures there since 2019 because of concerns about the facilities. 'I really look forward to the evolution and the next chapter in our dear St Helen's ground,' said Cllr May. The Ospreys will also create a fans' zone with a retractable roof at the Gorse Lane end of the ground, a staff car park with around 100 spaces to be accessed via Gorse Lane, a new southern entrance for spectators, and bicycle stands for 80 bikes. Replacement floodlights will also be installed. The southern stand at St Helen's, which will be replaced (Image: Richard Youle ) The Ospreys also intend to build a training barn at the Gorse Lane-Mumbles Road corner of the ground, and the permission given by the committee included outline consent for this second phase of the scheme. Although the rugby club was the applicant, the committee report said the initiative was a joint venture with the council and Swansea University and formed part of a wider city deal project to create a sports and medical technology cluster in the vicinity. The council, which owns the ground, is to invest in the redevelopment as part of a long-term agreement with the Ospreys. Council budget papers have shown £5.1 million allocated to the project, with just over £1 million on top to create a suitable venue for the cricket club off Sketty Lane, Sketty. The cricket club will move out at the end of August, and the Ospreys aim to play their first home match at St Helen's in December. It would be their first match there since 2005 when they moved to what was then the new Liberty Stadium, Landore, where Swansea City Football Club also play. Members of the committee backed the plans while seeking assurances about travel and road measures on match days. Cllr Phil Downing said the project was important for the county, not just the city. 'Being a total football fan, this is still very exciting for me,' he said. A planning officer said a travel plan submitted by the Ospreys, which includes buses on match days offering a park and ride service, was an evolving document rather than something fixed from day one. Referring to the 8,000-odd capacity, the officer said: 'I can remember going to games here which far exceeded that number.' The future of the current structure of four professional regional rugby sides in Wales continues to be the subject of discussion, with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) saying a consultation about a restructure would take place this month and next. One potential development, it said, was whether there should be a reduction to three or two regional teams. The planning committee heard there were four letters of objection plus two late ones – one of which was from the Scarlets Supports Trust. A mural at St Helen's commemorating Swansea RFC vistories against New Zealand, South Africa and Australia (Image: Richard Youle ) Mr Bradley has recently said he was confident of a positive outcome regarding the WRU discussions. In a statement issued by the club after the approval decision, he said: 'This is an incredibly exciting moment and a vital step in building the future of the Ospreys and rugby across our region.' Cllr Rob Stewart, the leader of Swansea Council, said: 'It's vitally important for sport and the local economy that the Ospreys continue to be based in Swansea and we're working together to make that happen. 'We've agreed a lease for them to make St Helen's their new home and to widen its community use. By having a lease agreed and planning permission in place the Ospreys can start moving ahead with their plans to remain in Swansea and transform the historic St Helen's ground into a modern sports facility.' He added: "We know the uncertainty over the future of the regions has raised concerns about the timing of the planned redevelopment of St Helen's. That's why we're working closely with the Ospreys and have an agreement with them to ensure the works at St Helen's progress in line with any WRU decisions on the future structure of the regions." Article continues below
Wales Online
4 hours ago
- Wales Online
Tonight's rugby news as 'superhuman' Lions star faces surgery and teammate 'terrorised' by Wallabies giant
Tonight's rugby news as 'superhuman' Lions star faces surgery and teammate 'terrorised' by Wallabies giant The latest headlines from Wales and around the world James Ryan of the British and Irish Lions clashes with Will Skelton of the Wallabies (Image:) These are your evening rugby headlines on Tuesday, August 5. Lions star faces surgery British & Irish Lions star Tom Curry is set to go under the knife on a wrist ligament injury, having put off surgery until after the tour of Australia. The England flanker was one of the standout performers in Andy Farrell's squad Down Under, with the head coach describing him as a "machine" as he capped stunning performances in the opening two Tests with tries in each, before ending the third and final clash as the game's top tackler. Curry put his body on the line throughout the series, something which is made all the more remarkable by the Sale Sharks man's eventful injury history and the long-standing issue he has with his wrist. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. Ahead of the tour, Sale boss Alex Sanderson revealed that the back rower would need to go under the knife, but admitted that the 'superhuman' England star was happy to play through the pain to be involved with the Lions. However, now that the tour is done and dusted, the operating table awaits for Curry. "He will need an operation at some point, but he's clearly able to manage it and play through whatever pain he's experiencing currently," Sanderson said back in May. "It's not something that is stopping his game minutes or something that's managing his training minutes either. Article continues below "He had to play and play through to see if he could, and if the risk was minimised, which the specialist was happy with, and the pain was manageable, which it clearly is for the superhuman that he is, then he'd put himself up for Lions selection. "The alternative is he could have an operation now and he'd probably miss the last run of games and he might miss the first two games of the Lions," the Premiership side's director of rugby added. "That wasn't a solution, because the level of competition for his position was so high, he had to see if he could manage it." Ryan 'terrorised' by Wallabies giant Australia legend David Campese has issued a scathing assessment of this year's British & Irish Lions Test series, claiming the tourists only delivered a "microwave meal version" of themselves compared to the "banquet feasts" that came before them. Andy Farrell's squad are returning home as series champions, having won the first two Tests before falling to defeat against the Wallabies in their final showdown in Sydney. However, Campese has been left feeling underwhelmed by what he saw from the Lions, instead hailing the "remarkable effort" of Joe Schmidt's team and "singing the praises" of individual Wallabies players. In a damning column piece for Planet Rugby, the 62-year-old also hit out at Farrell for treating the series as "an Irish development tour," even singling out one Ireland star for criticism and claiming he was "terrorised" by Wallabies giant Will Skelton. "It's hard to know how this Lions tour will be judged," Campese wrote. "At times, I feel that the hype was far greater than the reality. It was all a little manufactured, perhaps a little twee. "There was no real moments that came from within from the tourists. It seemed as if there was a need to force the narrative of legacy, of the history, rather than making the history itself through moments and performances." Turning his attention to the host's standout players, and indeed their opposition, the Wallabies legend continued: "Australia with Will Skelton, Taniela Tupou, Tom Hooper and Bobby Valetini are a completely different proposition than without them. "[Skelton] has a limited shelf life and the conditions played into his hand in terms of stamina, but every time he plays against James Ryan he absolutely terrorises the bloke and that happened once again," he added. "I also feel that Andy Farrell at times treated this as an Irish development tour. There's no way that the likes of Bundee Aki, James Lowe, Andrew Porter, James Ryan and Jack Conan were the best players in their position during the build-up and series. "Never forget, whilst these guys have had some success in friendly Tests and so on, they've achieved absolutely nothing in terms of the big silverware in Test rugby – the World Cup – and there's a reason for that – they're average players. "I go back to my point about Ryan – Skelton owns him every time he faces him." Get daily rugby updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here . We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice New role for Cole Leicester Tigers legend Dan Cole has joined the club's staff after hanging up his boots at the end of last season. The England prop - who made 388 appearances for the Premiership side - has been appointed as the Tigers' new recruitment & retention manager, and will work closely with incoming head coach Geoff Parling to align the club's senior squad and academy and pathway programmes. Cole, who also won a total of 121 Test caps for England and the British & Irish Lions, has already started in his new role, the club confirmed, with Parling also back in the UK after finishing his duties with Australia. The club's CEO Andrea Pinchen said: 'We are delighted to be able to keep someone of Dan's experience and knowledge at Leicester Tigers. 'He has always shown a keen interest in this area and, as anyone who knows him will attest, his attention to detail and professionalism are second to none. "His playing career was as successful as it was because of his work ethic, but also his commitment to learning and evolving every step of the way," Pinchen continued. "Add to that that he is a Leicester Tigers man through and through; he wants to see this club be successful and, pleasingly, wants to contribute and be a part of this exciting new chapter. Article continues below 'Dan will be a great fit, there's no doubt about that, and with the appointment of the new head of rugby operations to oversee the process and refreshed staffing structure, I am confident in what is being put in place."
Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Ryan Reynolds' £7.5m target's dad drops huge hint on record Wrexham transfer going through
A Wrexham transfer target's dad appears to have hinted that a record £7.5m move is close with a cryptic post, sparking fan excitement as the club gears up for the Championship Nathan Broadhead's dad appears to have dropped a major hint that his son is about to complete a move to Wrexham in a club-record deal. The Red Dragons, owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, were reported to have tabled a £7.5million bid for the Ipswich Town forward last week. Broadhead, who was previously part of Wrexham's academy, joined the Tractor Boys from Everton for £1.5m in January 2023. He played a key role in Ipswich 's back-to-back promotions from League One and the Championship, before being restricted to just seven Premier League starts last season. Now in the final year of his contract at Portman Road, talks over the Wales international's proposed move were initially understood to be progressing well. The deal looked to have stalled at the weekend though due to injuries and transfer interest in other Ipswich attackers. However, the 27-year-old's dad, Mark Broadhead, has offered hope to Wrexham fans after sharing a cryptic post from his personal Facebook account. Simply captioned "12 years later," it shows an image of a young Nathan playing for Everton in 2013, followed by one of him celebrating a goal for Ipswich last year. The final picture, titled "Now," shows Nathan sporting a Wrexham shirt while kneeling on the pitch at the Racecourse Ground back in his academy days. While the deal has not been confirmed by either club, supporters have taken it as a sign that his return is imminent after a screengrab of the post was shared on X by the Fearless in Devotion fan account. One person replied: "That's all the info we need." While someone else posted: "As good as an official announcement, that." Another supporter wrote: "Someone may have just let it slip also outside the ground too." Ipswich fans also seemed convinced, with one adding: "You've got yourselves one hell of a player. Good luck this season." Broadhead has bagged 23 goals in 83 appearances for Ipswich in total and his arrival at Wrexham would be seen as a big coup. The Welsh side are preparing for their first campaign in the second tier for 43 years after securing promotion from League One in April. Manager Phil Parkinson has so far signed eight players this summer as he looks to improve his squad. Sheffield United striker Kieffer Moore became the latest addition on Tuesday, joining on a three-year contract in a deal reportedly worth £2m. Wrexham face a tough start to the season as they travel to face relegated Southampton on Saturday in their opening game. Liberato Cacace is another new face who signed up last month from Italian outfit Empoli, and the left-back is looking forward to getting started. Explaining why he signed, he told the BBC: "There was interest in Italy, but for me, I'm a big football fan as well. I watch a lot of football and I've always watched English football, from the Premier League to the Championship so I know the level I'm heading into. "It was always a big dream of mine to play in the UK. Obviously Wrexham having so much publicity in the media as well you could see what the club was like. It's a very exciting project and I'm also very excited to start the season as well." He added: "I've already had chats with the players and with the manager and I think I'm settling in pretty well. I'm a professional person as well so I always like to keep fit. I'm going to use every day to make sure that against Southampton I'll be ready to go." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
