| Ospreys 14:27 - Feb 26 with 19972 views | Banosswan |
Whilst music to the ears of some on here, it's ridiculous to think that the WRU have considered merging them with the Blues, Scarlets or even disbanding altogether! |  |
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| Ospreys on 22:45 - Feb 27 with 2527 views | Kilkennyjack |
I dont know much about the egg, but since the 4 regions started then the national team has done superbly well.
I would suggest these 2?things are linked.
Without the 4 regions then the national team might suffer big time.
The Ospreys are needed. |  |
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| Ospreys on 23:13 - Feb 27 with 2506 views | Jonathans_coat |
| Ospreys on 22:45 - Feb 27 by Kilkennyjack |
I dont know much about the egg, but since the 4 regions started then the national team has done superbly well.
I would suggest these 2?things are linked.
Without the 4 regions then the national team might suffer big time.
The Ospreys are needed. |
I agree with Wales’s incoming manger Wayne Pivac on this. 4 regions at least are needed from a player development point of view. Any less, and the pool of elite professional players becomes too small and strength in depth will suffer. How will young developing stars get games in professional rugby if there are only 2 professional teams?
The problem here is money (as always). There just isn’t enough being generated by regional rugby due to dissapointing attendances and limited media interest to support 4 competitive teams that could challenge for European cup success.
At least the Ospreys and the Scarlets have won the Celtic league (now Pro14) a few times. The Blues even have 2 challenge cups to thier name. The Dragons have been perpetual “also-rans” since thier founding in 2003. They even failed as a business and had to be taken over by the WRU. If there’s any team that should be disbanded/merged it should be that Newport albatross around Welsh rugby’s neck! |  | | |
| Ospreys on 23:20 - Feb 27 with 2503 views | Kilkennyjack |
| Ospreys on 23:13 - Feb 27 by Jonathans_coat |
I agree with Wales’s incoming manger Wayne Pivac on this. 4 regions at least are needed from a player development point of view. Any less, and the pool of elite professional players becomes too small and strength in depth will suffer. How will young developing stars get games in professional rugby if there are only 2 professional teams?
The problem here is money (as always). There just isn’t enough being generated by regional rugby due to dissapointing attendances and limited media interest to support 4 competitive teams that could challenge for European cup success.
At least the Ospreys and the Scarlets have won the Celtic league (now Pro14) a few times. The Blues even have 2 challenge cups to thier name. The Dragons have been perpetual “also-rans” since thier founding in 2003. They even failed as a business and had to be taken over by the WRU. If there’s any team that should be disbanded/merged it should be that Newport albatross around Welsh rugby’s neck! |
Well said.
I guess i was thinking that if the WRU wants a cash rich successful national team .... then it needs 4 pro regions.
Therefore the WRU may need to help/invest in the 4 regions to safeguard their own national future. Even if on a temp basis. | |
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| Ospreys on 15:08 - Feb 28 with 2381 views | controversial_jack |
Who cares, we beat England! [Post edited 28 Feb 2019 15:09]
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| Ospreys on 18:12 - Feb 28 with 2329 views | dickythorpe |
| Ospreys on 15:08 - Feb 28 by controversial_jack |
Who cares, we beat England! [Post edited 28 Feb 2019 15:09]
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You are Clive Rowlands!!! |  | | |
| Ospreys on 19:57 - Feb 28 with 2297 views | deepdale81 |
| Ospreys on 23:20 - Feb 27 by Kilkennyjack |
Well said.
I guess i was thinking that if the WRU wants a cash rich successful national team .... then it needs 4 pro regions.
Therefore the WRU may need to help/invest in the 4 regions to safeguard their own national future. Even if on a temp basis. |
But they would have 4 regions,scarlets, blues and two developments dragons and north wales.
For a floating fan in the ospreys region,the rugby is not very entertaining ,if you are prepared to fork over 20 quid ,you need some value for money.
Then they may get more support. | | | |
| Ospreys on 22:08 - Feb 28 with 2267 views | majorraglan |
| Ospreys on 18:12 - Feb 28 by dickythorpe |
You are Clive Rowlands!!! |
I remember him saying that on TV after we'd been smashed by New Zealand. Very parochial and if I am not mistaken we then went on a steep decline. | | | |
| Ospreys on 07:29 - Mar 1 with 2195 views | Vetchfielder |
I used to watch Llanelli a lot through the 80s and 90s - I used to watch them home and away when Swans were playing away.
In those days, they played at 2.30 on a Saturday afternoon in the old club structure - teams like Swansea, Neath, Bridgend, Pontypridd, Cardiff, Newport, Ebbw Vale, Pontypool. All those clubs were well supported home and away, with average crowds of 10,000 I'd say.
Bigger local derbies and Swalec Cup matches would get 20,000 and the Swalec Cup final would get 50,000.
This was club rugby at its very best. Competitive, great crowds , great atmosphere and some serious rivalry. More players to chose from in terms of national team selection and most clubs represented.
Regional rugby has changed all of that. Terrible crowds for most matches, no atmosphere, no hwyl, and apart from some European matches, all played on a Friday or Saturday night rather than 2.30 on a Saturday.
I agree that the Welsh national team seems to be flourishing because of the Regional set-up and I understand the financial reasons why they changed the structure.
But regional rugby is totally uninspiring and dead on its feet. I'd sacrifice Wales being worse on the national stage if we could somehow sort the WRU financing out and return to the old club structure. |  |
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| Ospreys on 07:45 - Mar 1 with 2183 views | Dr_Winston |
Admittedly I'm not much of a Rugby fan, but wasn't the point of the Regional setup to improve the National team? A National team now in with a chance of a fourth? Grand Slam in fifteen years after being mostly shit for the 25 years before their formation?
Club Rugby is always subservient to the National team. Just like Cricket. Not enough people actively attending club games for it to be any other way, unlike football. |  |
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| Ospreys on 09:37 - Mar 1 with 2145 views | dickythorpe |
Some great points in last two threads. Club rugby at its peak was immense and enthralling circa 1980' s to late 90's
The money was always going to to be an issue. Regional rugby had to come in but it diluted the fan base.
No way would a die hard Neath and Swansea fan watch the Ospreys consistently. Attendances prove it .
The Pro 14 is lack lustre. | | | |
| Ospreys on 09:42 - Mar 1 with 2141 views | owainglyndwr |
| Ospreys on 07:29 - Mar 1 by Vetchfielder |
I used to watch Llanelli a lot through the 80s and 90s - I used to watch them home and away when Swans were playing away.
In those days, they played at 2.30 on a Saturday afternoon in the old club structure - teams like Swansea, Neath, Bridgend, Pontypridd, Cardiff, Newport, Ebbw Vale, Pontypool. All those clubs were well supported home and away, with average crowds of 10,000 I'd say.
Bigger local derbies and Swalec Cup matches would get 20,000 and the Swalec Cup final would get 50,000.
This was club rugby at its very best. Competitive, great crowds , great atmosphere and some serious rivalry. More players to chose from in terms of national team selection and most clubs represented.
Regional rugby has changed all of that. Terrible crowds for most matches, no atmosphere, no hwyl, and apart from some European matches, all played on a Friday or Saturday night rather than 2.30 on a Saturday.
I agree that the Welsh national team seems to be flourishing because of the Regional set-up and I understand the financial reasons why they changed the structure.
But regional rugby is totally uninspiring and dead on its feet. I'd sacrifice Wales being worse on the national stage if we could somehow sort the WRU financing out and return to the old club structure. |
Swelec cup finals were like international days.
We used to go whoever was in the final |  | | |
| Ospreys on 17:05 - Mar 1 with 2081 views | Jonathans_coat |
| Ospreys on 09:37 - Mar 1 by dickythorpe |
Some great points in last two threads. Club rugby at its peak was immense and enthralling circa 1980' s to late 90's
The money was always going to to be an issue. Regional rugby had to come in but it diluted the fan base.
No way would a die hard Neath and Swansea fan watch the Ospreys consistently. Attendances prove it .
The Pro 14 is lack lustre. |
Too late now of course, but regional rugby wasn’t the only way. The English and Welsh pyramids could have merged to form a British league. I’m sure the Scots and Irish my well have got behind this as well as the English Prem rugby is proving much more lucrative than the Celtic league ever has.
My main gripe isn’t that the current regions may have to change or some may have to be disbanded. It’s that the only reason that the Ospreys seem the most in jeopardy in “Project Reset” seems to be based purely on arbitrary geography, and not the actual reality or merit of each region. The Ospreys being actually the most successful and generally having the highest attendances. Choosing to keep the Dragons over the Ospreys because thier stadium is located further East is just a terrible reason, baring in mind that the Dragons franchise has failed both on and off the pitch for 15 years.
It would also be very ironic if the only proper “region” left in regional rugby was dropped in favour of clubs the refused to merge or restructure to implement regional rugby in the firstly place, even further rewarding their intransigence in the last project to “reset” Welsh rugby! | | | |
| Ospreys on 17:35 - Mar 1 with 2068 views | bermudajack |
| Ospreys on 17:05 - Mar 1 by Jonathans_coat |
Too late now of course, but regional rugby wasn’t the only way. The English and Welsh pyramids could have merged to form a British league. I’m sure the Scots and Irish my well have got behind this as well as the English Prem rugby is proving much more lucrative than the Celtic league ever has.
My main gripe isn’t that the current regions may have to change or some may have to be disbanded. It’s that the only reason that the Ospreys seem the most in jeopardy in “Project Reset” seems to be based purely on arbitrary geography, and not the actual reality or merit of each region. The Ospreys being actually the most successful and generally having the highest attendances. Choosing to keep the Dragons over the Ospreys because thier stadium is located further East is just a terrible reason, baring in mind that the Dragons franchise has failed both on and off the pitch for 15 years.
It would also be very ironic if the only proper “region” left in regional rugby was dropped in favour of clubs the refused to merge or restructure to implement regional rugby in the firstly place, even further rewarding their intransigence in the last project to “reset” Welsh rugby! |
I’m probably talking rubbish here...
But if the best supported, most successful Welsh region is disbanded by the WRU in favour of a new franchise in the north, (which everyone knows will not be sustainable) then why aren’t the Ospreys management team pulling up trees to talk to the English Premiership (or even the IPA Championship?)
Wouldn’t that be amazing if the O’s are playing either a Bath, Northampton or Gloucester to a near sold out liberty, whilst the Blues are struggling to get 6,000 against Edinburgh...😳 |  |
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| Ospreys on 17:43 - Mar 1 with 2062 views | Banosswan |
| Ospreys on 17:35 - Mar 1 by bermudajack |
I’m probably talking rubbish here...
But if the best supported, most successful Welsh region is disbanded by the WRU in favour of a new franchise in the north, (which everyone knows will not be sustainable) then why aren’t the Ospreys management team pulling up trees to talk to the English Premiership (or even the IPA Championship?)
Wouldn’t that be amazing if the O’s are playing either a Bath, Northampton or Gloucester to a near sold out liberty, whilst the Blues are struggling to get 6,000 against Edinburgh...😳 |
No chance the English would go for it now. They're trying to ring fence the prem at the current lot and London Irish. | |
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| Ospreys on 17:52 - Mar 1 with 2050 views | Jonathans_coat |
| Ospreys on 17:43 - Mar 1 by Banosswan |
No chance the English would go for it now. They're trying to ring fence the prem at the current lot and London Irish. |
This, and the fact that Welsh players playing for the Ospreys in the English leagues would be effectively banned from playing internationally rugby for Wales under the current WRU rules. Sadly makes this idea a non-starter. The WRU would also pull the circa £6m a year funding agreement, making the Ospreys insolvent. Nice pipe dream though! | | | |
| Ospreys on 18:59 - Mar 1 with 2018 views | bermudajack |
| Ospreys on 17:52 - Mar 1 by Jonathans_coat |
This, and the fact that Welsh players playing for the Ospreys in the English leagues would be effectively banned from playing internationally rugby for Wales under the current WRU rules. Sadly makes this idea a non-starter. The WRU would also pull the circa £6m a year funding agreement, making the Ospreys insolvent. Nice pipe dream though! |
Are London Welsh still in the English pyramid? I’m thinking re- location 🤔😂
I thought the ruling was “playing in Wales” not the Pro 14 ??
Id still be asking the questions.., if the WRU disband them - then surely the O’s are free to talk to other unions ??
Well established and well supported club could be beneficial to some forward thinking unions | |
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| Ospreys on 00:39 - Mar 2 with 1946 views | theloneranger |
| Ospreys on 17:35 - Mar 1 by bermudajack |
I’m probably talking rubbish here...
But if the best supported, most successful Welsh region is disbanded by the WRU in favour of a new franchise in the north, (which everyone knows will not be sustainable) then why aren’t the Ospreys management team pulling up trees to talk to the English Premiership (or even the IPA Championship?)
Wouldn’t that be amazing if the O’s are playing either a Bath, Northampton or Gloucester to a near sold out liberty, whilst the Blues are struggling to get 6,000 against Edinburgh...😳 |
The All Whites and Cardiff refused to play in the Welsh Premier Division in 1998/99, when the WRU refused to set up a cross-border league involving other clubs in Britain.and instead played friendly matches against clubs from the English Premiership.
Both clubs were removed from Wales' entry into the 1998—99 Heineken Cup and were later fined £150,000 each by the WRU. I'm not sure if either club paid their fines.
To upset the WRU even more, Swansea beat Llanelli in the Swalec Cup final that season. 😂 [Post edited 2 Mar 2019 0:52]
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| Ospreys on 18:36 - Mar 2 with 1827 views | raynor94 |
Another defeat again today, would they really be missed? |  |
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| Ospreys on 18:41 - Mar 2 with 1825 views | Fergal |
| Ospreys on 18:36 - Mar 2 by raynor94 |
Another defeat again today, would they really be missed? |
Yes. Consequences would be enormous. | | | |
| Ospreys on 19:16 - Mar 2 with 1805 views | Brynmill_Jack |
| Ospreys on 18:36 - Mar 2 by raynor94 |
Another defeat again today, would they really be missed? |
You’re a f*cking idiot just like Darren |  |
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| Ospreys on 19:34 - Mar 2 with 1793 views | Jonathans_coat |
| Ospreys on 18:36 - Mar 2 by raynor94 |
Another defeat again today, would they really be missed? |
Just highlights the lack of strength in depth referred to earlier. Take the 10 best players out even the best regional teams in Wales for the six nations squad, and they cannot compete, especially with the Irish teams.
There are only 30-40 players max in Wales anywhere near international level. The difficulty is trying to double that number with a small population. | | | |
| Ospreys on 20:13 - Mar 2 with 1769 views | raynor94 |
| Ospreys on 19:16 - Mar 2 by Brynmill_Jack |
You’re a f*cking idiot just like Darren |
Why for having an opinion, now if we were talking about the Whites it would be a totally different scenario, never bought in to this regional crap.
Do you attend Ospreys home games? | |
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| Ospreys on 20:29 - Mar 2 with 1763 views | dickythorpe |
The All Whites beat Merthyr today. That's a shock. | | | |
| Ospreys on 00:40 - Mar 3 with 1693 views | majorraglan |
| Ospreys on 20:29 - Mar 2 by dickythorpe |
The All Whites beat Merthyr today. That's a shock. |
Excellent result for the Whites, but looking at their match squad today and it seems they are getting a fair bit of support /reinforcements from the Ospreys. It appears that the loss of 4 clubs from the Premiership and Swansea’s poor early season form has seen the O’s reinforce them.
Swansea are the leagues form team, heard on the radio earlier tonight they had won something like 10 from 11 games across all competitions. Neath are dead and buried, while Bridgend are scrapping t put in the bottom 4. | | | |
| Ospreys on 09:57 - Mar 3 with 1608 views | deepdale81 |
| Ospreys on 00:40 - Mar 3 by majorraglan |
Excellent result for the Whites, but looking at their match squad today and it seems they are getting a fair bit of support /reinforcements from the Ospreys. It appears that the loss of 4 clubs from the Premiership and Swansea’s poor early season form has seen the O’s reinforce them.
Swansea are the leagues form team, heard on the radio earlier tonight they had won something like 10 from 11 games across all competitions. Neath are dead and buried, while Bridgend are scrapping t put in the bottom 4. |
The players released to Swansea by the ospreys are playing for their contracts.
There seems to be a good atmosphere around the squad whoever plays .worth pointing out it's a different team every week. I don't think yesterday's 15 had ever started before. | | | |
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