The United Rugby Championship team Ospreys and the Swansea Council have agreed to plans for the rugby team to return to the St Helen’s Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea, Wales (UK) for the 2026-2027 seasons.
‘BBC SPORT’ stated that the proposals were passed at a meeting of the Council’s Cabinet recently.
The Ospreys, formerly the Neath–Swansea Ospreys, is one of the four professional Men’s rugby union teams from Wales (UK). They compete in the United Rugby Championship.
The Brewery Field, currently called The Electric Brewery Field for sponsorship reasons, is an 8,000 (1,100 seated) capacity sports stadium in Bridgend, Wales (UK). It is the home ground of the Ospreys who have had selected matches in the past and will use the stadium for all their home games of the 2025-2026 seasons.
The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving the professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales (UK).
The 8,396-capacity St Helen’s Rugby and Cricket Ground, commonly known as St Helen’s, is a sports venue in Swansea, Wales (UK) owned and operated by the City and County of Swansea Council. It is mainly used for rugby union and cricket games.
‘BBC SPORT’ further stated that the agreement is part of a joint investment between the club and the local authority to redevelop the famous old sports venue to host the Ospreys, the Swansea Rugby Football Club (RFC) and the community clubs from September.
The Swansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Super Rygbi Cymru (a semi-professional rugby union competition in Wales). The club play at St Helen’s Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea and are also known as ‘The Whites’ in reference to their home kit colors.
The Swansea Council said in a statement, “By investing in St Helen’s the Council is creating a fantastic facility for the community, opening the doors to the schools, the local clubs and the young players taking their first steps in the game. The Ospreys will also invest to create a modern stadium capable of attracting the crowds back to regional rugby at one of United Kingdom’s most iconic grounds. Working in partnership we will deliver a community program that inspires the young people and creates a clear pathway from school and the local club rugby through to the Ospreys.”
The move to St Helen’s will be the Ospreys’ third home in as many seasons having left the 21,088-seat Swansea.com Stadium in Landore (UK) to play in Brewery Field for this campaign.
Work on a new state of the art 4G playing surface will begin shortly, according to the Council.
The decision to make the traditional home of rugby in Swansea their team’s base for 2026-2027 comes as the Swansea Council and the Ospreys’ fans fight the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) plans to cut the nation’s professional tier from four to three teams.
Cardiff (UK)-based the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) is the governing body of rugby union in the country of Wales recognized by the sport’s international governing body – the World Rugby.
Dublin (Ireland)-based the World Rugby is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. The World Rugby organizes the Rugby World Cup every four years, the sport’s most recognized and most profitable competition.
The WRU has given the Ospreys owners Y11 Sport & Media an extra 30 days – until April 22nd – to negotiate the proposed takeover of Cardiff.
The Y11 Sport & Media is a leading sports investment firm dedicated through a combination of passion for sport and a strong background in finance to deliver exceptional value for all its stakeholders. They focus across a diverse portfolio specifically targeting the momentum markets by applying the operational expertise and scaling their businesses through innovative multiasset ownership.
That scenario has led to legal action, protests and the possibility of the WRU Chair Richard Collier-Keywood being the subject of a vote of no confidence at an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) of the governing body on April 13th.
Jones to join Community Rugby Board
A joint statement issued by Ospreys and the local authority announced that Alun Wyn Jones will join a new Swansea Rugby Community Board.
The Board will “ensure the redevelopment delivers maximum benefit for the local people”.
In a fresh statement the Council leader Rob Stewart said, “The uncertainty caused by the WRU’s proposals to axe one region and the prolonged discussions around the sale of Cardiff Rugby is affecting confidence in the game from grassroots through to the regions. The Ospreys are a massive part of our culture. They are Wales’s most successful region, they deliver fantastic work in the community and they bring £15 million into the local economy every year. The Welsh rugby cannot afford to lose the Ospreys. That’s why we have stepped up and secured this agreement which we believe is a blueprint for how rugby can thrive in our region and across Wales.”
Continue to follow Coliseum for latest updates on venues business news. Coliseum is dedicated towards building the best global community of sports and entertainment venue executives and professionals creating better and more profitable venues.
Become a member of the only Global Sports Venue Alliance and connect with stadiums, arenas and experts from around the world. Apply for membership at coliseum-online.com/alliance and make use of the 365Coliseum Business.