It's about time they took a big game to Neath, Aberavon or Bridgend to have a proper atmosphere at a game and build support in the region. Playing games at the empty, passionless Liberty is killing regional rugby in this area.
The Ospreys - shareholders in SSMC - have an obligation to play the "big" matches at the Liberty. None of the grounds you mention have the infrastructure to host these matches eg hospitality rooms, hospitality boxes (sponsors have boxes for the season), the necessary number of parking places for players, coaches, medical staff, the media, guests etc - in any event, with an impending rates increase, the Stadium could do with the revenue & profit such a match would generate.
Get your point PGF, the Liberty has been a sole less venue for the Ospreys on times. The knoll is the biggest of the grounds you suggest and its capacity is less than Rodney parade. I'd like to think a European quarter final against Stade would attract a decent crowd even at the Liberty.
Yes, but they may not be able to play at The Liberty on the required date, in which case they will have to play elsewhere. All of the reasons you mention show how far flung the modern game has come from "real rugby". Hospitality rooms, hospitality boxes, parking spaces. Aberavon, Neath and Bridgend have hosted plenty of big matches in the past. Can't the sponsors and players walk? If not they can be bussed in to save their fragile legs. The choice between a half empty soulless stadium or a full house at proper rugby stadium with a great rugby atmosphere may actually create a new generation of Ospreys rugby fans. Fans, who don't mind standing up, shouting support for the team or taking their brolley to stand in the rain to watch a proper game of rugby on a muddy pitch. I have no doubt the men in grey suits will win and regional rugby will suffer another nail in it's coffin. On the other hand it could always be played at Parc y Scarlets..................
Apparently, the rules may require that the stadium has a capacity of 15,000. The points you make are "spot on" - but a crowd of 12,000 is expected, too many for the Gnoll or St Helens. Also, as I said above, "big" games have to be played at the Liberty.
Aberavon it is then! Your last point is that big games have to be played at the Liberty. The whole issue is that the Liberty may not be available.
Yep - the potential rescheduling of the Boro match (& PL stipulations that Football has priority) is the issue. Neither Aberavon nor Bridgend (100% owned by the Ospreys Holding Company Llandarcy Park (Ospreys ) Limited) have the required capacity. In fact, isn't Parc y Scarlets capacity c14,800?
Arguably, we don't have regional rugby - it's the historic big 4 Welsh Clubs, namely Cardiff, Newport, Llanelli & Swansea...... In my view, the Ospreys is the only team that you can call a "real" region, embracing Neath, Swansea, Aberavon & Bridgend. Arguably, the key objective of the Regions/Clubs is to develop players for the National team/squad. No prizes for guessing which Region has produced most. In fact, when adding in the Scarlets, West is certainly "best" when it comes to players selected for Wales since the inception of Regional rugby.
You could easily get 15000 in Aberavon if everyone squashes together! If not Parc y Scarlets, it's likely to be the Millennium, where the crowd is likely to be a lot less than 15000. (unless they can attract neutrals!)
I don't think its regional rugby as such that's done that Valley. The idea was good, when the game became professional we had to pool our resources and talent in order to nurture and grow the future of Welsh rugby. Unfortunately, the Ospreys are only one out of four doing this. I firmly believe that it The Blues, Scarletts and the pathetically inept Dragons have killed rugby in Wales and their respective directors should be put on trial for the attempted murder of a nations soul. Each of these entities has done everything it possibly could to kill off any competition for finances and rugby resources from clubs unfortunate enough to fall within their vampiric grasp. The rugby ****holes, Cardiff RFC, Llanelli RFC, Newport RFC have starved the rugby worlds of Mid and North Wales, the Valleys, Gwent and more of all help, finance and support and sucked the cash into their own bank accounts to be wasted on themselves as they saw fit. Each ****hole club thinks its more important than their regions, demanding stand alone status and demanding their name be emblazoned on their jerseys which is a huge '**** you' to the region they allegedly represent. The Blues, Scarlets and Dragons, it makes me feel sick just writing their names, have failed in the boardroom, failed on the pitch, burnt every bridge within its region, abandoned support for clubs it was supposed to nurture, failed to build a rugby infrastructure for all in their areas, actively stifled young talent by stating only those who play for the ****holes academies would be developed, failed to send coaches out into the regions, failed to invest time or money in any rugby infrastructure outside of their own ****hole clubs and while failing at everything they were supposed to do they took £M's out of the game from the WRU and 'lost' it all in the name of regional rugby. Disband the ****hole clubs with immediate effect I say and invest in Welsh rugby and not in the egos and pockets of these robber barons. The directors of these ****hole clubs are nothing less than dark age Earls who treat all in their dominion like peasants. Start a franchise up north and resurrect the Warriors to look after the Valleys. Take the dead weight of Newport away and let the Gwent Dragons do their thing. Re brand Llanelli as a development region, and make the Blues truly regional. Anyone who shouts, "stand alone" can f*** right o**, the key to success we learned from our football team and we must all stand together
I think there are lots of issues, I think one of the main ones is that nearly every game played by the Welsh regions can be seen live on tv, why venture out on cold nights when you can sit in the warm of your local rugby club or at home have a beer and enjoy the game. I have to be honest the standard of rugby served up by the regions is dour at best and its no wonder people stay away. I do believe that we need to look again at the regions and maybe we need one west, one east one for the Valley and one in north Wales. I know it will probably never happen but something needs to change. I also don't think the way rugby seasons are set up help, with regions having to play second string sides when the autumn internationals are on and qualification for Europe depends on it, why would people go and pay to watch B teams. The seasons seem so bitty and lacks structure. I don't know what the answer is, but could you imagine Football playing PL matches on international weeks. Lastly I also think that for big local derbies or European games, when the Ospreys are expecting a lot of travelling supporters, give them an away end, that would really increase the atmosphere instead of groups of 10's all dotted round the ground. Yes I know rugby is about mixing, but if you want an atmosphere at big games then having 4000 turks in the away end shouting, it will mean the Ospreys fans will have to make more of an effort to support their side, increasing the noise in the ground. Just my views, which don't count for much, but what ever happens changes need to be made soon otherwise Welsh rugby will continue to fall further behind.
Another issue, relating to the European Cup is the seeding system. Used in most sports to ensure the top teams get to the final, it is slowly killing the competition as most Clubs are playing the seam teams every season (or every other season). How many times do Welsh Clubs play each other in Europe? Virtually never, because they rarely get far past the pool stages. Wouldn't it be far more interesting to have the chance to be in the same Pool Stage as a fellow Welsh Region? Ospreys v Scarlets or Ospreys v Blues would have far more meaning to it in a European Cup Competition, attract huge interest and hopefully a full house with a great atmosphere.
