After a challenging year off the pitch, Ospreys and Scarlets fans came out in force Saturday evening for one of biggest gates of the season at Liberty Stadium.
Victory on the night saw the Ospreys confirmed as the only team to represent Wales in next season’s Heineken Champions Cup.
Showing the distinct differences between the two most successful regions in Welsh rugby, there was a stark display of passion for each team when things haven’t been so black and red off the pitch.
Less than two months ago all the talk was of a possible merger between the two regions and if Saturday’s match proves anything there is no love loss on the field whilst off it there is clearly a rich and unique history between the south-west Wales rivals.
Following the game, Ospreys Managing Director Andrew Millward said;
“You just have to look at the two sets of fans on Saturday to see that there is a very special rivalry and clear cultural differences between the entities. We’re very proud of the brand we’ve built at Ospreys and people have bought into it on a number of levels.
“Next season and beyond is already taking shape as we assemble an exciting team on the field and off it to take the region forward towards our 20th anniversary in 2023. It’s incredibly exciting with new commercial partnerships and community initiatives about to be announced.”
Both regions are seeing increased pre-season membership sales with families and young fans a primary focus with Ospreys offering season tickets for the Under 16s from £15.
“We have to look to the future” says Millward, “and the work we’re doing at a community level is clearly making a big impact. Paul Whapham and the Ospreys in the Community team has worked with 100,000 young people in the last three years and at the game on Saturday 40% of tickets issued were sold at £5 for Under 16s or £10 for students.”
Season memberships are on sale now for the new season with fixtures due to be announced early in July. For more information fans should visit membership.ospreysrugby.com