Junior and Mini rugby clubs in the region are being encouraged to show their colours at the 2012/13 jersey launch next week by wearing their club kits to the public unveiling of the new Ospreys shirt at Swansea's National Waterfront Museum.
The wraps come off this year’s Ospreys strip at the launch event on Friday 17th August with hundreds of fans expected to turn up to for their first glimpse of the new look outfit, and the region has written to all Junior and Mini sections inviting them along to the launch in club colours to highlight the important role of community clubs in the development pathway, with every member of the squad having started out as a youngster playing for fun with friends at the local club.
As an incentive for clubs to take part, the individual team that brings along the most children kitted out in their own club strip will be awarded the role of guard of honour to the senior Ospreys team when they run out at the Liberty Stadium for the first RaboDirect PRO12 home game of the season, against Ulster on Saturday 8th September.
WRU/Ospreys Regional Community Manager, Ben Rose, said that it was important to ensure that local children felt that they are a part of such a big day for the region:
“The launch of the new Ospreys jersey is always a massive event in the calendar and now that we are taking the launch out into the public arena it’s bigger than ever.
“The event itself is going to be a great family occasion but we wanted to ensure that the local rugby community was at the heart of the launch, hence our invitation to all the Junior and Mini sections to be a part of the fun. We’ve written to every club inviting them along, encouraging them to wear their club strips, and the individual team with the greatest representation will be invited along to the Ulster match to act as the guard of honour pre-match.
“The clubs in the region are integral to everything we do at the Ospreys and are the foundation of the development pathway so it is only right that our Junior and Mini clubs should be a part of the action on jersey launch day!”
Kevin Johns, the much loved broadcaster from official radio station Swansea Sound will host a fun-packed day of activity on Friday 17th August.
There will be a strong Ospreys presence at the Waterfront Museum ahead of the official jersey reveal, with rugby themed inflatables, skills coaching from the region’s Community Rugby team and appearances from Ozzy the Osprey and The Wave’s Dylan the Dog, keeping fans young and old entertained before the headline event, when the wraps finally come off this year’s jersey.
The entire playing squad will also be in attendance to meet supporters, sign autographs and pose for pictures, with some of them taking part in a catwalk presentation of not only the new shirt but also to show off the full range of 2012/13 Ospreys leisurewear.
The eagerly awaited home and away jerseys will go on sale the same day, with supporters able to purchase theirs either at the National Waterfront Museum or the Ospreys Club Shop at the Liberty Stadium and online following the launch event, which gets underway at 11.00am.