The Ospreys are entering the 2026/27 season with renewed confidence and ambition, with significant progress being made at St Helen's, across the playing squad and throughout the wider club.
Backed by continued investment from ownership group Y11 Sports & Media, the Ospreys head into the new campaign with a strengthened squad, continuity within the rugby programme and one of the most significant stadium redevelopments in Welsh rugby under way.
Ospreys Director, Roger Blyth, said:
“There is real momentum around the club. St Helen's is taking shape, supporters have backed us in significant numbers, we have strengthened the playing squad and there is growing confidence across the business.
"The last year has tested everyone connected with the Ospreys, but the response from our supporters, players, staff and partners has been exceptional and galvanised the organisation, establishing stronger foundations for our future.
"Following one of the most challenging periods in the club's history, both on and off the field, the commitment shown by supporters, players, staff, sponsors, partners and the wider community has helped the Ospreys move forward and establish stronger foundations for the future.
"There is still a great deal of work ahead, but we are excited about where the Ospreys are going and determined to build a successful and sustainable future."
A New Home Taking Shape
At the centre of that future is St Helen's.
Backed by Swansea Council's £5.1 million investment and a further £2.5 million from Y11 Sports & Media, work on the redevelopment is progressing ahead of the Ospreys' first season at the historic ground in 2026/27, with foundations for the new 3G playing surface now laid and work continuing across the wider site.
The phased redevelopment will include a new South Stand, a redeveloped West Stand and terrace, a designated fan zone, hospitality facilities and significant improvements for players, staff and supporters.
St Helen's is also being developed as more than a professional matchday venue. It will provide a year-round home for rugby and the community, supporting Swansea RFC, schools, local clubs, Swansea University and the Ospreys' development and community programmes.
Alongside the physical redevelopment, next-generation 5G infrastructure will provide new opportunities across supporter experience, performance, content and stadium operations, helping position St Helen's among the most technologically advanced sporting venues in the UK.
The Ospreys' first BKT URC fixture at St Helen's will see the Dragons visit Swansea on 24 October.
A Rebuilt, Reinforced Squad
The move to their new home will be matched by renewed ambition on the field.
The Ospreys have strengthened the squad ahead of the new campaign, adding international experience alongside the established core of the playing group and the club's continued commitment to developing Welsh talent.
Former Wallabies captain Liam Wright will join from Queensland Reds, while fellow Australia international Lalakai Foketi adds considerable experience in the centre.
They are joined by versatile Australian back Lawson Creighton from the NSW Waratahs and Welsh back Dan John, who returns to Wales from Exeter Chiefs.
The club has also retained a strong core of its existing squad, including Wales fly-half Dan Edwards, while a number of emerging players have committed their futures to the Ospreys progressing/graduating from the club’s academy pathway.
Ospreys Head Coach, Mark Jones said:
"We are extremely positive about the direction of the rugby programme.
"The players and coaches showed tremendous resilience last season, and we believe the additions we have made to the squad give us a really strong platform to build from.
"There is a good balance within the group between experience and exciting young talent, and our focus now is on making sure we get the best out of that.
"We want to compete, we want to keep developing players and we want to give our supporters a team that represents this region with pride."
Jones has led the Ospreys as Head Coach since December 2024, providing continuity within the rugby programme through a period of significant change around the club.
Momentum Off the field
Progress is also being made across the business.
Season Membership sales for the club's first year at St Helen's have exceeded last season and surpassed the club's initial expectations, demonstrating the strength of supporter backing ahead of the move home.
Commercial momentum continues to build, with sponsorship income growing and several new and renewed partnerships set to be announced over the coming weeks.
Ospreys Commercial Director, Richard Lancaster said:
"The confidence we are seeing from supporters and partners is hugely encouraging.
"St Helen's gives us the opportunity to build something very different for the Ospreys, commercially, operationally and in terms of the relationship we have with our supporters.
"The support and commitment we are experiencing, from supporters and existing and new partners continues to grow and we have a number of exciting developments still to announce.
"All of that gives us confidence, but we know the important thing now is to keep building and turn that momentum into long-term sustainable growth."
At the Heart of the Community
The Ospreys' contribution also extends well beyond professional rugby.
Ospreys in the Community has established itself as one of the UK's leading rugby foundations. Its award-winning programmes operate across education, health and wellbeing, inclusion, physical activity and rugby participation, connecting the Ospreys with schools, families, clubs and communities throughout the region.
The move to St Helen's will provide a platform to grow that impact further and establish the stadium as a genuine year-round community asset.
Ospreys in the Community Foundation Director, Tom Sloane said:
"Our responsibility extends well beyond what happens on the field.
"We represent a proud rugby region, but we also represent the communities, families, schools and grassroots clubs within it.
"St Helen's gives us an incredible opportunity to build on the work already taking place and bring even more people together through the power of sport."
A spokesperson for the Ospreys Board said:
“Welsh rugby needs reform and change, the Ospreys have never disputed that. What we dispute is the destination.
“The WRU's proposed move to three professional men's teams would leave West Wales, one of the most passionate rugby regions in the game, represented by a single side. The Ospreys do not accept that outcome as inevitable, or as the right one. Four sustainable professional clubs, built on the communities, pathways and history they represent, remain the stronger foundation for the Welsh game, and the Ospreys will keep making that case.
“The Ospreys and Scarlets are, for now, in direct competition for the West Wales regional licence. We're not going to pretend otherwise. Our answer to that competition is straightforward: invest, build, compete, win. St Helen's, our squad, our commercial growth and, ultimately, our results will make the case for us.
“This is the beginning of a new chapter for the Ospreys.”
