The Ospreys will take their preparations for the new season on the road this week, when they stop off in Colwyn Bay en route to Saturday's game against Leeds Carnegie.
It will be the third consecutive summer trip to the area after two previous visits to attend the RWE npower renewables North Wales Rugby Festival, and although that event will not be taking place this time, the Ospreys still have a busy schedule during their flying visit.
Arriving in North Wales on Thursday afternoon, the first destination will be a visit to Colwyn Bay, where Ospreys coaches and a number of players will join the RGC 1404 squad to put them through their paces for a training session at their Eirias Park ground between 6.00pm and 7.30pm.
Between 6.30pm and 7.30pm, the rest of the squad will meet up with children from local rugby clubs for a meet and greet session, signing autographs and passing on rugby tips.
Friday morning will see the travelling party heading to Glan Clwyd Hospital in Rhyl, where the players will help Conwy and Denbighshire NHS Trust launch a new health campaign, a visit that will include the squad touring eight separate wards at the hotel, before they head off to Leeds in the afternoon to prepare for the weekend fixture against the Aviva Premiership side.
Ospreys Managing Director, Roger Blyth, said:
“With our sponsors RWE npower renewables, our annual summer visit to North Wales is now a regular part of our pre-season programme and we look forward to the fantastic welcome we get there from the local rugby community. Unfortunately, schedules this summer mean that we have had to veer from our usual summer Rugby Festival, but nevertheless, there will still be plenty going on to keep everyone occupied.
“We are particularly looking forward to meeting the players from RGC 1404 on Thursday evening, as well as spending time with some of the younger rugby playing children at Eirias Park, while we are delighted to be able to put our weight behind Conwy and Denbighshire NHS Trust’s latest health campaign. I’ve no doubt that the ward visits will help to put a smile on the patients faces, as is always the case when we visit a hospital like this.”