The week long Ospreys 'Rubbish Run' drew to a close on Friday morning, when a nine strong group of Ospreys including Director of Coaching Scott Johnson, hit the streets in Rhos to assist Neath Port Talbot refuse collectors.
It rounded off five days of activity that have seen the Ospreys pounding the pavements across the region, cleaning the streets in Baglan, Bridgend, Townhill and Mumbles ahead of the final day.
Along each route, the players and coaches have ‘mucked in’ to assist council refuse collection staff, meeting a number of supporters on the way, chatting and signing autographs for the residents who received an early morning shock when they found the Ospreys rummaging around their rubbish.
Speaking about the week, Elite Performance Director Andrew Hore said that it has been a successful and enjoyable initiative:
“It’s been a fantastic week for everybody taking part, and has, I would say, been extremely successful. It’s a very tough job, and it’s been great to get everyone together for a bit of pre-season team building that will also provide something different in terms of their physical training in preparation for the new season. This hasn’t been just a cosmetic thing where the boys have turned up, had their picture taken and disappeared, they have mucked in and spent real time getting their hands dirty. They take a lot of pride in the region, both in terms of their rugby and the community spirit that Ospreylia has to offer, so they were really keen to get involved in the Rubbish Run and have found it a tough but extremely enjoyable task, which has been great for getting to know people out there in the different communities that make up Ospreylia.
“We hope that the support we are giving the community will be reflected in the support they give us at the Liberty Stadium, and we are looking forward to getting the rugby season off to a flying start in Ospreylia. I think it’s also important that we thank the local council’s in Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea for their support, not only over the course of this week, but on an ongoing basis as we believe that they are very important partners of ours. Last, but certainly by no means least, we have to thank the refuse crews who have patiently put up with us this week, and certainly helped to make the whole experience a great success for everyone involved.”