Ospreys Head Coach Steve Tandy says he’s “super excited” with the his team’s draw for the first ever European Rugby Champions Cup.
The Ospreys were pulled out of the hat with 2014 Aviva Premiership and Amlin Cup winners Northampton Saints, French galacticos Racing Metro and Italy’s leading team Benetton Treviso, in a draw that was held in Switzerland on Tuesday lunchtime.
Reviewing the draw, Tandy said the Ospreys “won’t be overawed” by the challenge they face against some of Europe’s leading teams.
“The words that come to mind looking at the draw are super excited, absolutely” he said.
“With the changes to European rugby everybody knew that what was already a very tough competition would get even tougher this season, but when you look at that draw you have to be genuinely excited. I’d say that players, the rest of the coaches and, particularly our supporters, will share that sentiment. It’s going to be a fantastic, roller coaster of a competition but we won’t be overawed in any way.
“It’s an awesome prospect and I can’t wait to get started. The next key stage will be getting the fixture dates through, but whoever we play in the opening rounds, wherever we are playing, it’s important that we get off to a flying start.”
Looking at the Ospreys’ opponents one-by-one, Tandy’s excitement for the forthcoming season shone through, starting with the clash against last season’s conquerors Northampton Saints.
“They’ve just had a pretty remarkable season and won two trophies so they are bound to be confident whoever they play” added Tandy.
“Having them coming back to the Liberty is a pretty mouthwatering prospect and gives us the opportunity to put the record straight because I though that at home in particular, we didn’t do ourselves justice against them. When you have the English champions coming to town you know it’s going to be tough, but you also know it’ll be a pretty special occasion and that’s something to look forward to.
“Racing Metro are new for us, we’ve never played them before. I think that’s something that everybody looks for in European competition, new opponents and new venues. Their squad depth speaks for itself, they are star studded, so we’ll be looking forward to testing ourselves against them. I think the supporters in particular will enjoy those two games.
“We know all about Treviso and how dangerous they can be. They had a disappointing season by their standards in 2013/14 but they’ve beaten us in Europe, and beaten some good teams, and I think they will be stronger this season. We can’t and won’t take them lightly.
“I genuinely can’t wait for the season to get underway now. It’s an exciting draw, with teams who play different styles of rugby, so while it’ll be challenging there’s plenty for supporters, for players, to get excited about. We’ve got a young group of players but they are fearless and will be looking forward to getting stuck into this.
“We are the top ranked team in Wales going into this competition but that won’t count for anything. It’s going to be about what we do on the field now. Up until last season we had made the Liberty a bit of a European fortress and we have to get that back this season.
“We have to target three home wins and then look at what we can pick up on the road so it’s crucial that we have our supporters with us on this journey. Any team that progresses in Europe will have that backing in the stands and we need that from the public. It makes a huge difference.
“It’s a really exciting time for the Ospreys and the feeling now is bring it on.”
Admission to all three home games in the ERCC is covered by an Ospreys season membership, with prices starting at just £190 for an adult, which also includes admission to all PRO12 and LV= Cup games.
The Ticket Office is currently for essential maintenance and IT upgrade, but you can still sign up for a season membership.
While the Ticket Office is closed, personal callers to the stadium should instead head to the main reception which is in the West Stand, facing into the car park, where a member of Ticket Office staff will be able to assist with the sale/enquiry.
During this period, the usual online ticketing service is unavailable. However, to avoid any inconvenience we have created a special online form for supporters to complete, registering your interest in purchasing or renewing your membership. This information will then be forwarded directly to Ticket Office staff who will contact you via your preferred method to complete the purchase.
The form can be found at this link:
http://ospreysrugby.com/BuyTickets/RegisterInterest
Alternatively, there is a special temporary hotline number for any telephone enquiries and purchase. For the following 10 days only, all calls should be directed to 01792 616426 between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Please note that while the Ticket Office is closed it will not be possible for season members to move seats as access to the ticketing system is limited.
The Ticket Office will reopen as normal at 10am on Monday 16th June.