Ospreys bosses have hailed the decision to move the LV= Cup tie against Leicester Tigers to the Riverside Hardware Brewery Field a success - and have promised fans in Bridgend that they will be back.
A crowd of 6,632 braved atrocious conditions to pack out the home of Bridgend RFC and cheer a youthful Ospreys XV onto a stunning victory, running in eight tries despite the wet conditions.
Managing Director Roger Blyth said that the evening had been a tremendous success on and off the pitch.
“It was a fantastic occasion, we are delighted with how the evening went” he said.
“We made the decision to bring this game to Bridgend based on a number of circumstances, and things have gone as well as we could possibly have imagined. The crowd was far bigger than either of our home LV= Cup matches last season, which in itself is vindication of the decision to play it at the Riverside Hardware Brewery Field.
“When you add in the feeling of goodwill generated over the last two weeks with the rugby and business communities in Bridgend, then it can only help to make the Ospreys stronger. Without the support of Bridgend RFC and Bridgend County Borough Council, we wouldn’t have been able to achieve what we did on Friday night.
“The LV= Cup competition is the perfect vehicle for taking a game out into the region, and with a number of younger, up and coming local players getting a taste of life as an Osprey, it’s brilliant that not only got the opportunity to find out more about the communities of Ospreylia, but the local community where they are from got the opportunity to come and see them earning their stripes with the Ospreys.
“It was a tremendous evening, on and off the field. The people of Bridgend have turned out in numbers and really shown that they consider themselves to be Ospreys.”