The Ospreys are delighted to announce that St Helen’s Sports Ground in Swansea has been selected as the club’s preferred location for its new stadium from the 25/26 season onwards.
Following an extensive search it was announced in May that the options had been narrowed down to St Helen’s and the Dunraven Brewery Field in Bridgend. We would like to place on record our thanks to both Bridgend Ravens and Bridgend County Borough Council for their outstanding support during our search.
The move to St Helen’s not only keeps us close to the majority of our supporter and sponsor bases, but also allows us to work with the City and County of Swansea Council to inject new life into the famous St Helen’s Sports Ground. We feel privileged to have the opportunity to make our home at the ground where Wales played their first ever international rugby match in 1882.
Our multi-million pound investment in the site will see the installation of a new 4G pitch, new stands, a refurbishment of the club house, and the introduction of a new fan zone area. The aim is to provide supporters with an unrivalled match day experience and develop new opportunities for non-match day events and revenue.
Swansea RFC and Swansea University will continue to play at St Helen’s, and it’s our ambition for the ground to host an increased number of community games.
Swansea Cricket Club have been fully engaged in discussions about the redevelopment of the site, and an announcement about where they will play their games in the future will be made in due course.
Lance Bradley, CEO of Ospreys, said: “Moving to a ground we can call our own home will be transformational for everyone involved with the club – including players, staff, supporters and sponsors.
"Our investment demonstrates our confidence not only in the plans we have both on and off the pitch, but also our confidence in the future of Welsh rugby and the plans being developed by the Welsh Rugby Union.”
St Helen’s Sports Ground is owned by Swansea Council, who have ambitious plans to develop the whole area into an elite sports park.
Rob Stewart, leader of the council, was pleased with Ospreys’ decision to select Swansea as their preferred future home. He said: “We're delighted with the Ospreys announcement that they'd like to return to St Helen's; it's something many Ospreys fans will be very excited about.
"We’ve worked closely with Lance and his team throughout their search for a preferred new home, and this is really great news for the city. Swansea is a fantastic location for elite sport, with Swansea University a leader in the field of sports science.
"We have significant ambitions for a sports science park in Swansea and the Ospreys’ aim to commit their long-term future to Swansea aligns with this; we'll work hard with them and others to explore their vision over the coming weeks and months.
"There remains more work to do but we now have clarity to move forward with discussions."
Ospreys will continue to play home games at the Swansea.com Stadium for the 24/25 season, and are grateful for the support and understanding they continue to receive from the management and staff of Swansea City.
FAQs
FAQs
When will you be moving to St Helen's?
We are aiming to start playing at St. Helen's from the 25/26 season.
Where are you playing the 24/25 season?
Ospreys will remain at the Swansea.com Stadium for the 24/25 season.
What is your expected date to move?
We are aiming to start playing at St. Helen's from the 25/26 season.
Will we be playing any games at St. Helen's this coming 24/25 season?
Ospreys will remain at the Swansea.com Stadium for the 24/25 season, due to clashes with Swansea City, certain games will be played at alternative venues. These will be looked at on case-by-case basis and communicated in due course.
Will current season members get first option for next season?
24/25 Ospreys season members will get priority access to season tickets for St Helen's once they are released.
Where is Swansea cricket moving to?
We have been working closely with Swansea Cricket Club, and they will communicate with their supporters in due course.
Where is Swansea RFC moving to?
Swansea RFC will continue to play out of St Helen's, and will communicate with their supporters in due course.
What are the next steps?
We will continue to work with the City and County of Swansea Council on the next steps of this project.
What upgrades will you be doing on the stadium?
There is a phased redevelopment plan in place which will be made public pending approval by the City and County of Swansea Council, this includes a new 4G pitch and new stands, as well as ensuring the stadium is up to league standards.
What are the long-term plans for the stadium?
There is a phased redevelopment plan in place, which will be shared in due course.
