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Players met with bosses on Tuesday following the news on Monday that the Ospreys’ owners were aiming to buy Cardiff
Ospreys players met with club bosses on Tuesday to seek answers after the club was plunged into uncertainty earlier this week.
On Monday, the Welsh Rugby Union board unanimously chose Ospreys owners Y11 Sports & Media as their preferred bidder for Cardiff. The WRU have now entered a period of exclusivity, with the aim of striking a deal in the coming weeks – with the likelihood being that the deal will enable the WRU to achieve their goal of reducing the number of professional teams in Wales down to three.
After months of speculation, Ospreys players found out about the news on Monday evening, with a statement on Tuesday from the playing group later confirming they had been left completely in the dark by the WRU and Y11.
The statement followed a meeting with club bosses, in which it’s understood little in the way of assurances could be offered to players and staff.
Ospreys chief executive Lance Bradley bore the brunt of questions from the furious playing group and WalesOnline can reveal players also didn’t train on Tuesday following the news.
It’s understood some players even walked out of the meeting in frustration over the lack of clarity. Coach Mark Jones is holding a press conference on Wednesday, which you can follow here.
Some of the Ospreys squad have recently signed contract extensions at the club, with it being understood that the question of whether those at the top of the hierarchy knew about Y11’s intentions when those deals were signed was raised by disgruntled players.
It’s understood players were told they had not been kept informed because of due diligence and confidentiality reasons, with doubts remaining about who in the Ospreys hierarchy knew what and when.
Players were also told that the Ospreys will still be around for at least 18 months and will be playing at St Helen’s next season. The club are currently signed up to a PRA agreement that runs until the summer of 2027.
Former Ospreys wing Alex Cuthbert had revealed on Tuesday the extent of the players’ frustration with the situation.
“I’ve spoken to quite a lot of the Ospreys boys and they’re not happy,” Cuthbert told BBC Scrum V. “There hasn’t been enough communication, especially from the top at the Ospreys.
“Somebody like Lance Bradley, who’s supposed to be that mediator, hasn’t been good enough.
“I think a lot of the players are very, very annoyed.”
The tense meeting is unlikely to be the last of its kind over the coming days and weeks.
A handful of WRPA player representatives will meet with the Professional Rugby Board on Wednesday to discuss the current situation.
