This post was originally published on this site.
Swansea Council have had their say
Swansea Council have doubled down on their claim the Welsh Rugby Union has indicated the Ospreys have no viable future, despite a strong rebuttal from Ospreys CEO Lance Bradley.
Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart and Bradley are at loggerheads after a meeting on Thursday led to both claiming very different outcomes. All the while fans are left fearing for the future of their team.
Over the past 18 months, Swansea Council and Bradley have been working in partnership to redevelop St Helen’s ahead of next season, but this is dependent on the WRU confirming the Ospreys will be part of Welsh rugby’s new structure.
Stewart went public on Thursday after meeting with Bradley and Tierney, claiming there was a clear indication given from bosses the Ospreys have “no viable future under their new arrangements” after the club’s owners, Y11, were confirmed to be in the process of buying Cardiff. As a result, he announced the council is withholding £5m of investment for the St Helen’s plan, leaving it in limbo.
In an email to staff, seen and reported by WalesOnline earlier on Sunday evening, Bradley claimed the Swansea Council statement was “categorically incorrect”, insisting he would have told them if that was the case. You can read the full email here.
But, after getting approached by WalesOnline for comment, Stewart refused to budge, saying he is adamant Bradley will be proved incorrect as the council considers all options, which could include legal action.
A Swansea Council statement read: “Swansea council fully stands by its statement and is continuing to explore all options.
“We are confident that when the full details are able to be shared publicly, the email issued by the Ospreys will be confirmed to be inaccurate.
“The Ospreys and WRU can offer no guarantees beyond the end of 2027 that the Ospreys will be playing regional rugby in Wales as they do now. That is what they need to do and do quickly for the sake of the fans, the team, the staff and the public
“We stand ready to enact the cabinet report and release the proposed St Helen’s investment.
“We intend on saying more this week on the matter.”
In his email to all staff, Bradley wrote: “It is extremely disappointing that Swansea Council should choose to disclose any contents of what was agreed to be a confidential meeting, and in particular that they should report something which was not said or implied.
“I will be taking the matter up with Rob Stewart, Swansea Council leader, tomorrow.
“I realise that this is a difficult time for everyone, but as always, to the best of my ability I will give you information about what is happening before anyone else hears about it.
“If there was no ‘viable future’ I would have told you.”
