The road to RWC2023 continues as the 2021 Guinness Six Nations kicks off!
Our official travel partner, @sportsbreakscom, are giving you the chance to access RWC2023 ticket and accommodation packages 48 hours early!
All you need to do is sign up here:
Click here to visit Evan Evans Brewery website!
We’re excited to announce Sportsbreaks.com as our Official Travel Partner!
Sportsbreaks.com provide unforgettable fan experiences to some of the biggest events in the sporting calendar. Their travel packages remove the stress of organising travel and logistics, while also giving fans the opportunity to soak up the best of the local culture across everything from rugby union to football and Formula 1.
To celebrate the new partnership, Sportsbreaks.com are offering Ospreys supporters exclusive discount on next year’s Scotland vs Wales Six Nations Match Break!
Click here or on the join up button below and sign up to hear about official supporter travel and exclusive discounts.
Its that most wonderful time of the year, its the November Player of the Month vote!
In association with our new main sponsor, Evan Evans Brewery, we offer up four of the best from a roller coaster month that left us with a one out of four record. With the Welsh squad players away, we’ve seen what the rest of squad can deliver, so some familaiar faces, and some newcomers make this month’s shortlist.
For the first time, we’ve increased security around our voting system so we don’t have to spend so long cleaning up the votes cast – there’s been enough publicity over people questioning voting integrity across the pond, so we want to set a standard (that may be pushing it a bit). From now on, you will need to log into our website to cast your vote, so click on the link below or use LOGIN on the main menu to register your account and get voting!
Loading ...Voting closes 12th December. For a full lit of previous OSCA winners, click here
We are delighted to announce that West Wales Brewer Evan Evans has teamed up with the Ospreys Supporters Club to support the Welsh Rugby community.
Simon Buckley of Evan Evans said:
‘We are delighted to be supporting the supporters of the Ospreys around the world. We plan on working with the supporters club to support their work in 2021 and to help develop a new income stream for them to develop their interests in Club Rugby.
We are an International Award winning brewery and we will be offering the season ticket holders the opportunity to enjoy our beers at supporter club discounts.
We are looking forward to creating new opportunities for the supporters, and the various affiliated Ospreys Clubs across Wales.
This is a great opportunity for us all.’
Grant Berni, OSC Chair said
’We are looking forward to working with Simon and his team at Evan Evans, and developing a new and exciting relationship with one of Wales’ top brewers.
Nothing quite goes together like good quality beer and rugby supporters!”
Keep an eye out on our social media and our website for details of exclusive offers for Ospreys Supporters Club members! In the meantime, click here to find out more about Evan Evans Brewery
“Open letter to Mark Drakeford, First Minister of Wales 4th December 2020
Dear First Minister,
We are writing as executives and senior representatives of rugby, cricket, horse racing and football – the elite stadium sports in Wales.
Sport is a fundamental part of life in Wales. It puts our nation on the global stage and provides communities across Wales with a sense of belonging and identity. We form part of an an industry that employs thousands of people across the country, our contribution to the Welsh economy, employment and well-being is significant, but this is now at risk.
We urge Welsh Government to reconsider its approach to the socially distanced return of fans to our sports grounds by embracing the current Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) guidance known as “SGO2” and withdraw the variant “SG02W” which has been requested by Welsh Government.
On Monday 30th November, an in-person and virtual meeting was held at Cardiff City Stadium to consider the socially distanced return of fans to our stadia. It was attended by Welsh Government and representatives from WRU, FAW, the Welsh regions, Glamorgan cricket, horse racing and Welsh professional football clubs as well as SGSA, EFL and SAG. The meeting noted the publication of the SGSA guidance known as SG02, which is generally based on a social distance of one metre plus mitigations. The SGO2 guidance was issued following extensive consultation, it has underpinned the detailed planning for the return of fans to English stadia from 2nd December, and indeed has been widely acclaimed and shared by the SGSA with countries around the world.
Taking a more cautious approach, the Welsh Government asked the SGSA to prepare a version of SG02 based on a social distance of two metres. A draft (SG02W) has been received and circulated, but not published. We as a group of national governing bodies and senior clubs urge that this draft be withdrawn and that the Welsh government also embrace the highly regarded SG02 version and subsequently allow test events to be run using this guidance with events taking place as soon as possible.
We say this because while SG02 reduces expected attendances to between 25% and 35% of capacity depending on concourse densities and stadium layouts. The Welsh version would further reduce capacity to under 10% a level which in effect closes our businesses to the public indefinitely.
At the meeting, all sporting organisations were extremely disappointed by the lack of prior consultation and the entrenched position adopted by Welsh Government officials during the meeting left us full of concern. The situation is grave; the lack of a clear roadmap for the return of spectators in Wales poses the real risk of bankruptcy for our sports.
We manage highly regulated stadia, which are overseen by the SGSA who issue our licenses and Safety certificates in conjunction with our respective Safety Advisory Groups (which includes local authority, building control and the emergency services). We respect the need to return when it is safe to do so and acknowledge the need to follow science, yet highlight the reluctance of Welsh Government to look at a “managed and engineered solution” not present in the retail, construction, transport or hospitality sectors. SG02W will be a significant roadblock that does not offer us a pragmatic or sustainable solution and believe in order to move forward it is essential to have a transparent and collaborative approach with Welsh Government combined with Public Health Wales. This will ensure as a collective, we are able to produce a clear roadmap for meaningful pilot test events and the safe return of fans to sporting grounds and events.
You will also be very conscious that Welsh sports fans are watching what is happening over the
border. The clamour for the return of fans to supporting their clubs and national teams can only now
continue to increase as the governing bodies and sports clubs suffer without direction or a viable
road map in a time when their finances are crumbling before them.
For a nation that is small in size, Wales punches well above its weight in sporting terms; we want to
work with Welsh Government to ensure the survival of our people, clubs, businesses and the future
of sport in Wales.
So, as we stated at the beginning of this letter, we call on Welsh Government to withdraw SG02W
and embrace the published SGSA guidance SG02, commit to transparency on the science and a collaborative approach between the sporting bodies, senior clubs, Public Health Wales and Welsh
Government in order to provide a clear roadmap for meaningful pilot test events and the safe return
of fans to sports grounds.
Steve Borley –
Executive Director – Cardiff City Football Club
For and on behalf off
Steve Phillips – CEO, WRU
Jonathan Ford – CEO FAW
Hugh Morris – CEO Glamorgan Cricket Club
Julian Winter – CEO Swansea City FC
Gavin Foxhall – Director of Operations, Newport County
Mark Jones – Managing Director, Newport Gwent Dragons
Richard Holland – CEO Cardiff Blues
Philip Morgan – COO Scarlets
Andrew Millward – Managing Director, Ospreys Rugby
Phil Bell – Executive Director, Chepstow and Ffos Las Racecourse
Jeannie Chantler – General Manager, Bangor on Dee Races
Mark Williams – Executive Director, Wrexham FC
Todd Kelman – Managing Director, Cardiff Devils”
Scott Otten and Sam Cross are the first OSC Player Ambassadors
Ospreys Supporters Club are pleased to announce Scott Otten and Sam Cross as our first ever OSC Player Ambassadors. Huge thanks to them both for their enthusiasm for this venture, which will provide an invaluable link between players and the OSC. Thanks also to Ospreys for working with us to make this happen.
Grant Berni, Chair of OSC said:
“We’re looking to do something new to bring our players and supporters even closer together, so its fantastic to have both Scott and Sam on board as our first ever Player Ambassadors. Many thanks to you both for volunteering for these roles!”
It is hard to believe that we are writing this article to celebrate 10 years of the Ospreys Supporters Club! We seem to have come a long way since our initial attempts to get the whole concept off the ground, but that said there remains a lot to accomplish, as we contemplate the future of the Ospreys and discover further ways to give our team and their wonderful supporters the support that they deserve! To begin with though, let’s reflect on the evolution of the OSC and consider its achievements to date!
On Saturday April 10th 2010, the Ospreys faced Biarritz, away deep in the Basque country. The final result was a 29-28 victory to the home side, following a rather controversial decision at the very end of the game. Perhaps it is for the best, that the details of this decision, by one of Limerick’s finest, be left for discussion at a later date; however, the fact that remains that this game was to have a lasting effect for supporters who made the trip and those who watched events develop on the television, here in the Region!
The welcome shown to visiting Ospreys that weekend, proved to be the final motivational factor in the desire to establish an active supporters club! Shortly after returning from Biarritz, momentum came from the supporters themselves, and a post appeared on the Ospreys Fans Forum from a passionate Ospreys supporter named Mike Phippen, asking for five supporters to accompany him to a meeting with a representative of Ospreys Rugby; with a view to establishing a supporters club. The meeting duly went ahead, and the stage was set for the subsequent development of an official Ospreys Supporters Club, or OSC as it soon became known! Shortly afterwards, this fledgling group met for the very first time at Starbucks Coffee Shop, opposite the Liberty Stadium. Until recently, Starbucks displayed a plaque on the wall duly noting that the OSC had been founded there, sadly, following building work it disappeared never to return! So, a fledgling OSC took flight with Mike Phippen elected as chair, Paul Harris Secretary, Nathan Johns treasurer and Ray Morgan vice chair; all supported by an enthusiastic and dedicated committee.
Through consultation with Ospreys Rugby it was decided that OSC membership would be free of charge and be an inherent element of season membership. Thankfully, this practice endures and it would appear is valued by the members themselves! From the outset OSC produced a pin badge for its members, updated annually to reflect the team colours and delivered as part of the season ticket package. More recently, we have asked for a small donation of £1 for the pin badge, with profits donated to charity. They remain very popular and are proudly sported by the Ospreys faithful both at home and away from the Liberty Stadium!
For home games, the OSC organises bus transport to and from the Liberty Stadium from the Neath area and we are fortunate enough to have the support of a group of supporters in the Port Talbot area, who organise bus transport on our behalf. The committee would like to record our thanks to Julie Davies, a dedicated Ospreys supporter, for her tireless efforts with this bus service! Buses are also organised to venues within England and Wales, with many members availing themselves of this service. In terms of European travel, the Supporters Club tends not to organise official trips, but will share meeting points and any event invites from the opposition supporters groups. We hope to extend our travel advice further in the future!
When visiting clubs in European competitions, the OSC presents a plaque or a pennant commemorating the occasion; it is felt that it is beneficial to mark the visit and further emphasise the nature of the, “rugby family!” In addition, OSC organises meeting points for supporters to congregate and benefit from the whole experience of following the team!
An early priority for the Supporters Club was to spread the word regarding events, news and activities on offer to members. From the earliest days OSC has contributed to the Ospreys match day programme. In recent years, we have also produced and managed a highly successful Facebook and Twitter Page, together with our own Ospreys Supporters Club website! Why not join us on these media and keep up to date with what is happening down at Wales` most successful regional rugby team!
You might also be interested in keeping up to date with another exclusive OSC activity, the awarding of the OSCA (Ospreys Supporters Club Award) each month to the player selected by the supporters themselves. The award is in fact a “grogg,” crafted at the world famous “Grogg Shop,” in Pontypridd. However, unlike the famous caricatures of rugby players, footballers and other stars, this particular grogg cannot be purchased off the shelf! They are in fact made under license for OSC and are unique to the club. The grogg is an osprey running with a rugby ball and painted in the home strip of the season. The player`s number is displayed on the back and the name at the bottom of the statue. A larger grogg, mounted on a wooden plinth, is presented to the winner of the supporters, “Player of the Year.” Feedback has indicated that the players are enthusiastic at the prospect of adding the OSCA to their collection; a job well done one would like to think!
Probably the most significant and the writer would suggest, most successful project that the OSC has initiated, is the creation of a traditional rugby clubhouse, in the Riverside Lounge under the East Stand. Along the wall above the bar the visitor will find a rugby shirt from the 77 clubs that constitute the Ospreys Region. The collection is certainly impressive and is complimented by various artefacts collected from visiting supporters and from our travels. All visiting supporters are cordially invited to join the Ospreys faithful, both pre and post match, be it independently, or as part of their official supporters club and a warm, Welsh welcome is always assured!
The Riverside is also the setting for the presentation of the previously discussed, monthly OSCA awards and on occasions when an award is not being made, for interviews with the players. The Supporters Club remain grateful to both the players and Ospreys Rugby for facilitating and attending these post match events, which have proved to be so popular with supporters of all ages. To celebrate such events an OSC Player of the Month/ Season board has been placed on the wall behind the stage. This board lists the winners of the OSCA month by month and year by year accordingly. In addition, a signature board for all players who make the visit to our clubhouse is also available and is, it has to be said, rapidly filling up!
The OSC is a non profit making organisation, but since the earliest days, it has placed great emphasis on making a charitable contribution to the rugby community. Over the years, we have supported numerous charities and worthwhile causes. The funds to support these bodies, comes as a result of raffles and the proceeds of the sale of OSC badges. The generosity of the Ospreys supporters never ceases to amaze us and has meant that we have been able to support a range of good causes throughout the Region.
Among the charities and worthy causes that OSC have supported are:
| Season | Cause | £ |
|---|---|---|
| 2010/11 | Christchurch Earthquake Appeal | 250 |
| 2011/12 | Stepping Stones | 800 |
| 2011/12 | Gleision Miners’ Appeal | 1000 |
| 2011/12 | St. David’s Hospice | 531 |
| 2012/13 | Cwmtawe Youth Brass band | 250 |
| 2012/13 | Stepping Stones | 600 |
| 2013/14 | Cwmtawe Youth Brass Band | 250 |
| 2013/14 | Maesteg RFC Fire Reparation Fund | 400 |
| 2014/15 | Wales Deaf Rugby | 400 |
| 2014/15 | Wales Wheelchair Rugby | 400 |
| 2014/15 | Matavesi XV : Marie Therese House | 400 |
| 2015/16 | Macmillan (Marathon Des Sables – Paul Harries) | 242 |
| 2015/16 | Jerry Collins Memorial Fund | 638 |
| 2015/16 | Bowel Cancer Bike Ride | 212 |
| 2015/16 | Aberavon Green Stars RFC Clubhouse conversion | 280 |
| 2016/17 | Ospreys Wheelchair Rugby OSC Badge Sales | 1000 |
| 2016/17 | Interburns | 200 |
| 2017/18 | AWJ’s Testimonial Charities | 2132 |
| 2017/18 | Paul James’s Testimonial Charities | 500 |
| TOTAL | £10735 |
The charity we supported in the 2019/20 season is The Swansea Gladiators Rugby Team. This is a group of players, some with additional needs, that enjoy playing the game of rugby together! A very worthy cause and we hope to make a presentation to them in the near future!
From time, the OSC have arranged social events and Q&A sessions, with a range of players, officials and personalities from the world of rugby. They have proved to be very popular to date and these are definitely events that we hope to repeat in the future!
It is fair to say that the OSC has evolved in to a successful group and that evolution is very much ongoing. There have been changes to both the officers and the committee along the way, with everyone involved playing their part to make OSC a significant factor of the success of the Ospreys as a whole. Today the Supporters Club is still served by a committee of hard working Ospreys fans; committed to the Region and indeed the great game of rugby football as whole! We have planned a range of events for our 10th season and we will be in position to share these with you in the near future.
Before we finish though, we would like to share a couple of things with you. All members of the committee carry out their duties without any reward, financial or otherwise. Within the last 3 years, we have introduced a system of election for all committee members, based on a 3 year cycle. If you feel that you would like to become a committee member, please contact secretary@ospreyssupportersclub.com. If this is not for you, but you feel that you would like to help out on match days, events etc, again we would greatly value your assistance. Finally, we would like to stress that the OSC committee is not the OSC! You the members are the OSC and your feedback, suggestions and participation
are always welcome!
Gair i orffen. Mae pwyllgor CCG yn dal i’w fod yn ddiolchgar i chi, y gefnogwyr, sy wed
Dewch ymlaen y Gweilch! Come on the Ospreys
#OSC10
Social Media
Committee Members
Transport
OSC Badges
Funding
The 2019-20 season has been one like no other on and off the field – and not just for the Ospreys and the supporters club. The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic has hit world rugby hard, and for us that started with the announcement in February of the cancellation of our away trip to Zebre, before emptying the remaining Pro14 fixture calendar and finishing off the season behind closed doors, with little bubbles of supporters gathering together in garden pubs, living rooms and wherever else they could to cheer on the team in our two local derbies to close off a disappointing season.
I’d like to give thanks to all the committee members for the hard work put in throughout the season. Two of our officers have stepped down in the past few weeks and I’d like to note the contribution our former chair Nigel Jones and our former treasurer Geoff Jones (who has been with the OSC from the very start) in not only taking the OSC to the place we are now at but also to their contribution to the Joint Supporters Group – our platform for discussions between pro rugby supporters and the WRU.
In a season where our usual efforts to contribute to supporters’ matchday experience where severely impacted, before lockdown we still managed to put on live music both in the Riverside and also in Neath RFC for our 2 home games at the Gnoll, we held a Q&A with our new players in September and with members of the coaches and management team in October. This season’s mid-season quiz never happened due to covid – during a period where online or virtual quizzes seemed to be on offer every night of the week if you wanted one!
We recognise that times are very different and it may be a while before we get to return to grounds to watch live rugby, however this has not stopped us putting together an improvement plan intended to improve what the OSC offer and how we function as a committee. Effectively – we want to improve and be the best supporters club we can be. The plan will be to implement this over the coming season & whilst the coming season is still a reasonably significant unknown in terms of supporters, we will do our best to implement changes to improve what we do and how we do it.
We need to highlight that as the 2019/20 season drew to a close, this brought about the 10th anniversary of the formation of the Ospreys Supporters Club (thanks to Mike Phippen and the other early volunteers who started all of this and helped bring us to this historic landmark. Whilst our 10 year celebrations will be lot more “virtual” than we first imagined when we started planning how to celebrate 10 years, it is still a great achievement and I would like to thank all of the committee volunteers over the years, the Ospreys for backing the initial idea and also to our OSCA sponsors – but most of all, I’d like to thank the Ospreys season ticket holders/supporters/fans (call yourself what you like) for giving the OSC committee a reason to be. Here’s to the coming season – lets support the Ospreys in whatever way we are allowed under the latest covid guidelines!
Grant Berni
This is not the first time that I have delivered the Secretary’s report for the OSC, but I can say without fear of contradiction, that I have never delivered this report in anything like the circumstances , that I find myself now! Covid 19 certainly has had a dramatic effect on all aspects of everyday life and the world of rugby is certainly no exception to this. Opportunities to watch the team have indeed been very limited and I am sure that we are all hoping for an improvement in that area in the near future! In that vain, I would like to recognise all of those people in the NHS, Care and emergency services, commercial outlets etc, that have worked so hard to support us at this difficult time! Our heart goes out to all those who have lost someone as a result of the pandemic, be they staff, patients or residents. A special mention to all Ospreys supporters, who fall in to any of these categories!
Part of the OSC’s role has always been to support charities that have a connection in some way to the game of rugby. Our traditional methods have been through the sale of the annual OSC badge and by organising raffles, at certain home games. Obviously, the limitations of the season have severely impacted on both of these activities! Despite this, I am delighted to report that we have been able to make a cash donation to Swansea Gladiators, a team of youngsters with additional learning needs, within the Swansea area. We have also donated to the Neuro Injury Department, at Morriston Hospital. The connection here is that one of the East Stand regulars Leighton Edwards, annually organises sponsorship to grows his grey beard, to make donation to the unit. In addition to this, we have been able to support James Hook’s charities, nominated as part of his testimonial year. Notable achievements, given the complexity of the situation.
This season we bade farewell to two of the OSC officers, Chair Nigel Jones and Treasurer Geoff Jones. On behalf of the committee and the OSC membership, I would like to thank both individuals for their devotion and service, going backer a number of years! We wish
them all the very best for the future.
Hoffwn i ddweued diolch i bob aelod y pwyllgor, sy wedi gweithio mor galed yn ystod y tymor! Heb eich cyfraniad chi, byddai Clwb y cefnogwyr yn methu cario mas ei gwaith. Diolch o galon i chi igyd!
Similarly, I would like to thank all of the committee members for their efforts throughout the season. Without your tireless efforts we would not be able to function as a supporters club. Thanks again to you all! Ac yn deyrfynol, diolch yn fawr i chi, y cefnogwyr am eich cefnogaeth dros y tymor! Dwi’n hallol siwr fod cefnogwyr y Gweilch, yw’r gorau sydd ar gael! Rydyn ni gyd yn edrych ymlaen at y tymor newydd gyda gobaith yn ein calon a ffydd yn y tim!
And finally, thank you to you the supporters for your support over this difficult season! I am sure that the Ospreys supporters are the best there is! We are all looking forward to next season, with hope in our hearts and faith in our team!
Dewch ymlaen y Gweilch! Come on the Ospreys!
Keith Collins
There’s not a massive amount left for me to say as I think Grant and Keith have already covered everything. However, I just wanted to take this opportunity to say that it is an honour to be your Vice-Chair and I believe that the future is bright for us as a Supporters Club.
During our discussions for our 10 year anniversary celebrations, we asked ourselves ‘what does good look like?’ and this is a question that we must keep asking ourselves as we move forward. We must strive to be the best supporters club in Wales and constantly look to improve. Just like the guys on the pitch, we, as a committee need to work together as a team in order to provide our supporters with the best possible experience.
We want to further expand our relationship with the Ospreys, offer more transparency and guidance for our supporters and to try and enhance the match day experience for everyone. Obviously, not forgetting our excellent charity work for which we are mightily proud of! As Grant has already alluded to, this season we are celebrating 10 years of the OSC and we’ve got plenty to look forward to, with our first event happening this Thursday with our virtual ‘Meet the Coaches’ Q&A with Toby Booth and Brock James. There will be other events planned throughout the season with Player Q&As, Quizzes and other celebrations planned! We may not be celebrating as we
initially planned, but we will celebrate nonetheless.
This just leaves me to thank those who have left the OSC committee this year for all their hard work over the years. Their time, graft and guidance has been truly appreciated.
Sarah Davies
The OSC account closed at the end of our financial year (dated 31 st of May 2020), with a positive
balance of £1,515.
Without being in a position to circulate hard copies of the income and expenditure account, I will
just run through some of the main items that have resulted in us reporting that amount. If anyone
would like to see the full account, let me know and I can arrange for the information to be
circulated.
That is a quick summary of the main items that resulted in the balance of £1,515. From our badge sale profits, we will be making donations to the Swansea Gladiators and James Hook’s testimonial charity.
Just one final point to note in terms of finances. We have once again delivered the functions of the OSC without calling down any funding from the Ospreys themselves. Given the current climate and financial uncertainties facing sporting entities across the country, this is something we are particularly pleased to be able to highlight again this year.
Lousie Collins
Two places were available after the resignations from NJ and GJ. CG, who was a coopted committee member plus Annette Thomas were the only applicants. The vote confirmed both as committee members.
GB stated that amendments to the constitution could only be made at the AGM or a specially convened meeting. In view of that GB proposed a few changes:
1) Committee members would be expected to attend 75% of meetings per season, instead of 75% every 3 months.
2) In the event of a dispute re interpretation of the constitution, change from the Chairman will determine the
intended meaning to the majority of officers plus Vice Presidents. In the event of a split vote, the Chairman
will have the casting vote.
GB proposed that a new officer role be set up in response to the increase in Social Media and digital presence. MP said that he hoped that whoever took it on, did as good a job as LC and SD. GB proposed CG, nomination was carried.
Present:
GB, SD, LC, KC, JW, MP, CG, AT, IT, DP, LJ, Angela Collins, Nicholas Williams, Christine James, Karen Walters, Annette Thomas
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