Swansea set to have stunning new beachside stadium built with club to leave 21,088-seater current home
OSPREYS have unveiled plans for an ambitious makeover of St Helen's stadium.
The Swansea-based rugby union side are moving to the beachside venue for next season.
Advertisement
3
Ospreys are preparing to move to a new home later this year
Credit: Reuters
3
Plans have been submitted for a makeover of St Helen's on the city beachfront
Credit: Osprey Rugby
3
The rugby and cricket venue is located just off the sand
Credit: Alamy
Ospreys have been sharing with Championship side
But they are making the switch to St Helen's midway through the 2025/26 campaign.
The venue - which hosts both rugby and cricket - is located just metres from the beach in the Welsh city.
And the club are planning an ambitious makeover to create an 8,000-seater hub for elite rugby in the region.
Advertisement
READ MORE ON SPORT
Phase one of the work will see a 4G pitch installed with a cover built over the existing terrace.
Three new stands will then be built, as well as a new fan zone.
Following completion of the ground, state-of-the-art training facilities will follow later.
Ospreys chief executive Lance Bradley said: "This is a vital step toward bringing our long-term vision to life.
Advertisement
Most read in Rugby Union
BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK
"It reflects our belief not only in the transformation of St Helen's, but in the strength of our future, rooted in Swansea and powered by our supporters.
"This is about more than new stands or improved facilities.
Shocking moment enormous brawl breaks out in rubgy league after 'horrendous hit'
"It's a statement of intent about who we are, where we belong, and where we're going.
Advertisement
"Our goal is a world-class home for elite rugby, community sport and shared experiences that inspire pride across the region."
The plans come despite Ospreys being in dispute with the Welsh Rugby Union over funding.
Bradley added: "We are still talking with the WRU about the situation and if we were not confident of a positive outcome that would make things a lot more difficult.
"The fact we are proceeding full steam ahead with the development does shows a level of confidence."
Advertisement
Swansea Cricket Club share the St Helen's site and will remain playing at the venue for the 2025 season.
As a result, Ospreys will likely not play at the site until at least December.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
39 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
'It's funny being on the same side as him' - No lingering Lions tension for Russell and Sexton
Any suggestion that Johnny Sexton and Finn Russell might have trouble coming together as parts of the same team would have been cut short last week when the British and Irish Lions went about their business at the UCD Bowl. Opposing tens for so many years with Ireland and Scotland, Sexton had retired by the time he spoke publicly about the 'flashy' nature of the Bath out-half and how Owen Farrell would be his own preference for a Lions playmaker. That was before his appointment as an assistant coach with a Lions squad whose most experienced out-half is none other than Russel. So, Sexton was keen to dismiss the import of those words when facing the media in Dublin last week. Blown out of proportion, he said. That old chestnut. In truth, this was absolutely a potential source of angst and awkwardness in a camp that has little time to bring disparate personalities and erstwhile enemies together for a tour on the opposite side of the world and at the fag end of a long season. Word has it that Andy Farrell went about lancing any possible boil by addressing it in front of the wider squad. Whatever was said, or not, Russell is adamant that the two of them have found themselves on the same page, on and off the field. 'It was never a thing almost,' said the 32-year old. 'When we came in we had a laugh straight away and Andy kind of put it to bed so that was good. Not that it was ever going to be an issue, I don't believe. 'We're all here with the same goal, which is to win the series. I've only been here a few days but it's been good working with Johnny. I'm happy to bounce questions off him and chat to him about what he's seeing because with the numbers we've had he's had to jump in sometimes. 'So it's been quite funny being on the same training side as him.' That assimilation is key to every Lions tour. There are a record 18 Irish players in the squad, two-thirds of those from the one province, while the likes of Northampton Saints and Glasgow Warriors are supplying their own fair shares to the travelling party. That Irish core has been buttressed in the coaching staff and in the various support departments. Farrell has always been credited with a high level of emotional intelligence, though, so any barriers should be overcome. 'I wouldn't say there's barriers,' said Russell. 'Players are going to have players they're more friendly with. If you've got a pair of old Leinster boys you know each other very well. I know the Scottish boys and English guys know the English guys and Welsh are the same. 'You're always going to get these pockets where you're more comfortable with each other but over the last few days it seems like everyone's mixing really well. When you get into it you become a team so quickly. For us coming in this week you saw the boys had relationships and that was all built from last week in Portugal. 'It does change so quickly and you build these relationships so quickly. Whether they're an Irish set up or an English, Scottish or whatever it is, I don't think it makes too much of a difference. We're all here with the same goal and trying to pull in the same direction.' Russell flew into Dublin on the back of Bath's Premiership title in 29 years and one that sealed a treble thanks to the already claimed Premiership Cup and Challenge Cup trophies. All that and a new three-year deal with the West Country club. Fin Smith is a superb out-half who did fine against Argentina on Friday. Marcus Smith started that one at full-back and seems third in line for the No.10 short as things stand. Russell is also the only one who has worn this shade of red before. Part of the controversial 'Geography Six' called up towards the end of the 2017 tour to New Zealand, he travelled from the off four years later in South Africa and produced the first real dash of the tour when finally given his Test shot ten minutes into the final game. This really should be his time. Farrell has talked about the later arrivals having to play catch-up and he has no problem with that after celebrating Bath's triumph last weekend and joining the Lions party only last Monday. New playbook, different words, unfamiliar faces. That's just the gig. Friday's opener against the Pumas, regardless of the disappointment with the result and collective performance, was always going to help in getting people on the same page, but it might be a few more runs before we can figure out what sort of rugby team this Lions outfit will be. Tommy Freeman has voiced an intent to play on a side that plays heads-up rugby and scores plenty of tries. Well, as a winger, he would. The reality can be more pragmatic for the game's most famous tourists, but what does Russell see as the 'Lions way'? 'I wouldn't say there's a typical Lions way. That would depend on the coach," he replied. "With Andy there and the coaching staff we've got here, it's hopefully going to be a free-flowing, fast style of rugby we're going to play. There's obviously a lot of structure in there but then at times if there's no structure we're happy to play unstructured rugby as well. 'So it's getting that balance of using structure to create unstructured, and then go from there. It's just different types of coaching. I wouldn't say there's a Lions way of playing. It depends on the coach, it depends on the players.'
Irish Examiner
6 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Bradley admits leaders Rovers are keen on Masterson coup
Conor Masterson would be of interest to Shamrock Rovers if the former Liverpool centre-back was to become available. Masterson (26) was in Tallaght on Friday to watch the Hoops swell their lead at the top of the table to 11 points following a 4-1 mauling of Cork City. He's just completed his season at English League Two Gillingham but is out of contract next week and yet to agree to an extension. Previously, he featured in the Championship for Queen's Park Rangers and was once part of Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool first-team squad. He famously joined the Reds from his local Lucan United club in 2014 on a record package of €525,000. The defender from Celbridge has options to move up a tier to League One but both Damien Duff and Stephen Kenny are interested in bringing him to Shelbourne and St Patrick's Athletic respectively ahead of their European campaigns. Masterson was a regular during Kenny's year in charge of Ireland's U21s. Hoops boss Stephen Bradley was asked about the presence of Masterson as a club guest and while he stressed no talks have occurred he'd be open to exploring the prospect. Bradley has an embarrassment of riches in terms of squad depth, able to rest Jack Byrne, Graham Burke, Matt Healy and Lee Grace ahead from Friday with the derby against Bohemians in mind. Retaining freshness is his priority, evidenced by his strike force bolstered by the capture of Irish League sensation John McGovern from Dungannon Swifts. He'll be available after the window opens on June 1, the same date Masterson can join alternative employers. 'Look, Conor is a good player and there's no getting away from that,' admitted Bradley. 'He has been that since he was 14 years of age. We all remember that and that hasn't changed. 'We want good players here. I don't know what his plans are, I don't know anything about them and that's being genuine. 'I'm hearing that teams have offered him deals, I don't know how true it is. All I know is we haven't spoken to him. But if it's something that he was coming home, we'd obviously be interested in good players.'
The Irish Sun
7 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
‘Extraordinary' Royal Ascot row breaks out as livid trainer blasts his own jockey over ‘terrible' ride
AN 'extraordinary' Royal Ascot row has broken out - after a jockey slated his own jockey over a 'terrible' ride. French handler Jerome Reynier was absolutely furious with US-based jockey Flavien Prat's effort on Facteur Cheval in Wednesday's Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes. 2 Flavien Prat has won over £100million in his career but was slated for a 'terrible' ride by a furious trainer at Royal Ascot Credit: AP 2 Facteur Cheval was up with the red-hot pace early on - a move that proved costly as he ran out of gas and finished only sixth The six-year-old gelding, who has won almost £4million in his brilliant career, was sent off 25-1 for the 1m2f contest. But his trainer believed those odds were nowhere near a true reflection of his ability. And he clearly thought that the horse had a chance if Prat followed his instructions. However, that all appeared to go out the window early when Facteur Cheval chased breakneck 100-1 pace-setter Continuous. Facteur Cheval was later dropped back but unsurprisingly ran out of gas and finished a limp sixth of eight behind superstar winner Ombudsman. Reynier, still seething when speaking to the media days later, hit out at Prat's tactics - which, despite the disastrous effort, still netted the horse's owners £14,000. He said: "He (the horse) has come out of the race well, despite his jockey doing absolutely nothing to help him. "I think it was perhaps the worst ride given to one of my horses since I became a trainer. Most read in Horse Racing "In a race with loads of pace, he elected to lead the chase [of the pacemaker]. "He was the first to commit on the turn for home and launched his attack three wide with no cover and too far out. "He thought he was at Santa Anita or Del Mar where they have short straights and the tracks are flat. "And I don't think it was a judicious move to use a jockey who rides in that style. "It was just a terrible ride." French-bron Prat is one of America's top jockeys and had amassed prize money earnings there of more than £11m this calendar year alone. Over the course of his career in the States, Prat has recorded 1,995 wins and earned more than £150m in winnings. FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. . Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Read more on the Irish Sun Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
