Ospreys

Ospreys are the most successful Welsh rugby team in the professional era of rugby union. Not only have they won the PRO14 on four occasions (including instances when the competition was known as the PRO12 and the Celtic League), but they are the only Welsh regional team to beat a touring side. Back in 2006, they defeated Australia 24-16.

The Ospreys Rugby side represent Swansea, Neath and Bridgend in the PRO14, the Heineken Champions Cup and the European Rugby Challenge Cup. Due to the side's popularity in the region, they play many of their home games at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea, which holds around 21,000 fans.

The Ospreys Rugby team was formed in 2003 when the regional structure of Welsh rugby changed and several professional sides merged. Ospreys were formed when Neath RFC and Swansea RFC combined and the team is affiliated with a number of semi-professional and amateur clubs around the area rugby fans now call 'Ospreylia'.

Ever since the team's inception, they have been a competitive side. In their second ever season in the Celtic League, they won the tournament, winning an impressive 16 of the 20 games they played. They then followed up their championship win in 2005 with further successes in 2007, 2010 and 2012. In fact, this was a golden era for the Ospreys Rugby side. This is because, during this period, the team also won the Anglo-Welsh Cup in 2008 and finished as the tournament's runners-up the year before.

However, since the team's 2012 triumph, they have been far less successful. In fact, they've only reached the knockout stages of the competition once since then. That was in 2017 and the team was resoundingly beaten by Munster at the semi-final stage.

Similarly, since the formation of the Ospreys Rugby side, they've been unsuccessful in European competitions and the side have never once lifted either the Heineken Champions Cup or the European Rugby Challenge Cup. In both competitions, the side have never progressed past the quarter-final stage.

Over the years, several giants of international rugby have represented Ospreys. In fact, even though the Ospreys Rugby side only came into existence in 2003, a whopping 15 players have been selected for British and Irish Lions touring squads while representing Ospreys Rugby, with notable names including Gavin Henson, Shane Williams, Mike Phillips and Dan Biggar.

Although the team aren't currently as successful as they once were, the Ospreys Rugby squad remains packed with talented international stars and key figures of the squad include legendary Welsh lock Alun Wyn Jones, scrum-half Rhys Webb and wing George North.

Read on to learn even more about the Ospreys Rugby side. On this page, you'll find all the latest Ospreys Rugby news, results and fixtures.