Ospreys

History of Ospreys

Not only have Ospreys won the United Rugby Championship on four occasions (including instances when the competition was known as the Celtic League and the Pro12), but they are the only Welsh regional team to beat a touring side. Back in 2006, they defeated Australia 24-16.

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 that rugby fans now refer to as 'Ospreylia'.

Ever since the team's inception, they have been highly competitive. 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 union 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, the team now regularly finishes towards the bottom half of the table. 

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 European Rugby Champions Cup or the EPCR 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 union side only came into existence in 2003, a whopping 17 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 prop Gareth Thomas, lock Rhys Davies and scrum-half Kieran Hardy.  

Think the Ospreys rugby union team can recapture their former form and win the United Rugby Championship this season? Follow their progress with RugbyPass.