Six months ago, the Ospreys were fighting for their survival. Today, they are announcing a major redevelopment of one of Welsh rugby’s most historic grounds — with work beginning next week on the transformation of St Helen’s ahead of the club’s first season there in 2026/27.
The contrast with where the club stood in February could hardly be starker. Swansea Council went to the High Court to seek an injunction to halt a WRU deal that it said would mean the end of the Ospreys as a professional regional side. Fans launched a 10,000-signature petition. MPs, the council leader and even Michael Sheen called for the WRU’s chair to go.
WRU chair Richard Collier-Keywood announced his departure in March — the man whose plans to restructure Welsh professional rugby had sparked the revolt. An Extraordinary General Meeting followed in April, at which the WRU initially doubled down on its three-team plan before the pressure from clubs, fans and politicians finally told.
The WRU then performed a U-turn — offering the Ospreys and Scarlets professional rugby agreements and stepping back from its plan to cut Welsh professional rugby to three teams. The turnaround was described by those who had fought for it as “a massive victory.”
Tuesday’s announcement is the first major visible sign of what that victory means in practice. The club is not just surviving — it is building.
The redevelopment plans centre on a new South Stand and a redeveloped West Stand and terrace. A dedicated fan zone will be created to improve the matchday atmosphere and experience, alongside expanded hospitality facilities designed to make St Helen’s a destination on and off the pitch.
(Image: Ospreys)
The work will be delivered in phases — allowing the club to play at St Helen’s throughout the 2026/27 season while construction continues around them. Further details on timelines and additional features will be shared as the project progresses.
Ospreys CEO Lance Bradley said the redevelopment was about building on St Helen’s proud history rather than replacing it. “This is an important moment for the Ospreys,” he said. “St Helen’s has a proud history, and these plans are about building on that to create a home that reflects who we are and where we’re going.”
Bradley paid tribute to Swansea Council — the same authority that had gone to court to protect the club — for their support throughout the process. “Working together has been vital in helping us move these plans forward and ensuring St Helen’s can become a venue that serves both the Ospreys and the wider community,” he said.
“We want to create a venue that brings people together, not just for rugby, but as a focal point for our community, whilst also giving our players and staff the environment they need to perform,” Bradley added.
He said the phased approach was critical to keeping the project on track. “Delivering this in phases allows us to move forward at pace while being able to play at St Helen’s next season, which is incredibly important to us,” he said.
The journey to this point has been long. St Helen’s was named as the Ospreys’ preferred location in July 2024, following a battle with Bridgend’s Dunraven Brewery Field for the right to host the club. The planning application followed in June 2025, and Swansea Council’s ruling cabinet approved the principle of the investment in December 2024.
St Helen’s is one of the most historic sports grounds in Wales — a venue that has hosted rugby and cricket at the highest level for well over a century, and the scene of some of the greatest moments in Welsh sporting history. It was here that Gareth Edwards, Barry John and the great Wales sides of the 1970s played some of their finest rugby.
The ground has also been the home of Swansea RFC — whose final match on the famous St Helen’s turf took place in April, drawing fans who came to celebrate the pitch that had hosted legends before the Ospreys took over.
Season memberships for the 2026/27 campaign go on sale on Tuesday 26 May — giving supporters who fought so hard to keep the Ospreys alive the chance to be part of the first season at the new St Helen’s from the very beginning.
