Ospreys close to signing WRU’s new PRA contract – Lance Bradley

The Ospreys have announced that work on the redevelopment of St Helen’s Stadium in Swansea will start next week.

The ground will be the region’s new home after a season spent playing at Brewery Field in Bridgend for the past nine months.

Key features of the plans include a new South Stand and a redeveloped West Stand and Terrace.

Despite delays in funding from Swansea Council due to uncertainty surrounding WRU plans, Bradley insisted the ground would be usable in time for the start of their 2026-27 campaign.

The Ospreys are away for the first of three United Rugby Championship (URC) matches with the first home league game against the Dragons on Saturday, October 24.

“What we’re working on with the council is a facility that’s fantastic not only for the Ospreys but also for the community,” Bradley told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.

“Obviously the timescales are tight to get everything ready before our first game, so we will do things in stages, but we will have a stadium we can be proud of in time for the start of next season.”

The Ospreys chief executive, however, admitted that rebuilding will continue once the team begins its new campaign.

“It will continue at some point later,” he added, “but before the first game everything we need for the season will be complete.”

Also speaking on Radio Wales Breakfast, Swansea City Council leader Rob Stewart denied suggestions of strained relations between the rugby club and the local authority in recent months.

“We’ve been good partners through this whole process and actually trying to get understanding and clarity from the WRU through this,” he said.

“We’ve had to navigate some really difficult times, a process we’ve challenged legally and are still prepared to take legal action in court if necessary because of the way the WRU has chosen to move forward.

“This unfair process that the WRU started we still believe is now dead in the water and ourselves, the Ospreys, Lance can now move forward with rebuilding the ground so Swansea and South West Wales fans can come to St Helens and enjoy first class rugby.”