Former Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones is reportedly set to join the Ospreys board as a director, with the region fighting for its continued existence amid Welsh Rugby Union plans to cut the number of professional teams from four to three.
The Ospreys and Scarlets have been pitted against each other in a direct fight for survival, after the WRU announced its decision to give the Dragons and Cardiff first refusal on two of the three available licences. Neither side has any interest in discussing a potential merger, with both regions already stating their own cases to represent west Wales in the long term and remaining defiant that four teams should remain.
Jones's Return to Ospreys
The Times reports that Jones, who made over 250 appearances for the Ospreys and won three Celtic League and Pro 12 titles with the region during his playing career, is set to rejoin his former side as a director. The publication reports that the legendary former lock will be contracted for two days a week and "wants to contribute meaningfully to the growth of the organisation" in the role.
In the short term, that will be dominated by fighting to ensure the club does not disappear in the coming months, with the union due to decide on which teams remain by March. Welsh rugby already feels like it is on a war footing and that seems likely to intensify in the coming months.
Background and Career
Since hanging up his boots in 2023, Jones, who won five Six Nations titles with Wales and played on four British & Irish Lions tours, has served as a strategic advisor for the National Institute for Sport and Health at Swansea University. He also completed a law degree during his playing career. His appointment is reportedly set to be confirmed in the coming days, and comes after the Ospreys heralded the start of a "new era" at the region, with extensive redevelopment work taking shape at St Helen's ahead of their return to the ground this season.
WRU Board Under Pressure
Both the Ospreys and Scarlets publicly accused Welsh rugby bosses of choosing the wrong path amid accusations of a lack of transparency, while also demanding that the WRU show the evidence used to decide west Wales should have only one team going forward. Earlier this week, influential businesswoman and former Cardiff director Hayley Parsons called for the board to resign en masse, before legendary dual-code international Davies echoed those calls in an explosive social media video, as he urged other former players to speak out and help oust the regime.
Having been placed under increasing pressure, the WRU board has now hit back at the calls, with its lengthy statement on Saturday defending the expertise of its current members and demanding critics provide "credible alternatives", while also slamming the "highly personal insults and attacks" it alleges have been directed at staff.
