Wales rugby crisis: Ospreys fans protest against WRU and Y11

Wales rugby crisis: Ospreys fans protest against WRU and Y11

There has also been a petition organised by the official supporters groups of Ospreys, Scarlets and Dragons calling on the WRU to stop its plans of cutting a side.

“This week is the resurgence of fans from all over Wales, the other regions joining as well as they realise how badly the Ospreys have been treated,” said Gough.

“The transparency hasn’t been there. Other fans have realised that could happen to them as easily and as quickly in the manner which it has been done to Ospreys.

“It has been the realisation of what was going on. We’ve been kept in the dark.

“There is unrest among Cardiff supporters, they’re not happy about how this has been handled and the implications.

“That has brought a sense that none of us are safe.”

Gough also highlighted the human element.

“This has been done in such a brutal manner, you have to think of people’s families and livelihoods and their mental state,” said Gough.

“It affects everything and galvanised people against the WRU. It’s the Welsh village mentality that has brought us together with a common cause.”

Not all Welsh fans have backed the petition, which has not been supported by “Crys 16”, the self-styled official supporters trust of the Scarlets who have a seat on the board of the organisation.

Another fans body, calling themselves the Scarlets official supporters group, has urged people to sign the petition.

This highlights the divide between the Scarlets fans because if the Ospreys somehow survived but WRU still wanted to cut a team, it would likely to be a straight shootout between Ospreys and Scarlets for the west licence in a possible tender process.

So as Welsh rugby often encourages, even demands, self-preservation is the key.

If the Ospreys are preserved as a professional side beyond 2027, with the preferred option for the WRU they are not, remains to be seen.

At least the governing body now know the Ospreys fans will not go quietly. Whether that is enough to save their team, we will wait and see.

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