The Ospreys have announced that, despite finalising the lease for their new ground at St Helen’s, the club will be playing their home games at the Brewery Field for the 2025/26 season.

Last week, Swansea Council approved the Ospreys’ planning application to build a new stadium on the St Helen’s Sport Ground site, with the region confirming that building work would be due to start in September.

However, with the project set to take months to complete – and Ospreys’ first home game of the 2025/26 season on October 11th – the likelihood of the club playing at their new ground on that date was always exceedingly slim.

As a result, Ospreys have agreed to ground share with the Bridgend Ravens at their home ground, the Brewery Field.

Eventually the St Helen’s site will include a new roof over the current terraces, a 3G pitch, refurbishment of the clubhouse, a fan zone, and the installation of new stands on three sides.

Ospreys say in their statement that the move to the Brewery Field is a ‘one-season relocation’ and asserted their plan for St Helen’s to be their home for the 2026/27 season.

“We are thrilled to have reached an agreement to finalise a lease for St Helen’s and look forward to seeing the redevelopment begin,” said Ospreys CEO, Lance Bradley.

“This marks another important milestone as we work to transform the iconic stadium into a modern sports facility, one that will serve not only the Ospreys, but also Swansea RFC, Swansea University, and the wider community.

“While we had hoped to have St Helen’s ready for this season, the proposed plans for a permanent South Stand, which came later in our planning process, meant that the timing was not feasible.

“It’s because we want to provide the best possible experience from day one that we have decided to play one season at the Brewery Field in Bridgend while we get St Helen’s to the standards that Ospreys and our fans expect.

“I’d like to personally thank Bridgend Ravens and Bridgend Council for being so accommodating in allowing us to play at Brewery Field this season. My thanks also go to the City and Council of Swansea for their continued backing in helping us bring our vision for St Helen’s to life.

“Finally, to our incredible supporters, thank you. You’ve stood by us through challenging times, and we can’t wait to welcome you to Brewery Field this season, and to St Helen’s in 2026.”

Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart added: “We’ve been working closely with the Ospreys and we fully understand and respect their decision. It means that they, as a business, can plan their 2025-26 season efficiently and professionally.

“We’re glad that their long-term plan is to develop our historic St Helen’s ground; we continue to work with them on that as indicated by yesterday’s announcement of our agreement to finalise a lease.

“The plans for the ground development – including some conditions – remain unchanged. We’re excited about the prospects that a new-look St Helen’s and the retention of top-flight rugby in Swansea will mean to local people and businesses.”

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