The Ospreys, formerly the Neath–Swansea Ospreys is one of the four professional rugby union teams from Wales. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. The team formed as a result of Neath RFC and Swansea RFC combining to create a new merged entity, as part of the new regional structure of Welsh rugby, that began in 2003. They are also affiliated with a number of local semi-professional and amateur clubs, including Welsh Premier Division sides Aberavon RFC, Bridgend Ravens, and original founding clubs Neath and Swansea. The regional area represented by the team has widely become known for rugby purposes as 'Ospreylia'.
Steve Thompson MBE is a former rugby union player who played at hooker for Northampton Saints and England. He was once England's most capped hooker, and played for the British & Irish Lions.
Waunarlwydd Rugby Football Club are a Welsh rugby union club based in the village of Waunarlwydd, Swansea. Waunarlwydd are a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and are a feeder club for the Ospreys.
James William Hook is a retired Welsh rugby union player. Hook has won 81 caps for Wales and is Wales' fifth highest all-time points scorer. Most often playing as a fly-half, Hook is known as a utility player, and has also played as a centre, wing and fullback.
Matthew Rees is a Welsh former professional rugby union footballer who played as a hooker. After beginning his career with Tonyrefail RFC and Merthyr RFC, he made his professional debut for Pontypridd RFC in 2001. With the arrival of regional rugby in Wales in 2003, he joined the Celtic Warriors, but their closure a year later led to him signing for the Llanelli Scarlets. He played more than 180 matches for the Scarlets, captaining them on several occasions, leading to his first Wales call-up in 2005.
Alun Wyn Jones is a Welsh international rugby union player who plays as a lock for Toulon and formerly for the Wales international team. He is the world's most-capped rugby union player, with 158 caps for Wales and 12 for the British & Irish Lions, and also holds the records for the most Wales caps and the second most Wales caps as captain. He retired from international rugby in 2023.
David Mefin Davies is a Welsh former rugby union player who played as a hooker for the Ospreys and the Wales national rugby union team.
Barry Hugh Williams is a Welsh international rugby union player. He played hooker. In 1997, he toured South Africa with the British & Irish Lions and at the time played club rugby for Neath RFC.
Richard Hibbard is a retired Wales international rugby player who last played for the Dragons.
Lloyd Burns is a former Wales international rugby union player. Burns played in the hooker position and played his club rugby for Newport Gwent Dragons having made his debut in the 2008–09 season. He previously played for Pontypool RFC and Cross Keys RFC. Burns also represented Wales at under 16 level.
Chris Whitehead is a rugby union player for Exeter Chiefs in the Aviva Premiership. His position of choice is Hooker.
Scott Williams is a Welsh international rugby union player who currently plays for the Scarlets in the United Rugby Championship.
Hanno Dirksen is a South African rugby union player currently playing for NOLA Gold of Major League Rugby (MLR).
Scott Baldwin is a former Welsh international rugby union player. He played as a hooker for the Ospreys, Harlequins and Worcester Warriors.
Alex Jeffries is a Welsh former professional rugby union player who played as a prop. He retired from rugby due to a neck injury in April 2023.
Ethan Lewis is a Welsh rugby union player who plays as a hooker for Ospreys. He was a Wales under-18 and under-20 international.
Leon Michael Brown is a Welsh international rugby union player who plays for the Dragons regional team as a prop forward having previously played for Cross Keys RFC.
Dewi Lake is a Welsh rugby union player currently playing for United Rugby Championship side Ospreys and the Wales national side as a hooker. Lake made his international debut against Ireland in the 2022 Six Nations Championship.
Luke Morgan is a Welsh rugby union player who plays for the Ospreys as a wing. Born in Bridgend, Wales, he was a Wales under-20 and Wales Sevens international.
