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'.
Stephen Geoffrey 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.
Alun Wyn Jones is a Welsh former international rugby union player who played as a lock. He played most of his career for Ospreys and for the Wales national team. He is the world's most-capped rugby union player, with 158 caps for Wales and 13 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 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 union player who last played for the Dragons.
Kenneth James Owens is a former Welsh rugby union player who played as a hooker for the Scarlets and Wales. He made his debut for the Scarlets in 2006, taking over from Matthew Rees as their first-choice hooker upon Rees' departure for the Cardiff Blues in 2013. He also served as backup to Rees, among others, for Wales following his debut against Namibia at the 2011 Rugby World Cup. In 2016, he took over as Wales' first-choice hooker, and in January 2023, following almost a year out with a back injury, he was named as captain for the 2023 Six Nations Championship.
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 Welsh rugby union coach and 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.
Ifan Phillips is a Welsh rugby union player who played for the Ospreys as a hooker. He is a Wales under-20 international and was part of the squad that achieved the Grand Slam in the 2016 Six Nations Under 20s Championship.
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.
The 2021–22 season was Ulster Rugby's 28th season since the advent of professionalism in rugby union, and Dan McFarland's fourth season as head coach. They competed in the inaugural United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup.
