Frustrated: Jonathan Humphreys
Ospreys coach Jonathan Humphreys has ruled out any new recruits arriving at the region ahead of next season due to no finances.
Kahn Fotuali'i is one of the names leaving the region at the end of the season, but Humphreys has ruled out any new signings due to the region's lack of funding.
"We would love to spend in the summer but there is no money," said Humphreys to BBC Sport.
"There is no money at all for us and that comes from factors like having the least funding of anybody.
"Therefore, there is no money left to go and strengthen."
"Of course it's frustrating, especially when you are judged on what you win and how you go in the major competitions and everybody in that competition has more money than you to strengthen their squad.
"Look at Glasgow, they have gone on a helluva run purely on the strength of their squad. It is huge.
"Leinster will be the same. Munster next year will have the ability to go and get more players. Everybody is going to get stronger."
Humphreys also believes that the positioning of the Six Nations within the season should be reviewed, with the Ospreys losing several of their key stars to Wales during important phases of the season.
"I cannot see it improving and that is a worry," added Humphreys.
"If it stays as the format (the season) that we fund international rugby players and some of them we get for less than 10 games a a season, even though we are paying their wages, I think it makes sense it is at the end of the season.
"We need these players playing for us and there is a huge amount of rugby played when these boys are away. It doesn't make sense."
Comments
blueriver says...
Glsgow's run is purely because of squad strength?
Get over yourself Humphreys.
Posted 15:44 07th March 2013
kybone says...
GCP_jones- Im not sure that you're right about the Ospreys having 9,000 season ticket holders. They have had crowds of under 8,000 several times this season and their lowest of the season was just 5,500- so where are all these season ticket holders going on matchdays?
Posted 13:00 06th March 2013
quin_dub says...
Another reason for the good crowds at Irish Pro12 games is the lack of sporting competition for attendance..The other 3 main "stadium" sports in Ireland , Gaelic Football , Hurling and Pro Soccer are all Summer sports. So, in Ireland , if you want to go out and watch top level team sports in Ireland , Rugby is the only show in town from late September through to March - Hence the consistent crowds.
Clearly the success of the teams is a big help but in terms of getting the casual fan through the turnstiles the 1st few times with the hopes of converting them to season ticket holders , the lack of competition is a significant factor..
In Wales on the other hand , Cardiff and Ospreys are ground sharing with their biggest competition for supporters (Soccer) so they struggle to fill seats , add in lack-lustre success in recent years and the downhill slide becomes self perpetuating.
Posted 18:48 27th February 2013
melkdave says...
@Leinster_Goy
There are many reasons why rugby in Ireland is flourihing,yet seems to be failing in Wales and Scotland.
1ST-The provinces already had a rugby indenity,and rivalry,long before the Celtic League as it was then was started
2ND-The IRFU actually owns the teams and stadia ,and as such has the 2rd highest income of any union ,in the world,only behind the RFU .This means it can fund its teams very well compard to the WRU or SRU,to the tune of 100% more cash..Than the WRU and SRU can .afford ,and centaly contract players..
3RD-The two leading provinces after years of investment ,have had alot of succes recently,in the League and HC ,making people interested in the game .Everyone likes to support a winner after all.
Those are the three main reasons why rugby is flourihing in Ireland atm
Conversly in Wales .There is no regional or provincle or,county identity.so the WRU based the regions on clubs,They then made the big mistake of putting al 5 original regions into just one part of the country,along a 100 miles of the M4 .Yes it the most populous part of Wales ,but it alienated 4/5 ths of the country.Who just didnt have any representation at all,and as such arnt bothered ,and face very long journeys to support a Pro12 team.This also had the effect of making the catchment area for the new regional teams for supporters very small ,when compard to Ireland or English clubs ie about 20 miles square.Thus the Bridgend franchise failed from lack of supporters and it continues to this day.Most rugby supporters in Wales actually go to their local club,rather than a Pro12 game .Also all those old club rivalries still exsit in Wales so no Cross Keys supporter is going to support Cardiff or Newport ,and no Pontypridd or Pontypool supporter is going to support the Ospreys or Scarlets and vice versa Hope that clarifys the situation for you .at least as to the game in Wales
Posted 17:08 27th February 2013
GCP_jones says...
@makemehappy...
What you are saying about the success of the Welsh Soccer Clubs is very valid, a generation growing up will want to play for Swansea not the Ospreys.
@ melkdave...
I agree with you (for the most part) about the pro12, but on the plus side the Ospreys have 9,000 season ticket holders, Leinster have about 14,000, and around 10,000 at Ravenhill.
Even in Scotland the work being done both off and on the pitch at Glasgow is a positive step in the right direction. Scotstoun now attracts about 5,000 fans with its capacity set to increase further.
There are some positve developements, but a lot more work needs to go into the Pro12.
Posted 16:43 27th February 2013
kybone says...
I think he speaks a lot of sense regarding the structure of the season, and also the issue of the disparity in funding. I think it would be mutually beneficial to have the 6N in the summer. But it would replace a tour down to the SH which means that money would be lost, so they wouldn't go for it. On the funding issue, we've had debate after debate about how 'fair' it is that the French can just snap up all the best players because they have more money than the celtic teams, to the point where many Pro12 fans on here were calling for a Heineken Cup salary cap. And yet......there isn't even a Pro 12 salary cap! The likes of Leinster and Munster have roughly twice the wage budget of the 4 Welsh regions. With that in mind, its a minor miracle that the Welsh teams are even competitive against their Irish rivals.
Posted 16:18 27th February 2013
Dezz says...
As an Osprey supporter I find it embarrassing hearing drivel like this. Whats the money needed for? To recruit some foreigner on a huge salary. Stop paying huge sums to people who can't represent Wales and keep on developing our own. The regions had a chance to have their Wales players centrally contracted and they turned it down. Also with Swansea being in the Premier League in fagball and money being tight for most people, it seems that fagball is the preferred option to spend money on right now. Same with Cardiff whose fagball side looks like it will get promoted, even tougher times ahead for the Blues.
The only positive about having the Six Nations during the season is that it gives other players a chance/experience when the internationals are away. I'd prefer it towards the end of the season, better weather (hopefully) and the players would be better prepared for their respective tours. To much chopping and changing from one tournament to another at present.
Posted 15:06 27th February 2013
leinster_goy says...
ello ello, what's this then. the Jammy Dodgers jammed their way to a pro12 title last year with the help of lady luck and romain poite, apparently because of a burdgeoning youth academy and smart management. but now that their luck has run out, playing mediocre rugby and teetering precariously on the edge of the play-offs, they start whingeing about lack of moolah (and, hilariously, making a petulant dig at irish provinces like Leinster). whingey moany whingey whingey moan
Posted 14:03 27th February 2013
makemehappy says...
Idiotic recruitment policies, pricing and useless coaches have led to this problem at a regional level. At a Welsh level then clearly there is one too many region.
What was the point of the Ospreys having 7 international back row players (at one time) and yet have no quality centres. How did the coaches ensure that the Lions back 3, looked useless.
If the WRU don't fund the regions further, then this problem will only get worse. Football is on the up and the rugby regions simply aren't successful!
Posted 13:12 27th February 2013
risca30 says...
typical of the budgies, chirping and moaning!!!!!
Posted 11:50 27th February 2013
TurtyTree says...
It's such a difficult issue, but I agree that marketing of the Pro12 lies at the heart of the matter. Playing the internationals at end of season has done very little for Super 15 teams in the sense that you still have half empty small stadia for big games (eg Blues vs Crusaders at Eden Park) simply because it is cold, dark and raining in the middle of winter. The game more and more is being scheduled globally for tv money and the big international tournament/ tour... Funding primarily from the centre hasn't necessarily helped either eg in Australia where they are reducing central contributions because the game is still loss making. And if you look at the P&L for the Reds vs Tahs, the Reds can fill their stadium right up with families but make far less money because the Tahs have big corporate sponsorship - despite how awful they are... This seems to sync with how the Top 14 is better funded. And in Ireland the Pro12 is only shown on the all Irish speaking channel, where teh commentary is in a language everyone can no longer speak - mental... It's all about the marketing???
Posted 11:43 27th February 2013
Kid_Diablo says...
@melkdave: not the pro 12 the welsh, scottish and italian clubs. Irish teams have no problem getting " bums on seats " most of the time they have more fans than premiership teams. leinster get about 15 or 16000 per match 20000 sell outs for bigger games and move to the aviva and get 50000 for the biggest games.
Does the WRU not give any money to the regions ? the irfu gives money to all the provinces and centrally contracts a lot of players. surely the wru at least have the same amount of money, they have about 25000 more seats at the millenium and usually have one or two matches more than ireland per year
Posted 11:29 27th February 2013
melkdave says...
Something really has to be done about the Pro12 to get supporters bums on seatsSomehow the clubs and unions have to make the Pro12 matches exciting ,and meaningfull.Regular posters on site will know what i think needs t happen.Ive banged on about it for yrs.The annoying thing is there just seems to be no progress at all year on year,and the actual rugby played is of a good standard.The product is good the marketing is dredfull,and theres just no passion,or excitment for suppoters to latch onto .Big changes have tobe made asap,otherwise i can see quite a few clubs going bust ,
Posted 10:47 27th February 2013
whatisthis says...
More worrying signs for the welsh domestic teams. Their most high profile team with no money to spend. At least they are able to hold onto their welsh stars better than most of the other regions, i.e. Cardiff Blues
Posted 10:24 27th February 2013