URC Chief Delighted with Ospreys’ Historic Play-off Qualification
United Rugby Championship (URC) chief executive Martin Anayi has expressed his delight in seeing Ospreys become the first Welsh side to reach the play-offs in six years. This, he believes, will provide a significant boost to the league.
Ospreys finished the regular season in eighth place and will now travel to face defending champions Munster in the quarter-finals on Friday evening. Anayi stated, “> We are most proud to see all sides from all nations represented in the play-offs. It shows the competition is structurally sound, and to get Ospreys through as a Welsh qualifier and Benetton from Italy is very pleasing.”
The last Welsh winners of the tournament were the Scarlets, who lifted the Pro12 crown in 2017. Anayi acknowledged that the interest from the Welsh public in the league has not grown as rapidly as in other nations, but he remains positive about its future in Wales.
“We definitely saw when the Scarlets were winning the league, attendances were up. The Welsh audience want to support a winning team. When we had Scarlets winning the league, we were in pretty good shape in Wales, and Ospreys are the side ranked second with league wins,” Anayi explained.
He added, “> We had good audiences through those years, so success is a good driver in URC with Welsh teams. Hopefully, the teams are going to be strong in the next couple of years, and we will see that bounce back.”
Anayi emphasized that the interest in Wales has not diminished, but it is simply not growing as fast as in other countries. He stated, “> It’s our job to increase that.”
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