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Ospreys name seven end-of-season leavers, including Alex Cuthbert
By Liam Heagney
Former British and Irish Lions winger Alex Cuthbert has been named as one of seven players who will exit Ospreys at the end of the United Rugby Championship season.
Cuthbert joins fellow departing Wales internationals George North and Nicky Smith. But unlike North and Smith, who have secured deals to respectively join Provence and Leicester, the 34-year-old Cuthbert doesn’t have a new club lined up.
Having last lined out for Wales in the 2023 Guinness Six Nations, he has made just three appearances in his third season at the Ospreys following his 2021 switch from Exeter and is currently injured after suffering a serious hamstring injury against Munster in March.
Ospreys’ final home match of the season is this Saturday’s derby versus Dragons and Cuthbert, North, and Smith will be farewelled along with wings Toby Fricker and Mat Protheroe, flanker Will Hickey, and scrum-half Cam Jones.
A statement read: “The Ospreys have confirmed the players that will be leaving the club at the club at the end of the 2023/24 season. The club would like to take this opportunity to thank all the players for their time at the Ospreys and wish them the best in their future endeavours.”
Head coach Toby Booth, said: “This part of the season is always a tough time, especially when you have to say goodbye to players that have given a lot to the club over the years.
“We wanted to get this announcement out before our last home fixture so that our supporters could join us in thanking the boys for everything they’ve contributed in an Ospreys jersey.”
Ospreys 2023/24 Leavers List:
Alex Cuthbert #263
Toby Fricker #282
Will Hickey #265
Cam Jones (scrum-half) #290
George North #232
Mat Protheroe #250
Nicky Smith #152
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Latest Comments
Fantastic idea to fix your annual showpiece fixture (from the Wallabies perspective) to a national holiday. Look at the success this has had in the USA, where NBA and NFL fans pack multiple arenas across the country on Christmas Day and Thanksgiving, the two most widely-celebrated national holidays in North America, with millions more tuning in on TV. This allows fans to create an association between the holiday and the game, while the ANZAC Day example has the added benefit of the same two teams (who are already established historical and geographical rivals) playing each year, adding to the sense of tradition and deepening the rivalry with each iteration.
Would love to see this more widely-implemented across rugby. For instance, Ireland should seek to tie the opening fixture of the Women’s Six Nations to St. Patrick’s Day and host the game in the RDS with the Leinster Schools Senior Cup Final serving as an opener (bonus points if you make the opponent England every year). Would pack out the stadium and the School’s final fans always bring fantastic atmosphere!
Go to commentsI don't know if the players have talk to Galthie, but they should talk to their employers, the clubs, first. After losing Dupont for at least 9 months, I am sure Toulouse will applause this idea with their two hands….
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