Ospreylia: How Welsh club looked Down Under

Ospreys, the Welsh rugby club, have announced the recruitment of four Australian players for the 2026-27 season. The four Wallabies - Liam Wright, Marika Koroibete, Lawson Creighton, and Ryan Smith - are set to join the club in time for the United Rugby Championship (URC) opener against Sharks in Durban on September 26.

Head coach Mark Jones admitted that the recruiting decision came about due to necessity. While the club had initially planned to finalize their recruitment by Christmas, the go-ahead from the Ospreys board came in May. Jones explained that the club needed to start recruiting soon, which led to the decision to bring in players from Down Under.

Wright, who has won six caps for the Wallabies, was the first signing. He had previously played for Queensland Reds and formed a strong bond with the lock the club had already acquired. Jones believed that recruiting from the same country would provide better cohesion among the new arrivals. The other three Wallabies were then recruited to ensure this cohesion.

All four players expressed their excitement about joining Ospreys. Wright, who has expressed his desire to play international rugby for Wales, is focusing on getting back to full fitness and helping the club to achieve success in the URC. Jones praised Wright's leadership skills and set-piece quality, while also highlighting the physical attributes of Foketi, the composure and work rate of Creighton, and the high-speed efforts and unique physical metrics of Koroibete.