URC chief Anayi welcomes Ospreys as Welsh play-off qualifier

United Rugby Championship (URC) chief executive Martin Anayi says Ospreys becoming the first Welsh side to reach a play-offs in six years will boost the league.

Ospreys finished the regular season eighth and will travel to face defending champions Munster in the quarter-finals on Friday evening.

“We are most proud to see all sides from all nations represented in the play-offs,” said Anayi.

“It shows the competition is structurally sound and to get Ospreys through as a Welsh qualifier and Benetton from Italy is very pleasing.”

Scarlets were the last Welsh winners of the tournament when they lifted the Pro12 crown in 2017.

The interest from the Welsh public in the tournament is not growing as much as in other nations, but Anayi remains positive about its future in Wales.

“We definitely saw when the Scarlets were winning the league attendances were up,” said Anayi.

“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.

“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.

“The interest hasn’t actually diminished in Wales, it’s still growing. It’s just not growing as fast in the other countries, it is our job to increase that.”