Former flank takes the Ospreys' reins
Former Ospreys loose forward Steve Tandy has been appointed as head coach of the Welsh region following the departure of Sean Holley and will take charge of team affairs immediately.
Tandy was an Ospreys ‘original’, having been a part of the set-up since the inception of regional rugby, and will be assisted by current forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys, with the full make-up of his coaching team to be confirmed.
The 32-year-old Tandy made his Ospreys debut in September 2003 against Leinster at Donnybrook and played 102 times for the Ospreys, scoring 10 tries, with his final appearance coming against Edinburgh in March 2010.
The former loose forward cut his coaching teeth within the Ospreys age-grade set-up, taking the Under-16 squad to the WRU Regional Age Grade Championship before becoming head coach at Bridgend Ravens, where he led them back into the Welsh Premiership last season at the first attempt.
While at Bridgend, he combined his time with a coaching role at the Ospreys, first working with the B group of players at the region, and then as technical coach. During this season’s Anglo-Welsh Cup campaign, he stepped up as acting head coach.
Speaking about his new post Tandy commented: “This is an excellent opportunity for me and I’m really excited about the challenges ahead. Clearly there’s an air of expectation on whoever is in charge at the Ospreys, but having been here since the very beginning I know what to expect.
“The Ospreys are my home region and I was lucky enough to be able to wear the shirt on 102 occasions. When I was still playing I worked hard to develop as a coach and I’ve been fortunate to be at a region that values coach development as it’s allowed me to get some fantastic experience within the Ospreys and at Bridgend.
“I enjoyed taking charge of the team during the Anglo-Welsh Cup and I’m confident in my ability to be able to make a success of this opportunity. It’s a tough job, but I share the Ospreys ambitions and want to be able to play my part in us achieving those ambitions,” he explained.
Tand then outlined his vision for the team, focusing on consistent success from the word go at the Liberty Stadium.
“Initially, my focus will be on attempting to finish this season on a high. We are in a good position in the Pro12 with eight games to go, and the target is for us to achieve a home semifinal.
“We want to maintain both our position as the leading Welsh region and our proud record in the competition, which I was fortunate enough to win three times as a player. I know I’ve got the support of the players, staff and directors at the Ospreys and hope that the fans will also be behind me, starting on Friday night,” he said.
