THE Ospreys have urged their fans to help them stay competitive in European rugby by packing the Liberty for the Boxing Day derby against the Scarlets.
The stadium in Swansea hasn't witnessed a rugby match in front of a sell-out audience since the clash between the neighbours four years ago.
It has seen only two other 20,520 crowds for the sport in its seven-year existence — the 2006 Christmas derby against the Scarlets and the clash with the touring Australians the previous month.
There are a couple of thousand tickets left for the game in five days' time, with the Ospreys "hopeful" they can go close to selling out, something chief operations officer Andrew Hore says would be of huge significance.
"The first thing to say is that we are delighted with the response of our supporters for this game," said Hore.
"We are hopeful we can go close to a sell-out and if we can get there it would mean a huge amount to everyone at the Ospreys.
"Not only would a big crowd have a hugely uplifting effect on the players, it would also help us achieve our stated aims of keeping young talent in Wales and adding to the depth of our squad to help us stay competitive in European rugby.
"We also want to help the community game as best we can.
"These are the things good support allows us to do.
"The evidence that we are investing in local talent was there to see last weekend against Toulouse.
"The likes of Lloyd Peers, Eli Walker, Ryan Bevington, Dan Biggar and Justin Tipuric are boys from this region who are giving their all for the shirt; James King has come through our academy and loves playing for the Ospreys.
"We see them as the future of the Ospreys, but everything we do has to be within budget and that's where the fans come in. They can really help."
The Ospreys hope to benefit from their 17-6 Heineken Cup win over Toulouse, a success they have styled as their "greatest ever" European triumph.
"It would be nice if the supporters rewarded the players for that effort," said Hore.
"Every one of the players says how much playing in front of a big crowd means."
To continue the theme of pitching for bigger crowds, the Ospreys have put together a package that will allow supporters to see three home games in the new year for just £35.
The matches covered are the Pro 12 encounters with Zebre (January 4) and Edinburgh (February 22) and the Heineken Cup date with Leicester on January 13, with the idea being to reward regular supporters and encourage new fans to the Liberty.
"We think £35 for three top-quality games, including a massive Heineken Cup match against Leicester, for £35 is an incredible deal," said Hore.
"We realise the start of the year can be an expensive time, so we wanted to do something that supporters new and old would appreciate, that allows them to come along and support the cause."
