It has also published details of a meeting where it was confirmed the Ospreys have no future as a professional outfit under current plans

Swansea Council has commenced early stage legal action against the WRU and Y11 Sport and Media as it published bombshell minutes of a meeting during which it says it was confirmed the Ospreys will cease to be a professional rugby region after next season.

The publication of key details from the meeting on January 22 between the leader of Swansea Council Rob Stewart, Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Abi Tierney and Ospreys CEO Lance Bradley sheds new light on what’s been happening behind the scenes.

In those minutes from the hour-long meeting at Mr Stewart’s office at the Guildhall in Swansea, Bradley and Tierney are said to have confirmed the Ospreys’ fate and put forward the suggestion of a shock merger with Swansea RFC to form a team that will play semi-professional rugby at St Helen’s in Super Rygbi Cymru. That plan would see Swansea RFC effectively become the ‘Osprey Whites’.

Ms Tierney also said that a redeveloped St Helen’s could be used for alternative rugby uses. For reasons of confidentiality, the council said it could not disclose what they were. However, it is understood to have been St Helen’s possibly becoming the home to a new women’s professional side, as well as hosting men’s U-20 internationals.

Also present at the meeting, were the council’s chief legal officer, Lucy Moore, chief executive Martin Nicholls, director of place Mark Wade, director of finance Ben Smith, and head of communications Lee Wenham.

Following the meeting, Swansea Council publicly stated rugby bosses had indicated there was “no viable future for the Ospreys” under their plans. That statement was slammed by Ospreys CEO Bradley as “categorically incorrect” in an email to staff as he insisted he would have said if it was the case. WalesOnline has attempted to contact Bradley.

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The Ospreys have released a statement, though, saying: “Ospreys Rugby notes today’s statement from Swansea Council regarding discussions on the future of regional rugby in Wales.

“As has been stated previously, Ospreys Rugby continues to operate as a professional club and is focused on supporting its players, staff, and supporters while competing in the URC under existing agreements.

“No decisions have been made regarding Ospreys’ future past the 2026/27 season, and no statements have been made by Lance Bradley or anyone else associated with Ospreys which contradict that. Given the sensitivity of these matters, and the fact that they involve multiple parties and ongoing discussions, it would be inappropriate for Ospreys Rugby to comment on interpretations of meetings, unfinalised proposals, or legal correspondence.

“Ospreys Rugby remains committed to constructive engagement with all stakeholders and will communicate directly and transparently when there is confirmed information to share.”

A WRU statement read: “We can confirm that we have received a pre-action letter from Swansea Council, alongside a public statement which is inaccurate in reference to a recent meeting we attended,” the WRU said.

“As you will understand we will be taking our own advice and so cannot comment on this at this time.

“This WRU Board has worked in good faith since it took office some two years ago to create a new way forward for Welsh rugby given the significant financial and performance issues we are all facing. “We appreciate that these are difficult issues for everyone concerned, but we have conducted ourselves with future long term success in mind.”

Having taken external legal advice, Swansea Council has now sent pre-action legal letters to both Ms Tierney and chief executive of the Y11, James Davies-Yandle. It calls on WRU to pause plans for Y11 acquire Cardiff Rugby and consider maintaining the current number of regions at four.

They believe the process by which the the union is seeking to reduce the number of regions from four to three – via the demise of the Ospreys – is unfair on competition legal grounds.

The letter from Ms Moore, with legal advice from Nick De Marco KC and Mark Vinall of Blackstone Chambers, claims:

The council had agreed to provide £5m of funding to help redevelop St Helen’s as a permanent new home for the Ospreys, who this season are playing their homes games at Bridgend.

That money has now been withdrawn as the council refuse to release it without assurances professional rugby will remain in Swansea.

The £5m would have been repaid over 50 years at an annual rent of £100,000 (inflation linked) paid by the Ospreys.

As part of the St Helen’s project the council has already incurred costs of around £1.5m, including the relocation of Swansea Cricket Club from St Helen’s to Swansea Civil Service Cricket Club with an improvement to the Sketty Lane ground.

The redevelopment of St Helen’s envisaged creating a new stadium with a capacity for more than 8,000 spectators, with a new all-weather pitch parallel to a refurbished north terrace with a new roof, new stands on the east and south sides and relocation of the current south stand to the west end of the ground.

Swansea Council statement in full

Swansea Council has today released key details from a recent meeting with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) and the Ospreys where they outlined proposals on the future of regional rugby in Wales.

The Council has also issued pre-action legal letters to the WRU and Y11, owners of the Ospreys, calling for an immediate pause to the current restructure of Welsh rugby.

The meeting took place on 22 January 2026 between the Leader of Swansea Council, five senior council officers, WRU Chief Executive Abi Tierney, and Ospreys Chief Executive Lance Bradley, following a request from Mr Bradley.

While the Council had intended to publish the full minutes, Y11, Ospreys and the WRU have all objected to it doing so. In order to be constructive, minimise the risk of unnecessary disputes, and avoid delaying vital information reaching the public, the Council has instead decided to release only the key facts which it believes it is clearly in the public interest to disclose.

During the meeting, the WRU confirmed its position that Welsh regional teams would be reduced from four to three. It was also confirmed that Y11, the owners of the Ospreys, are the preferred bidders for Cardiff Rugby, with a 60-day due diligence process already under way.

Mr Bradley outlined the Ospreys’ intended direction should the Y11 acquisition of Cardiff Rugby proceed:

There would not be a professional Ospreys team playing regional rugby at St Helen’s after the 2026/27 season.

The Ospreys envisaged a potential merger with Swansea RFC (the Whites) after the 2026/27 season, with the merged team competing in the semi-professional Super Rygbi Cymru (SRC) rather than the United Rugby Championship (URC).

On the footing that there would be no URC regional rugby at St Helen’s if the Y11 acquisition completed, Ms Tierney explained certain potential alternative rugby uses for St Helen’s (the details of which remain confidential).

Council representatives left the meeting with a clear understanding that the basis of the WRU’s and Y11’s proposals for the future (if the acquisition of Cardiff Rugby by Y11 completed) was that the Ospreys would not continue as a professional regional team after 2026/27.

The Council expressed deep frustration that, despite extensive and recent discussions about the redevelopment of St Helen’s, it had not been informed earlier of these proposals. This lack of transparency and engagement is wholly unacceptable.

Swansea Council is profoundly disappointed that such a significant decision affecting the city’s rugby future has been taken without proper consultation, fairness, or regard for the impact on Swansea, its people, its young players, and communities across the region.

The Council has serious concerns that the WRU’s restructuring proposals breach UK competition law and has issued pre-action letters to the WRU and Y11 requesting that they pause their restructure; reconsider proposals that would reduce the number of regions from four to three; and fully support efforts to secure the Ospreys’ future as a regional team in Swansea.

In its pre-action letter, the Council states:

The WRU’s decision to cut the number of professional regions from four to three is, by its nature, a restriction of competition and has not been carried out in a fair, transparent or non-discriminatory way.

The process for allocating regional licences created an unfair distortion, effectively protecting Cardiff and Dragons while disadvantaging the Ospreys.

The WRU’s ownership of Cardiff at the time of these decisions created a clear conflict of interest, further compounded by its willingness to allow Y11, already owners of the Ospreys, to become preferred bidders for Cardiff Rugby.

This arrangement appears to rely on an understanding that the Ospreys would withdraw from competing for a regional licence, an outcome that is both anti-competitive and unlawful.

The Council will suffer loss as a result of these unlawful acts.

By taking this step we are demonstrating clear and unwavering support for players across Welsh Rugby, particularly those, including Ospreys, who are preparing to represent Wales in this weekend’s Six Nations.

The Council remains resolute in standing up for the city and will continue to challenge the removal of regional rugby from Swansea.

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The specialist lender says move will ‘unlock capital to reinvest into higher-returning continuing businesses’

Specialist lender Secure Trust Bank has sold its motor finance division, marking another British bank’s withdrawal from a sector mired in controversy.

The bank has transferred its remaining vehicle finance loan portfolio to European Alternative Investment Fund Manager LCM Partners in a transaction anticipated to boost the bank’s CET1 ratio – a key measure of financial resilience – by 180 basis points whilst delivering a net profit of £9 million.

This follows the firm earmarking £21 million in provisions for the upcoming industry-wide compensation programme.

“The completion of the sale will unlock capital to reinvest into higher-returning continuing businesses, increase market penetration to support long‐ term growth ambitions, and consider further shareholder distributions,” Secure Trust stated.

Last July, the bank announced it would halt fresh lending through its vehicle finance arm and allow its existing portfolio to “run off”, essentially managing current commitments until they naturally expire. During this restructuring, Secure Trust warned that as many as 78 positions faced redundancy in 2025, with a further 284 by 2030, as reported by City AM.

The vehicle finance operation racked up losses of £21.8 million throughout 2024. By year-end, net lending balances stood at £558.3 million.

The unit proved a significant drain on resources, accounting for almost 30 per cent of the firm’s operational expenditure. Last year, it was reported that Santander, which recently increased its provisions for the car mis-selling scandal to £460m, was considering separating its motor finance division as part of a broader operational revamp.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is anticipated to reveal comprehensive details of its long-awaited compensation scheme in early 2026, following a delay due to growing criticism from lenders and consumers.

In other news, Secure Trust’s loan book has seen significant growth. This update came as the bank presented its full-year trading report, highlighting that net lending had exceeded £3.7bn in the final quarter, with an 8.1 per cent increase across ongoing business.

Shares in the bank saw a modest rise of one per cent in early trading, reaching 1,468.50p.

Throughout the year, Secure Trust’s retail finance loan book grew by eight per cent, while real estate saw a 9.4 per cent increase. Customer deposits were up by 8.2 per cent compared to the previous year, a trend the company said supported growth in the lending book.

The bank predicts its adjusted pre-tax profit will surpass market consensus at £51.1m.

Chief executive Ian Corfield, who assumed leadership last year, said: “We have made the right decisions to reposition the Group for growth and higher returns, enabling us to deliver value to customers and shareholders.”

Vodafone CEO faces £700m cost savings target as FTSE 100 telco loses 73,000 UK mobile customers

Vodafone’s chief executive has pledged there will be no compulsory job cuts among high street workers following the company’s takeover of Three, as the telecommunications behemoth prepares to find hundreds of millions in cost savings from the deal.

Margherita Della Valle, who orchestrated the massive £16.5bn acquisition shortly after taking charge in 2023, emphasised that physical stores remained crucial to the firm’s customer acquisition strategy.

“From a retail perspective and a property perspective, it’s really important to say that our presence in the high street is really key to our business model… you will continue to see it very strongly,” Della Valle said.

“There will be some duplication but we’ve been very clear… there will not be any redundancies because we really see the high street as a key lever for us.”

Della Valle confirmed the combination remained on course to generate up to £700m in synergies, with benefits expected to materialise in the following year’s financial results, as reported by City AM.

“50 per cent of that will be the network and IT integration and beyond that I would say strong potential for procurement… and then you have areas such as marketing costs, logistics costs that will also follow,” Della Valle explained.

Her comments came as Vodafone shed more than 70,000 UK mobile subscribers during the final quarter of the calendar year, whilst expansion at the group’s German division underwhelmed market watchers. The FTSE 100 telecommunications giant reported that its UK mobile contract customer base fell by 73,000 during the quarter, attributing this decline to the disconnection of approximately 50,000 “very low-value business SIMs.”

Service revenue in Germany, the company’s biggest market, climbed 0.7 per cent to €2.7bn (£2.3bn), though this missed analysts’ consensus forecast of 1 per cent growth, according to Bloomberg data.

Vodafone stated it had “made a fast start” with integration work following its merger agreement with Three, which received approval last year. The firm noted: “Our spectrum and network sharing activation is ahead of plan,”.

Overall group revenue increased 6.5 per cent for the quarter to €10.5bn.

Vodafone shares dropped 5.1 per cent to 108p on Thursday morning. Nevertheless, the stock remains up by more than 60 per cent over the past twelve months.

At just 23 years old, Clara Tauson has already established herself as one of the most explosive and consistent young forces on the WTA Tour. The Danish star, once the world’s No. 1 junior, has evolved into a top-20 mainstay with a game built on ferocious baseline power, mental toughness and an uncanny ability to seize big moments. As 2026 begins, Tauson is widely viewed as a future Grand Slam champion and a potential successor to the generation of Iga Świątek, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff.

Here are the 10 essential things every tennis fan should know about Clara Tauson right now.

1. Record-Breaking Junior Career

Tauson dominated the junior circuit like few players before her. She became the youngest player ever to win the Orange Bowl (14 years old in 2016) and captured the Australian Open and French Open junior titles in 2019 without dropping a set in either event. She finished 2019 as the ITF World Junior No. 1 and holds the record for most junior titles won by a Danish player. That flawless junior résumé foreshadowed the fearless, high-risk style she now brings to the pros.

2. Fastest Rise to the Top 100

Tauson turned professional full-time in late 2019 at age 16. By October 2021—just two years later—she cracked the WTA top 100 after winning three ITF W60 titles and reaching the quarterfinals of the Luxembourg Open as a qualifier. Her ascent was one of the quickest in women’s tennis in the past decade, rivaling the early breakthroughs of Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez.

3. First WTA Title at 18 – Lyon 2022

In March 2022, Tauson became the youngest Dane ever to win a WTA singles title when she captured the Lyon Open at age 18 years and 10 months. She defeated three top-30 players en route to the trophy, including a 7–5, 6–1 final win over Dayana Yastremska. The victory catapulted her into the top 40 for the first time and proved she could handle the pressure of a tour-level final.

4. Breakthrough 2025 Season: Top 15 & Multiple Titles

After several injury-interrupted years, Tauson exploded in 2025. She won three WTA 250 titles (Rabat, Prague, Hong Kong), reached the semifinals of Indian Wells (beating Świątek in the fourth round), and finished the year ranked No. 14 with a 58–19 win-loss record. Her hard-court game improved dramatically, and she ended 2025 with a career-high ranking of No. 12 in January 2026.

5. Massive Power & One of the Fastest Forehands on Tour

Tauson possesses one of the most feared forehands in women’s tennis. Her average forehand speed regularly exceeds 80 mph (129 km/h), and she can hit winners from well behind the baseline. Tennis abstract data shows she led the top 20 in forehand winners per match in 2025. Combined with a heavy, kicking second serve, her baseline game resembles a young Serena Williams in its sheer aggression.

6. Mental Resilience & Comeback Ability

Tauson has repeatedly shown championship-level composure. In 2025 she won 14 of 16 deciding sets she played, including multiple come-from-behind victories. Her signature moment came at Indian Wells when she saved four match points against Maria Sakkari before winning in a third-set tiebreak. Coaches describe her as “ice-cold” under pressure.

7. Grass-Court Promise & Wimbledon Upside

Although still developing on grass, Tauson reached the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2025—her best Grand Slam result to date—beating two seeded players before falling to eventual champion Barbora Krejčíková. Her powerful serve and flat groundstrokes suit the surface, and many analysts believe she is one of the few young players capable of challenging the current grass-court hierarchy.

8. Danish Tennis Renaissance

Tauson is the highest-ranked Danish woman since Caroline Wozniacki retired in 2020. Together with Clara Burel (No. 42) and former top-20 player Caroline Wozniacki’s protégé Holger Rune on the men’s side, she is leading a new wave of Danish tennis talent. The Danish Tennis Federation credits Tauson’s success with inspiring record participation among girls aged 10–16.

9. Off-Court Personality & Growing Fanbase

Tauson is known for her dry humor, love of heavy metal music (she’s a longtime Metallica fan) and candid interviews. She frequently engages with fans on social media and has built a loyal following in Scandinavia and beyond. Her signature celebration—a fist pump followed by a quick point to the sky—has become instantly recognizable.

10. 2026 Outlook: Grand Slam Contender?

Entering 2026 ranked No. 12, Tauson is projected by most analysts to finish the year inside the top 8. Her goals are clear: a maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal (or better), another WTA 500 title and a sustained top-10 ranking. With a healthy offseason and continued work on her return game and movement, many believe 2026 could be the year she breaks through at a major.

Clara Tauson is no longer just a promising talent—she is a proven threat with the weapons, mentality and momentum to compete at the highest level. As the WTA’s new power generation takes shape, the Danish star is firmly in the conversation for the sport’s next big champion.

It is taking space at the refurbished Coal House office scheme

Business information provider Creditsafe is further expanding with a new office in the centre of Cardiff. Nearly two decades after establishing its operational support centre in Cardiff Bay, Creditsafe has confirmed it is being relocated to the Coal House office scheme.

It has agreed a lease to take more than 15,200 sq ft across the top two floors.

The new centre, which is expected to become operational in late March or early April, will be able to accommodate 260 staff in newly designed workspace.

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Its current Cardiff Bay support centre opened in autumn 2006 at the Caspian Poinnt office scheme. The operation has played a key role supporting Creditsafe’s international expansion. It now operates 14 offices worldwide and employs more than 1,700 people.

Even with hybrid working, Creditsafe said it required a new larger location for its staff across technology, data, finance, HR, product, and sales operations.

Last year it relocated its HQ from Caerphilly to the 50,000 sq ft Ty Meridian building at Cardiff Gate Business Park with. Over the next five years it plans to double the size of its workforce at the HQ to 600.

Carys Hughes, chief financial officer of Creditsafe, said: “This move to such an energy efficient- building aligns with our broader ESG goals, while enhancing the working environment and experience for our employees through improved comfort, connectivity, and community engagement.”

Creditsafe’s chief human resource officer, Gareth Way, said: “Moving the short distance from Cardiff Bay to a location nearer to the city centre provides staff the opportunity to make more effective use of public transport, and makes the city centre amenities far more available to them.”

Coal House is owned by Create Real Estate who were represented on the letting to Creditsafe by the Cardiff office of Savills through Gary Carver. Mark Sutton of the Cardiff office of Knight Frank acted for Creditsafe.

Running entirely on 100% renewable energy, Coal House has undergone a comprehensive retrofit to meet net zero standards.

Blizzard Entertainment unveiled a monumental reinvention of its flagship hero shooter during the Overwatch Spotlight 2026 livestream on Feb. 4, officially rebranding Overwatch 2 simply as “Overwatch” while announcing 10 new heroes, a year-long “Reign of Talon” narrative arc, sweeping gameplay overhauls and a free Season 1 launch on Feb. 10 — marking the game’s 10th anniversary with its boldest update yet.

The surprise rebrand ditches the “2” suffix amid criticisms that the 2022 free-to-play transition felt more like an expansion than a sequel. Game director Aaron Keller called it a “fresh start” that honors the original 2016 vision while propelling Overwatch into its next decade. “Overwatch is back — bigger, bolder, and more united than ever,” Keller said during the two-hour presentation viewed by millions on YouTube and Twitch.

Season 1 kicks off with five immediately playable heroes — Domina (tank), Emre (damage), Mizuki (support), Anran (damage) and the fan-favorite Jetpack Cat (support, aka Fika) — dropping Feb. 10 alongside a revamped user interface, role subcategories, a new Conquest meta event and the start of a competitive year reset. The remaining five heroes will roll out throughout 2026, tying into the “Reign of Talon” storyline where the terrorist organization launches a global offensive, forcing heroes to adapt in a darker, more divided world.

The Rebrand & Core Overhauls

Dropping “2” symbolizes unity, Blizzard executives explained. “Overwatch has always been about the heroes coming together,” producer Monte Krol said. “The numbering divided us — now it’s just Overwatch, one game, one community.”

Major changes include:

• Role Subroles: Tanks split into Vanguard (frontline initiators) and Bastion (area-denial anchors); Damage into Duelist (high-mobility flankers) and Flex (versatile hybrids); Supports into Amplifier (buff/debuff specialists) and Guardian (pure healers).
• UI Refresh: Streamlined menus, customizable hero cards, and a dynamic battle pass interface with 100+ tiers of cosmetics.
• Conquest Meta Event: Permanent 4v4 mode launching mid-Season 1, emphasizing objective control over kills.
• Free-to-Play Evolution: All heroes free at launch; battle pass prices unchanged at $10 (premium track).

The update arrives as Overwatch nears 100 million players, with Season 12 peaking at 35 million monthly actives in late 2025. Yet retention dipped amid hero balance frustrations and PvE content delays — issues Blizzard vows to fix with the Talon arc’s cooperative missions and hero-specific lore cinematics.

Meet the New Heroes: Season 1 Lineup

Hands-on demos showcased the five Season 1 additions, blending fresh archetypes with nostalgic flair:

• Domina (Tank): A hulking Brazilian enforcer with gravity-manipulating gauntlets. Abilities include a black-hole ultimate that pulls enemies into a crush zone. “She’s the anchor Talon needs,” Keller said.
• Emre (Damage): Turkish drone hacker deploying sticky bombs and EMP bursts. High mobility via wall-cling jumpsuits him for aggressive flanks.
• Mizuki (Support): Japanese onmyōji summoning spectral foxes for heals and decoys. Her ultimate creates a spirit barrier that reflects projectiles.
• Anran (Damage): Chinese martial artist with extendable chain-whips for crowd control and a whirlwind spin attack.
• Jetpack Cat (Fika, Support): The meme-turned-hero feline rocketeer from Overwatch’s mobile spin-off. Rocket boosts for team dashes, repair nanites from her backpack, and a barrage ultimate. “Fans demanded her — now she’s canon,” Blizzard joked.

All five are unlocked free for everyone at Season 1 start, with premium skins in the battle pass.

Fan Reactions & Competitive Shake-Up

The livestream peaked at 2.8 million concurrent viewers, surpassing Overwatch League finals. Social media exploded: #OverwatchReign trended worldwide, with Jetpack Cat memes dominating X and TikTok.

Veteran player KarQ tweeted: “10 HEROES in ONE YEAR? This is the content drop we’ve begged for.” Pro teams like the San Francisco Shock praised subroles for better comp flexibility.

Critics noted the PvE delay — Talon missions start Season 2 — but Keller promised “narrative-driven raids” by mid-year.

Overwatch’s Road to 2026 Dominance

Launched in 2016, Overwatch redefined team shooters with diverse heroes and esports spectacle. Overwatch 2’s rocky 2022 debut (forced PvP transition, monetization backlash) tested loyalty, but steady hero drops and console cross-play rebuilt momentum.

2026’s refresh coincides with Nintendo Switch 2 launch support and potential mobile revival. Blizzard teased BlizzCon 2026 hero reveals and a “Talon vs. Overwatch” cinematic series voiced by original cast.

With 10 heroes, subroles and a unified brand, Overwatch aims to reclaim hero shooter supremacy amid Valorant and Apex Legends competition. Season 1’s free entry lowers barriers, potentially surging player counts past 50 million monthly.

As servers prep for Feb. 10, the message is clear: Overwatch isn’t just returning — it’s evolving. Talon reigns, heroes unite, and the fight continues.