Matthew Silva has been axed as Bridgend head coach, leaving him “gutted” and “massively disappointed”.
The news comes just weeks after he secured the Ravens’ Welsh Premiership status in dramatic fashion with an emotional victory at Pontypridd.
It’s a move that follows a new consortium taking over the business side of the club and the rugby side passing to the Ospreys.
Silva was informed last week he was no longer required, with fellow coaches Steve Jones, Demetrius Brook and Mike Morgan also losing their posts, along with director of rugby Wayne Hall.
“It was a bit odd because since the final whistle of the game in Sardis Road, which we won to stay up, I hadn’t heard anything from anybody,” said Silva.
“Obviously there is a lot of change going on.
“A consortium has come in and they are going to inject some money into it.
“They will run the business side of things and the ground and all that.
“The rugby side of it has been handed to the Ospreys.
“Nobody had spoken to me for a month.
“So Wayne Hall went in to see the Ospreys at Llandarcy last week to ask them what was going on.
“They basically said they were taking over the running of it, Wayne was no longer involved and there would be a new coaching team put in.
“Up to then, as far as we were aware, the coaching team was going to be going forward. It was never suggested otherwise.
“I found out what was happening from Wayne when he rang me.
“Then, a couple of days later, I received a phone call off Gareth Walters, the Academy manager at the Ospreys.
“He just said they were taking it in a different direction and making it more Ospreys involved.”
Summing up his feelings, Silva said: “Obviously, I am massively disappointed to say the least.
“I am gutted to be honest with you.
“I really enjoyed my three years there. It’s a fantastic club with great people.
“It’s been one of my most enjoyable coaching experiences by a mile.
“With the Premiership being televised last season, it really put something on the games and gave it a bit of kudos.
“It was a fantastic coaching role and the guys there were great.
“The plan was putting together a side which could retain Premiership rugby, which we did.
“We brought in a lot of local boys in the process.
“I would have loved to have stayed there and I’m disappointed I am going.
“It’s a sad turn of events given what we achieved.
“Far from being rewarded for keeping the club up, the opposite has been the case.
“I’m in a position now where I haven’t got a coaching role for the first time in 20 years.”
It remains to be seen who will take over from Silva and his assistants at Bridgend, although it appears likely that Ospreys Academy coaches will be involved.
The former Wales B utility back, who played against the All Blacks for Pontypool as a teenager, says he has been inundated with messages of support since the news of his axing started to leak out.
“There has been a bit of an outpouring,” said the 49-year-old.
“The messages I have had from all over the place have been crazy.
“I have had messages off all the Premiership coaches.
“Ian Greenslade, the former Bridgend captain, rang me on the weekend after he found out.
“He said I was the first coach to get the fire going down there for a while and all they had to do was throw another log on.”
