Ospreys stars assigned to Premiership clubs

Fans across the region could be seeing the likes of James Hook and Shane Williams stepping out at The Gnoll, whilst Gavin Henson and Huw Bennett could be re-acquainted with the St Helen’s faithful under the new arrangements.

Elite Performance Director, Andrew Hore, said: “It is very important that we don’t forget our regional identity, which is so easily lost in today’s professional game. By allocating our players a regional side, it gives them a sense of loyalty with the local community, in many of the players cases, the community where they were born and raised.

“It’s an opportunity for them to get to know their fans and rediscover the important role these clubs have in the future of the Ospreys and how special being part of a club is. We have a fantastic relationship with all the clubs in the region and assigning certain players to certain clubs will only serve to strengthen those relationships and help produce world-class players and coaches for the region.”

Hore added: “This new concept will not only serve to benefit both us and the regional clubs but also the players in their development. It will give them the chance to peer coach other players, young guys from the academy who will look up to these guys for guidance and inspiration.

“We will see significant changes in their behaviour on and off the pitch, hopefully producing a more mature and well-rounded professional that the regional fans can be proud of.”

(Allocated-player/club table below)