The 27-year old has put pen to paper on a deal that will keep him at the Liberty Stadium until the end of the 2011-2012 season and the move has been welcomed by boss Lyn Jones who said: “The news that Lee has agreed to commit his future to the region will no doubt give everybody at the Ospreys a huge boost, and given Warren Gatland’s recent comments about wanting his squad to remain in Wales, it is also good news for Welsh rugby in general.
“Lee is enjoying his rugby at the moment, and he clearly wants to be a part of what we are looking to achieve here long term. Now that we have secured his services for the next four years, we are confident that he will continue to thrive in both a Wales and Ospreys shirt.”
Byrne, who was man of the match last weekend as Wales thrashed Italy 47-8 was understandably upbeat. “I’m delighted to be able to extend my contract for another four years and I’m excited about the challenges that lie ahead, both for myself personally, and for the Ospreys,” he said.
“With a second successive EDF semi-final and our first ever Heineken Cup quarter-final coming up over the next few weeks, there are exciting times ahead for us and these are the type of games that all rugby players want to be involved in. The Ospreys are on the verge of big things and I’m looking forward to helping the region move onto the next level, which is to establish ourselves as one of Europe’s leading sides.”
And boss Jones believes the former Scarlet will continue to grow for the Ospreys. He said: “Lee is a brave, strong and aggressive player who is very much on top of his game at the moment, but here at the Ospreys we have always been well aware of what he is capable of.
“He has shown what he is made of this season by bouncing back from the disappointment of missing out on the Rugby World Cup to go on and establish himself as a key player for Wales with a number of eye-catching Six Nations performances.”
The Pencoed product has made a total of 40 appearances in an Ospreys shirt since signing from Llanelli Scarlets in April 2006, helping himself to an impressive 17 tries including a crucial score in the vital win in Bourgoin last month that secured a first ever Heineken Cup quarter-final spot for the region.
After just missing out on the Welsh squad for last autumn’s Rugby World Cup he has bounced back in style, and his impressive form recently has seen him make the Welsh number 15 shirt his own.
One of Wales’s leading lights in the three opening Six Nations fixtures so far, his two tries against Italy on Saturday took his tally for this year’s competition to three. In all, he has played 17 times for his country, scoring five tries.
