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News
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21.07.2008 - Wizards Allocation of Ospreys
As part of the Ospreys' new commitment to the Welsh Premiership, Aberavon have been allocated the following Ospreys players:
Nikki Walker, Jonny Vaughton, Ashley Beck, Sonny Parker, Mike Phillips, Filo Tiatia, Andy Lloyd, Lyndon Bateman, Richard Hibbard, Marc Breeze, Cai Griffiths.
Hooker Breeze was involved in all but four of Aberavon's games last season while Wales U18 centre Beck made thirteen appearances, scoring five tries in the process. Second rows Bateman and Lloyd both made a couple of appearances while hooker Hibbard turned out for Aberavon the season before. Former All Blacks backrower Filo Tiatia finds himself assigned to the club where his brother Natano played under Chris O'Callaghan's reign.
The Ospreys will be using the Welsh Premiership games to monitor the performances of squad players during the course of the season, as well as allowing players returning from injuries to gain valuable game time before pulling on an Ospreys shirt again.
Ospreys 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.
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."
(Click here for earlier news)
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