Marc Breeze is hoping that a season of Championship rugby with London Welsh will help him establish himself with the Ospreys.
23-year old Breeze, who has four Ospreys appearances to his credit, will join the Championship outfit on a season long loan for the 2010/11 campaign.
Ospreys bosses have made the decision to allow Breeze the opportunity to "further develop his game in a full-time professional environment'" after clocking up 79 Welsh Premiership appearances with Aberavon over the last five seasons.
"It's going to be a good experience for me, it's a fantastic opportunity" he said.
"I'll be in different surroundings with different players, it's all about taking the opportunity to develop my game further. I think that with the Championship being full-time professional, it's a higher level than what I've been used to up to now and it's going to help my game. Going on loan at London Welsh should really benefit me.
"I've played in the British & Irish Cup this season and I've seen in some of the games that there is a step-up there, definitely. That's not taking anything away from the Premiership which has really moved on, but in the British Cup you do find that the English sides are more organised and fitter, because they are full-time. It's things like player analysis, there's not that much of it in the Premiership as players don't have the time or whatever, and that obviously makes a big difference. It means that you are getting a tougher test each game, people are targeting your weak points and you have to work harder to improve on them. It makes it more difficult when the opposition are looking at you that closely, but I'm looking forward to it, and hopefully playing against professionals week-in, week-out will help me get to that next level that I need to be in my career."
Breeze's performances, and his progress on and off the pitch, will be closely monitored while he is at Old Deer Park, and the former Wales age-grade cap says that he intends to use the loan as a spring board to challenging Huw Bennett and Richard Hibbard for a regular place in the matchday 22 for the Ospreys:
"What I really want now is for the coaches to see me playing well in the Championship" he commented.
"They've said that they are really happy with how I've been doing in the Welsh Premiership but they want to see me at a higher level and how I cope with it. It's up to me now to prove what I can do. I want to be challenging for the number two shirt at the Ospreys, and that's the whole point of me going to London Welsh. I want to get used to to the higher standard and intensity, to make a mark there and then come back the following season challenging for a place.
"I've enjoyed playing with Aberavon, they've helped bring me along and develop me over the last few years and I'm grateful to the support I've had there. Obviously, I'm disappointed in a way that I won't be playing for them next season but this is a good opportunity for me which I have to take if I'm going to give myself the best chance of a long term future at the Ospreys."
Elite Performance Director, Andrew Hore, said:
"Over the last three or four seasons Marc has been one of the stand out players in the Welsh Premiership, but we feel that at this stage of his career he needs to be testing himself at a higher level. This loan at London Welsh will give him a real opportunity to further develop his game in a full-time professional environment.
"Given that the Championship is now a professional competition, it allows the teams competing to spend more time preparing for matches, both physically and mentally, meaning that each weekend will see Marc being really tested. The coaches have spoken to him about how they want him to use this loan, and have made it clear that there is a bright future for him here at the Ospreys. He understands that this is a wonderful opportunity for him and we hope that he will take it with both hands and really kick-on in the Championship. If he can do that, he will return to the Ospreys a better player, with the clear benefits that will bring for him and the region."