James King, the Ospreys and Wales international, has been elected by his fellow professional rugby players as the new Chair of the Welsh Rugby Players Association (WRPA).
King was unanimously elected by his fellow and succeeds the Scarlets, Wales and British & Irish Lions hooker, Ken Owens, who decided to stand down after completing a successful five years in post.
King will Chair the Executive Committee of Jake Ball, Steff Hughes, Dan Lydiate, Lewis Evans, Tyler Morgan, Josh Turnbull and Ellis Jenkins who represent the voices of all players in relation to issues in the game.
The WRPA also plays an important role in player personal development, through an industry-leading Personal Development Programme and a range of other initiatives.
"It's a huge honour to be elected as Chairman of our players' association and I'll do my very best to represent their views and interests as we contribute towards the success and sustainability of the game in Wales," said King.
'I've been heavily involved in Welsh rugby for over 10 years both on and off the field and I'm confident that I've built up the knowledge and experience to provide an equal and 'just' view as chairman moving forward.
"On behalf of every player, I'd like to thank Ken for the years of service he's given to the WRPA as Chairman. On and off the pitch, he gives you everything; and he's put in so many hours of effort which have never gone unrecognised and I'm extremely proud to be carrying on the hard work that he's put in over the last five years.
"As an advocate of every player being heard and having a voice, I am excited to welcome this new challenge and thank everyone for their support."
"I'm looking forward to working with James, who is passionate about the success and future of rugby players and the game in Wales," said Barry Cawte, the WRPA Chief Executive.
"This is a really important period of growth and development for the WRPA, and under James's chairmanship and with the support of his fellow player representatives on the wider Executive Committee we can go from strength-to-strength.
King has been capped 11 times by Wales at senior international level, having also played for age-group sides including Wales U18 and U20s.
