The Ospreys are delighted to confirm that Bath tight head prop Aaron Jarvis has signed a three-year deal with the region.
24-year old Jarvis will link up with his new teammates at the Liberty Stadium in the summer, ahead of the 2011/12 seasons.
Born in Exeter and a product of the Bath Academy, Jarvis made his debut against Harlequins in December 2006, and has gone on to make 49 appearances for the Aviva Premiership club. This season he has enjoyed six outings so far, the last of which was in the LV= Cup against Newcastle Falcons last month, a game in which he scored his first try for the club.
Standing 1.83m tall and weighing 122kg, Jarvis shone for Bath playing against the Ospreys last season in his team’s 21-11 victory at the Recreation Ground in the LV= Cup during December 2009. Although capped by England at U16 and U19 level, he is Welsh qualified through his grandmother who came from Merthyr.
Speaking after signing his first Ospreys contract, Jarvis said:
“I’m really excited about making this move to the Ospreys, I’m looking forward to it. It’s a big move for me, and a great opportunity. I just want to get stuck in and do a good job.
“There are a lot of quality props at the Ospreys, they seem to be doing a good job of developing players and that is an attraction for me. I want to improve as a player, that’s the biggest motivation for me to make the move, but I’d also love to play for Wales one day and being at the Ospreys can only help me achieve that. The first priority for me though is to work hard, play well, and try to get into the Ospreys team and get some game time.
“I work hard, that’s what I’m all about. I’ll bring that to the Ospreys, along with my enthusiasm. I can’t wait to get going.”
Elite Performance Director, Andrew Hore, welcomed Jarvis to the region, revealing that the player had been a long-term target for the Ospreys:
“We’ve been following him for the last 18 months and we are delighted to be able to confirm his signing. We were already aware of him before he made a huge impact against us in last season’s LV= Cup, and the coaches here are looking forward to working with him.
“He comes to us highly recommended. He has a great character, he doesn’t train like a number one, he always trains like a number two that wants to become number one, something that is very important to us.
“He has an excellent attitude and work ethic, is strong and has great technique. Crucially, he wants to develop as a player and a person, and we believe we can offer him the right environment to improve. Importantly, he is Welsh qualified, and he feels that being at the Ospreys is a good place for him to achieve his rugby ambitions.”