Reuben Morgan-Williams, his pathway and our new alternate kit.
With the Ospreys set to debut their alternate kit in the Heineken Champions Cup against Leicester on the 11th of December, we sat down with Reuben Morgan-Williams to talk over the connection between his rugby pathway through Neath Athletic and the 77 clubs’ colours represented in the jersey.
Tell us a bit about how you started playing rugby.
It all started when my dad came to me when I was seven or eight and asked if I was interested in trying out rugby. My brother is older than me so I used to go and watch him quite a bit so that played a part and I’ve loved it since then.
So when my dad asked, I said yes, and he started up a team for me at Neath Athletic and stayed with them right up until I was 16.
Was it always a big goal for you to play for the Ospreys?
Yeah definitely, always wanted to play for the Ospreys. I used to go the kids camps when I was younger which was great early on.
I’m a Neath boy so I used to grow up watching them as well. There were a lot of Neath boys that played for the Ospreys like Shane Williams and knowing that they came from the same place as me was a big motivation for me to play for the Ospreys.
Were there any big or inspirational moments for you in your rugby career, especially in your time at Neath Athletic?
Yeah my first game for Neath Athletic was a big one, I always wanted to play for Neath, my local town. It was a great moment to play that game and it was with Keiran (Williams).
Wales Under 20s was another one that sticks out for me. My first year I managed to get a Grand Slam, which was pretty special. And obviously to get my first appearance with the Ospreys, it’s something you think of when you’re younger and you never know what's going to happen and when it does it’s great.
What does it mean to you to have the regions 77 clubs represented in the alternate kit?
Having the 77 clubs on the jersey is brilliant. When you’re young you play against all these teams and you don’t think about it as much then. But then you get older and you realise that these clubs make up the Ospreys. Loads of the boys have come from these different areas and that’s what brings us together.
There’s still time for you to get your own alternate jersey, ready to support the boys for the Leicester game. Head over to the shop by clicking here.