U18s set for tough ‘pro week’

Ospreys U18s head coach, Ben Rose, has finalised a 50 man training squad that will take part in an intensive week of training during half-term, giving the young hopefuls a taste of life as a pro.

The extended squad includes a number of new faces to the group that came together through the summer thanks to the Ospreys’ talent ID network highlighting players of promise from outside the existing squad.

They will be put through an intensive week-long programme at Llandarcy Academy of Sport that will see the elite youth development coaching group delivering a wide range of workshops and sessions based around core skills, technique, psychology, analysis, in-game scenarios and units, combined with a full conditioning schedule, a programme that mirrors the regular week for the senior Ospreys squad.

Selection for the forthcoming WRU Regional Age Grade Championship campaign, where the Ospreys will be defending the title they won at the start of 2015, will be made following the half-term training week.

Head coach, Ben Rose, said:

“To have 50 players gaining a meaningful taster of life within the Ospreys environment next week is a fantastic experience for them, but it won’t be easy. It’s going to be a pretty intensive week, they’ll be worked hard and will have to earn their place in the squad that we name after that.

“It’s great that we’ve been able to identify players who were outside of the development pathway and invite them in to be a part of this week. We have always said that the pathway isn’t a straight line. Players can come in or go out at different points dependent on their development and this underlines that.

“Everyone involved over the next week will have the opportunity to show what they can do and to learn from the experience, becoming better players whatever their future has in store.”