Dewi Lake has given the Ospreys another major lift by signing a fresh deal which keeps him in Welsh rugby.
The 23-year-old hooker, whose explosive ball-carrying style has seen his region brand him the king of the bump off, is viewed as one of the brightest prospects in the European game.
Lake would not have been short of would-be suitors as his Ospreys contract ran down, but the Llandarcy-based team were determined to retain the 6ft 1in, 17st 4lb former Wales U20s captain. They feel their future rests with homegrown talent and see Lake as being a player they can build a team around in the coming seasons.
After the departure of Joe Hawkins to Exeter Chiefs, Lake's decision to re-sign will further lift morale amid similar calls by Jac Morgan, Keiran Williams, Morgan Morris and Owen Williams.
“I’m really happy to have signed a new deal,” said Lake. “There's something special about playing for a team that represents your home region, and that's exactly what the Ospreys mean to me. It's an honour to don the jersey week in and week out, and I feel proud to be part of a legacy that includes some of the best players in Welsh rugby history.
“But it's not just the history that makes me excited to stay with Ospreys Rugby — it's also the future. We have a talented and hungry squad, as well as a staff setup that’s committed to helping us achieve our goals.”
Lake is up to 39 appearances for the Ospreys and has eight caps for Wales.
He is a leader who doesn’t take a backward step and he is seen as a safe bet for World Cup selection despite injuries having ruled him out of this season’s autumn and Six Nations campaigns with Wales. You can read here how they fixed the hooker to become Wales' most exciting new rugby player.
In retaining him, the Ospreys will feel they have struck a significant blow for themselves and for the Welsh game generally at a time of unprecedented turbulence. Predictably, head coach Toby Booth greeted the news with enthusiasm.
“Dewi is a fantastic player and we’re thrilled to have him on board with us,” said Booth. “He’s a natural leader and has already established himself as a key player at the Ospreys. We believe that he’s got a huge amount of potential, and we’re really excited to see him develop over the next few seasons.”
Amid the financial challenges sweeping the Welsh game, Booth believes the way forward is to bring through young players, adding: “We’re committed to developing homegrown talent at the Ospreys and Dewi is a shining example of that. We want to give young players like him the opportunity to grow within our system, and it’s great to see that philosophy coming to fruition.”
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