Wales U20s international Morgan Strong has turned down the offer of a new contract at the Ospreys to join English Championship club Ampthill. The 21-year-old No. 8 from Tondu has made the decision in a bid to secure regular rugby.
He has been on an Academy contract with the Ospreys for the past three seasons but hasn’t featured for the senior side, with his limited game-time coming for the regional A team and with Bridgend in the Welsh Premiership. So he has opted to move on to work under Paul Turner in Bedfordshire.
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“The Ospreys offered me a contract, but I just had to look at [it], I’ve been there for three years and in that time I’ve played something like 20 games of rugby, with Covid as well, to be fair,” he explained.
“I could have stayed for another two years, but I just don’t think that would have been best for my development. I didn’t want to be 23 and still in the same position I am now. I want to kick on in senior rugby and I felt a new challenge somewhere else was what I needed. With the way it has gone at the Ospreys, I thought it was time for a change and something new.”
Strong doesn’t see moving to the English second tier as a step down.
“I was only ever really playing for Bridgend anyway, so it’s a higher standard than what I was playing in Wales,” he said. “You can look at it as a drop back in one way, but in another way I am going to test myself in a better league than the Welsh Premiership.
“I loved my time at Bridgend. It’s my home-town club and to represent them was massive to me. But in terms of moving forward in my career, I feel the English Championship is a strong league. You just look at some of the people that are signing for the clubs there.
“It’s a higher standard of rugby week in, week out and a chance to make a name for yourself. I want to see what I’m like after playing 10 or 12 games which I’ve never really had the opportunity to do before. I’m at an age now where I need to play rugby.”
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Having come through the ranks at Tondu RFC, the former Bryntirion Comprehensive pupil went on to study at Bridgend College and join the Ospreys Academy. Having been capped at U19s level, he then made five appearances for Wales U20s, playing in the 2020 side captained by Jac Morgan, catching the eye with his powerful carrying, ball-playing skills and defensive work-rate.
Rugby runs in the blood for the 6ft 1ins, 16st 7lbs No. 8, with his father Nathan having been a popular back row forward at Bridgend and Pontypridd.
“He’s been a massive influence and a big support," Strong Junior added. "I’m quite lucky to have someone who played in the same position as me. He can watch my games and give me feedback.
“When I look back on my time with the Ospreys, I never felt like I had someone there to show me what I could do better and how I could improve. I didn’t have that support off them, so I’m lucky to have my dad in that respect. Even though he didn’t play at the top level, he’s still been around and knows the score. Having someone you can chat to about positional play and stuff has always been a big help.”
