Cardiff Rugby have handed new Senior Academy contracts to seven exciting players for the 2024-25 season.
Sion Davies, Osian Darwin-Lewis, Ollie Das, Thomas Howe, Evan Rees, Kodie Stone and Dylan Barratt have all penned contracts with the club after impressing for Cardiff Under-18s and within the pathway set-up.
All seven up and coming stars have represented Wales at age-grade level, with Stone stepping up to Under-20s level this season and the likes of Davies, Das and Howe recently featuring for Wales Under-18s in Italy.
They follow on from five scholarship contracts awarded to age-grade teammates earlier this month and further demonstrate the club’s commitment to retaining and developing its very best talent.
“It is really pleasing to award senior contracts to these talented young men, all of whom we really believe we can support on and off the field over the next few years to really thrive in our professional environment.
“When you add these boys to a playing pool that includes Lucas De La Rua, Harri Wilde, Elijah Evans, Matty Young, Cameron Tyler-Grocott and recent returnees Steffan Emanuel and Tom Bowen we are excited by the potential within the group and the possibilities with our succession planning.
“There is also a strong possibility that we will add to this group shortly and, with the scholarships awarded also, we are well stocked to push on nicely”.
|
Name
|
Position
|
School
|
Club
|
|
Sion Davies
|
Scrum-half
|
Glantaf
|
Pentyrch
|
|
Osian Darwin-Lewis
|
Centre
|
Glantaf
|
Pentyrch
|
|
Ollie Das
|
Wing
|
Hurstpierpoint College
|
|
|
Thomas Howe
|
Hooker
|
Glantaf
|
|
|
Evan Rees
|
Number Eight
|
Natngwyn
|
Tonyrefail
|
|
Kodie Stone
|
Back three
|
Coleg y Cymoedd
|
Aberdare/Abercynon
|
|
Dylan Barratt
|
Prop
|
Coleg y Cymoedd
|
Llantwit Fardre
|
Rees is currently working to bolster his academy and pathway staff to ensure young talent within the club has the best opportunity and support to thrive.
Josh Turnbull, who announced his retirement yesterday, is the latest addition, joining as a coach to help the next generation.
The versatile forward has combined playing with coaching for a number of years working with age-grade sides at both Scarlets and Cardiff, Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthen Quins and most recently Wales Under-18s.
Rees added: “This is more fantastic news for the academy and pathway and underlines our ambition to give each player - from contracted status to those within our Age grade programmes - the best possible high performance support.
“Josh has already built up an impressive coaching reputation - including his WRU Level 4, age grade and Welsh Premiership experience - on the back of an unbelievable playing career.
“He has all the attributes to develop his coaching to a high level and we are thrilled to support this next stage for him. He will fit in brilliantly, complementing the coaching strengths of Dan Fish and Craig Everett, whilst pushing each player to maximise the most of the opportunities in our environment”