Ospreys Rugby are delighted to announce that hooker Dewi Lake has signed a new contract.
The 21-year-old has put pen to paper on a deal that will keep him at the Liberty Stadium for the next two seasons.
A late entrant into the Ospreys Academy system, Lake came into the U18 set-up during the second year of age-grade rugby as a flanker before unlocking his potential in the front-row shortly after.
The hooker has been involved with the Ospreys Regional franchise after beginning his rugby with Valley Ravens, before playing for Bridgend Sports. Impressive performances in the Welsh Premiership for Bridgend Ravens caught the eye of the national set-up where he went onto Captain the Wales U20s side.
Since making his Osprey debut, Lake has made 14 appearances and crossed the whitewash on two occasions.
Speaking about his new deal, Lake said: “It’s lovely to re-sign with my home region. Where we’re going as a team at the moment is exciting and it’s nice to be able to play a part in that.
“I grew up watching the Ospreys, going to the Liberty to watch the team so anytime I could stay where I always wanted to play was a no brainer for me."
“Anytime you can get game time is appreciated but you see with Toby that he wants to develop homegrown talent and I fall into that category which is great for me, my career and development as a player.
“There’s four quality hookers here but that is a huge positive for us all. We drive each other to be better and we have a good competitive battle between us. Not only just in my position but across the squad, we all drive each other to be better which can only benefit the Ospreys in the long run.
“The first goal for me is to get more game time under my belt. Hooker is a position of strength at the Ospreys but the goal is to be the number one choice.
“Long term, as a young player growing up in Wales you dream of playing for your country one day. I know I have a lot of work to do so my focus is on where I am now and putting all my energy into playing out on the field to the best of my ability for the Ospreys.”
Toby Booth, Ospreys Head coach, said:
“Dewi is a massive competitor and that can rub people up the wrong way but you need abrasive characters because we play an abrasive game. He is exciting and I have enjoyed his attitude and his desire to compete for everything.
“He does have a lot of learning to do, particularly around the set-piece, with the functional roles around the fundamentals of being a hooker, but he knows that. He is a player of genuine talent and real competitor and that gets you a long way in this game.”