Ospreys Rugby are delighted to announce that hooker, Ifan Phillips, has signed a new contract.
- Hooker is the 10th member of the senior squad to sign a new deal for next season
- 16 appearances and three tries since making his debut in an AW Cup win away to Wasps in February 2017
- Has captained the Ospreys Development team in the Celtic Cup this season, scoring a hat-trick in a win over Scarlets A
The latest player to commit to the future, the 23-year old has put pen to paper on a deal which keeps him at the Liberty Stadium until the end of the 2020/21 season.
Phillips has been part of the extended Ospreys squad for the last three years after impressing with his home club, Crymych, and in the Welsh Premiership for Neath RFC, as well as with Wales U20, winning a Grand Slam in 2016.
He made his senior Ospreys debut off the bench in an impressive 31-22 away win over Wasps in the Anglo Welsh Cup at the start of February 2017, also coming off the bench against Glasgow the same month to make his Guinness PRO12 bow. A further 14 appearances over the last two seasons takes his total to 16, including a start at openside flanker against Worcester in this season’s Challenge Cup. He has scored three tries for the Ospreys so far.
His leadership qualities have already been recognised, handed the captaincy of the Ospreys Development team during this season’s Celtic Cup campaign, with a personal highlight for Phillips being his hat-trick against Scarlets A at Morganstone Brewery Field. This season he has also impressed for Swansea RFC, scoring five tries in 17 games for the All Whites.
Having secured his future, Phillips said he’s looking forward to challenging for a regular matchday spot next season and beyond:
“I’m really happy to have signed another two years here. It’s a great club and it’s where I want to be.
“Captaining the ‘A’ team was great for me, a different experience. I really enjoyed it, and scoring three tries against the Scarlets was definitely up there as one of the highlights of the season for me!
“Hopefully I can kick on next year and play a bit more senior rugby. Clarkie was an international hooker so it’s great for me to learn from him. We’ve got really good competition in the hooker position, which is great for everyone involved as we’ll keep on pushing each other.”
Ospreys Head Coach, Allen Clarke, said:
“I'm delighted another young, Welsh, player of the calibre of Ifan, who came late into our system to progress through to the senior squad, has committed to the region.
"Not only is he a quality rugby player, he's developing as a leader with the character for the position of hooker and a deep hunger for success.
"I’m expecting him to continue to progress over the next two years and in turn, challenge the more senior hookers in the squad, Sam Parry and Scott Otten."
