Wales worldwide Joe Hawkins will join Exeter on the finish of the season, swapping Ospreys for a shot on the Gallagher Premiership.
The 20-year-old centre has received 5 caps for his nation and was a key a part of Warren Gatland’s current Guinness Six Nations marketing campaign.
Ospreys have been keen to dangle on to his companies, however Hawkins has as an alternative opted to join former pathway team-mates Oli Burrows, Dafydd Jenkins, Dan John and Christ Tshiunza on the Chiefs.
Speaking after the transfer was introduced, he hailed the ambition of the membership.
“It’s a new challenge for me and something a bit different, especially moving away from my home region, who I will always be thankful to for giving me the playing opportunities that I’ve had up until now,” he stated.
“That said, it does feel a home away from home, especially with all the Welsh boys that are down there already. I’ve spoken to a few of them and they’ve told me plenty of good things about the club and the culture that exists down there. Also, chatting with Rob (Baxter, director of rugby) and Ali (Hepher, head coach).
“I liked what they had to say about how they want to play and how they want to create a new team capable of challenging at the very top. That really appealed to me, I wanted to be part of it, and I wanted to be there at the start of this journey.”
Baxter welcomed the brand new arrival as he continues the method of refreshing his squad.
“We do have players moving on at the end of this season, so it was important that we looked at the areas we needed to fill and that we brought in the right players,” he stated.
“Joe ticks pretty much every box that we look for in a player and I’ve no doubt he’s going to be a great addition to the squad. Like any player, we feel there are areas of his game that can be further developed, but he’s someone who we are genuinely excited about.”
Ospreys head coach Toby Booth admitted frustration at not having the ability to retain Hawkins, including: “Obviously it is a disappointment to lose Joe, he is a player that we have spent a lot of time developing over the last two years. A big focus of what we are trying to do is to keep our young talented Welsh players but sometimes this is not possible.”
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