Beck gets two more years

A product of the region's player development pathway, 23-year old Beck was born and bred in Ospreylia and enjoyed his early rugby with Skewen and then Tonmawr. Having played for the Ospreys at regional age-grade level, Beck also gained considerable experience with Aberavon in the Principality Premiership on his way to establishing himself with his home region.

His Ospreys debut came in November 2007 when he was a second half replacement against Leinster at the Liberty Stadium aged just 17 years and 222 days, becoming the youngest ever player in the Celtic League in the process. To date he has made 82 regional appearances, scoring 15 tries, including one in the PRO12 Final win in Dublin in 2012.

Capped by Wales at all age-grade levels, he made his senior debut on the summer 2012 tour of Australia, playing in all three tests and and starting in the second and third. He has worn the Welsh shirt on seven occasions and has scored two tries, gaining a call-up to the Six Nations squad this week.

The new contract runs until the end of the 2015/16 season.

Speaking after signing the new deal, Ashley said:

"Signing a new contract with the Ospreys is all I wanted. This is my home region and it's the only place I want to play my rugby. As a youngster, playing for the Ospreys was my goal and I've achieved that. Now I've established myself here I want to help the region kick-on and grow, and I want to play my part in helping the team develop.

"I suppose I've been around long enough to be considered one of the older heads now, despite only being 23. We are a young team, especially in the backs, but we've got an exciting mix with a lot of potential and I'm looking forward to being part of this group as it grows over the next two years.

"This is a great place to be and I'm really happy that my future is all sorted, allowing me to concentrate on my rugby."

Andy Lloyd, Rugby Operations Manager, commented:

"This is great news for everybody involved with the Ospreys. As a young, homegrown player who has come all the way through the ranks at the region, from his community club through to the Ospreys first team, he is a shining example of the work being done day in, day out, at Llandarcy to develop a sustainable future.

"He's a home grown product and we've seen him develop from a promising teenager into an Ospreys regular and an international player who has come a long way since his debut as a 17-year old. For a young man he has been around a long time, and has a lot of games under his belt, which makes people think he is a lot older than he actually is, but we believe that he still has a lot more to offer and that is what is exciting about this news.

"The coaches will be looking to help him develop personally over the next two years, and to really establish himself at the top end of the game during the duration of this contract. With so much being said and written about players leaving Wales, Ashley is exactly the kind of player we need to keep here, and is is fantastic that he sees his future with his home region."

The news that Beck has put pen-to-paper to extend his time with the Ospreys come shortly after confirmation that Welsh internationals Dan Evans and Sam Parry will join the region next season, along with exciting Fijian cap Josh Matavesi.