Bennett signs new Ospreys deal

The Wales hooker has today put pen-to-paper on a four-year contract that runs until the end of the 2011/12 season, and follows on from Lee Byrne, Shane Williams and Filo Tiatia who have all agreed to extend their Ospreys careers recently.

24 year old Bennett has been with the Ospreys since the region was formed in the summer of 2003, initially playing understudy to former Wales and British Lion hooker Barry Williams, before going on to become a regular in Lyn Jones' starting fifteen. He crossed for a try on his Ospreys debut, a 36-25 defeat to Leinster at the Gnoll in November 2003, and has gone on to make 67 appearances for the region to date, scoring seven tries.

A regular feature in Wales squads over the last few seasons, he has established himself as first choice hooker under Warren Gatland this season, taking his total number of international appearances to 17 despite being forced to pull out of Saturday's Triple Crown clincher against Ireland late-on due to illness.

Speaking after signing his new contract, Huw Bennett said:

"Obviously I'm delighted to have re-signed, it's a great set-up here, we've got a good bunch of boys who have developed and grown up as a group and we are starting to reach our potential together. This season we've really started to show what we are capable of as a squad and by getting to the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup we've set ourselves a benchmark. Having crossed that bridge we've got to show that it's not a fluke and not only progress further this year, but do it again next season.

"On a personal level, this new contract is a way of me saying thanks to the Ospreys for sticking by me when I had a serious neck injury four years ago. They looked after me when I had to have surgery, re-signing me on a new contract because they had faith in me at a time when it was touch and go. For a hooker, a neck injury can cause real problems and is career threatening because you never know how it's going to react until you get back to action in the front row, so I appreciate the faith they showed in me at the time.

'I'm still only 24 which is still young for a hooker but I've been through a lot with the Ospreys already, This contract will take me up until I'm 28 when I should be at my peak, but I can't take anything for granted because I know that Richard Hibbard is breathing down my neck for the starting place, making sure I don't let the standards I've set this season drop."

Ospreys Head Coach Lyn Jones said:

"I'm delighted both for Huw and for the Ospreys that we have been able to re-sign him for the next four years. Huw is a talented and hard working individual who has proven his worth to the coaches here at the Ospreys many times over, both in terms of his playing ability and his value to the team, so it comes as no surprise to us to see the impact that he is having in a Welsh shirt at the moment.

"The success that Huw is enjoying on the field, and his desire to extend his stay with the Ospreys for such a long period, is further evidence of the good work being done at the region week in week out, and the good practices that we have in place here."