VIDEO: Keelan Giles is staying in Wales
Ospreys Rugby have announced that Keelan Giles has signed a new three year deal.
The 19-year old has been rewarded with a contract running until the summer of 2020 following a breakthrough season at his home region. Having come to public attention with Wales U20s last spring, he made his Ospreys bow at the start of last season, scoring a try on his debut off the bench in a 64-10 win over Benetton Treviso at the Liberty Stadium.
In a remarkable first campaign in the senior squad he quickly established himself as one of the most exciting young talents in the game, ending the season with 14 tries in 19 games, a tally bettered only once in Ospreys history, by Tommy Bowe in 2009/10.
The former Waunarlwydd RFC and Gowerton Comprehensive school flier was a late Wales senior call-up mid tour in summer 2016, joining Warren Gatland’s squad in 2016, before he had even made his Ospreys debut, after impressing with Wales U20 at the Junior World Cup. He was then selected in the squad for the November internationals and this summer’s games against Samoa and Tonga, but is still awaiting his first cap.
“I’m really grateful to the Ospreys for the faith they’ve shown in me with this new contract” said Giles after putting pen to paper.
“The last 12 months has been incredible for me personally. If you’d asked me this time last year I could never have imagined it would have gone like it did. My ambition last summer was to simply make a mark in training and hopefully do enough to get some Anglo Welsh game time maybe.
“It’s been brilliant, but I know that I can’t start thinking I’ve made it. There’s a lot of work still ahead of me to make sure my development last season isn’t wasted but I know I’m in the best environment to make sure I reach my full potential.”
Ospreys head coach, Steve Tandy, welcomed the news, saying that everybody at the region understood the importance of securing the services of young talent like Giles.
“This is great news to start the season off” said Tandy.
“Credit has to go to the development arm of the business for the work they’ve done with another young, local talent. Keelan also has to take credit for his application, hard work and the level of detail he goes into with his learning, leaving nothing to chance in his personal progression.
“His potential is clear to see, he excites supporters and coaches with his genuine pace and eye for the line, but he’s also incredibly brave as anyone who has watched him would testify.
“He handled last season very well. It’s difficult when you come through into the senior scene and do so well, as that brings with it a massive expectation to deliver every match, which is harsh on a teenager but he stepped up and really showed what he can do.
“We are proud of the youngsters we bring through but the rising cost of keeping hold of those players means we can be victims of our own success in many ways. If you look at Keelan, 15 months ago he was a young hopeful on a development contract, know he is a first team regular and Wales squad member on his second pro contract. Even though it becomes a balancing act with budgets we are committed to retaining the best young players from our development pathway and Keelan definitely fits that description.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments