Post by Communications Team on Apr 28, 2016 9:12:11 GMT
London Welsh Press Release
Following on from Wednesday's squad announcement, which confirmed the commitment for 2016/17 of 20 players from the London Welsh team which finished this season so very strongly and lifted the British and Irish Cup, the club is today pleased to announce the first of several exciting new signings in Kristian Phillips, Heath Stevens and Glyn Hughes.
An exciting winger with electrifying pace, who can also play full back, Phillips joins London Welsh having gained Pro12 experience with the Ospreys and the Scarlets.
Phillips, 25, came through the development pathway at the Ospreys and in May 2008 became the youngest player to start a Magners League game, at 17 years and 250 days, when he lined up against Connacht at The Sportsgroud, Galway. He set another record when he marked the occasion with a try to become the league's youngest try scorer.
In 2012 he left to spend the next three seasons at the Scarlets, for whom he scored seven tries in 54 appearances.
Phillips re-joined the Ospreys for the 2015/16 campaign and in total made 22 appearances for the region, scoring 23 points.
Phillips represented Wales at U16, U18, U20 and Sevens, and was called into the Wales senior squad for the 2010 Six Nations by Warren Gatland, despite having made only seven senior appearances.
He has also played for Bridgend Ravens, Carmarthen Quins, Llandovery, Llanelli and Neath.
Stevens joins from Worcester Warriors and will be a familiar face to London Welsh supporters having lined up for Nottingham Rugby in the Championship this season, and was a try scorer in the Green and Whites' victory over the Exiles at Lady Bay in October.
This season was his second loan spell with Nottingham with Stevens having also made four appearances for the club at the end of the 2014/15 campaign.
The powerful 6ft 2in and 15st 8lb centre, 23, joined the Warriors in 2014 after impressing in his one season at Plymouth Albion in the Championship. Stevens previously spent three seasons at Coventry, having come through the academy at Wasps. He has also gained representative honours with England Counties Under 20s.
Fly half Hughes, 24, joins Welsh from Moseley having racked up 116 points in the Championship for the Birmingham club in 2015/16.
Hughes came through the Northampton Saints Academy before joining Moseley in 2011. After two seasons at Billesley Common, he made the switch to Yorkshire Carnegie.
Hughes ended an impressive his first season at Headingley as the team's top points scorer with 244 points in 25 games, before moving onto Wasps as part of a player exchange agreement with Carnegie.
He re-joined Moseley in 2015 and, in total, scored 293 points in 56 appearances in his three seasons in the Red and Black.
London Welsh Director of Rugby Steve Lewis, said: "The signing of three backs of this quality, together with those that we have retained, is a clear statement of the club's intent for next season and also that quality players want to join a club which has ambition and has already demonstrated that it has a special group of players that can deliver that ambition.
"Kristian Phillips is obviously well known to us and we are delighted to have secured his services. He will add his significant experience from the Pro12 to an already very experienced set of backs. He is gifted with blistering pace and acceleration and will drive up the competition for places in our back line. We have put together a formidable pack for next season who will provide him with the opportunities to be a huge threat to opposition defences.
"We have seen first-hand this season that both Heath Stevens and Glyn Hughes are quality players and we have tracked both since their early season games against us for Nottingham and Moseley, respectively. Heath is a powerful carrier who has a strong physical presence both in attack and defence, while Glyn likes to play flat, up in the contact area, and has a strong kicking game and so will suit our style.
"Like many of our existing players, all three have experience of being with clubs in either the Aviva Premiership or Guinness Pro12 and have the talent to compete with the current group of players, and such competition will drive performances up as we challenge for continuing success.”
Following on from Wednesday's squad announcement, which confirmed the commitment for 2016/17 of 20 players from the London Welsh team which finished this season so very strongly and lifted the British and Irish Cup, the club is today pleased to announce the first of several exciting new signings in Kristian Phillips, Heath Stevens and Glyn Hughes.
An exciting winger with electrifying pace, who can also play full back, Phillips joins London Welsh having gained Pro12 experience with the Ospreys and the Scarlets.
Phillips, 25, came through the development pathway at the Ospreys and in May 2008 became the youngest player to start a Magners League game, at 17 years and 250 days, when he lined up against Connacht at The Sportsgroud, Galway. He set another record when he marked the occasion with a try to become the league's youngest try scorer.
In 2012 he left to spend the next three seasons at the Scarlets, for whom he scored seven tries in 54 appearances.
Phillips re-joined the Ospreys for the 2015/16 campaign and in total made 22 appearances for the region, scoring 23 points.
Phillips represented Wales at U16, U18, U20 and Sevens, and was called into the Wales senior squad for the 2010 Six Nations by Warren Gatland, despite having made only seven senior appearances.
He has also played for Bridgend Ravens, Carmarthen Quins, Llandovery, Llanelli and Neath.
Stevens joins from Worcester Warriors and will be a familiar face to London Welsh supporters having lined up for Nottingham Rugby in the Championship this season, and was a try scorer in the Green and Whites' victory over the Exiles at Lady Bay in October.
This season was his second loan spell with Nottingham with Stevens having also made four appearances for the club at the end of the 2014/15 campaign.
The powerful 6ft 2in and 15st 8lb centre, 23, joined the Warriors in 2014 after impressing in his one season at Plymouth Albion in the Championship. Stevens previously spent three seasons at Coventry, having come through the academy at Wasps. He has also gained representative honours with England Counties Under 20s.
Fly half Hughes, 24, joins Welsh from Moseley having racked up 116 points in the Championship for the Birmingham club in 2015/16.
Hughes came through the Northampton Saints Academy before joining Moseley in 2011. After two seasons at Billesley Common, he made the switch to Yorkshire Carnegie.
Hughes ended an impressive his first season at Headingley as the team's top points scorer with 244 points in 25 games, before moving onto Wasps as part of a player exchange agreement with Carnegie.
He re-joined Moseley in 2015 and, in total, scored 293 points in 56 appearances in his three seasons in the Red and Black.
London Welsh Director of Rugby Steve Lewis, said: "The signing of three backs of this quality, together with those that we have retained, is a clear statement of the club's intent for next season and also that quality players want to join a club which has ambition and has already demonstrated that it has a special group of players that can deliver that ambition.
"Kristian Phillips is obviously well known to us and we are delighted to have secured his services. He will add his significant experience from the Pro12 to an already very experienced set of backs. He is gifted with blistering pace and acceleration and will drive up the competition for places in our back line. We have put together a formidable pack for next season who will provide him with the opportunities to be a huge threat to opposition defences.
"We have seen first-hand this season that both Heath Stevens and Glyn Hughes are quality players and we have tracked both since their early season games against us for Nottingham and Moseley, respectively. Heath is a powerful carrier who has a strong physical presence both in attack and defence, while Glyn likes to play flat, up in the contact area, and has a strong kicking game and so will suit our style.
"Like many of our existing players, all three have experience of being with clubs in either the Aviva Premiership or Guinness Pro12 and have the talent to compete with the current group of players, and such competition will drive performances up as we challenge for continuing success.”
