Leigh Halfpenny among 17 players to commit future to Scarlets

Scarlets have confirmed that 17 players including Wales international Leigh Halfpenny have committed their immediate future with the Pro14 club.

Halfpenny will be joined his fellow Wales team-mates Gareth Davies, Rhys Patchell and Samson Lee as they agree to the revised pay after the ongoing season was disrupted by the pandemic coronavirus.

Earlier, in April the Welsh Rugby Players' Association reached an agreement of a 25 per cent reduction in pay for the last three months and now 17 players in the squad have agreed a contract for the 2020/21 season.

osh Macleod, Ryan Conbeer, Dan Jones, Kieran Hardy and Steff Hughes along with Angus O’Brien, Phil Price, Tom Rogers, Steff Thomas, Josh Helps, Morgan Jones, Jac Price and Joe Roberts are the other players to remain with the Welsh province.

“It is crucial that we keep building the strength and depth of our squad and these renewals are evidence of that,” said Scarlets head coach Glenn Delaney.

“Players like Leigh, Gareth, Patch and Samson have proven themselves on the world stage and keeping players of that calibre at the Scarlets is vital to our ambitions of challenging for silverware.

“The academy has produced some outstanding Scarlets over the years and continues to do so and we have high hopes for a number of our young players who are coming through and challenging the senior squad members for starting spots.

“You saw this season the impact the likes of Josh Macleod, Kieran Hardy, Ryan Conbeer and Steff Hughes had in the PRO14 and Europe when handed their opportunity and there are young players coming through who I’m sure will be pushing those boys hard as well.

“We feel we are in a good place as a squad. We have recruited well and retained key personnel and are looking forward to the remaining games of this season and then hitting the ground running for the 2020/21 campaign.”