Allen will leave Blues for Ospreys
WELSH international Cory Allen is to leave Cardiff Blues at the end of this season to join the Ospreys.
And it will be one in, one out, with fellow centre Josh Matavesi moving away from the Liberty Stadium to Newcastle.
Allen has been with the Blues for six seasons, making 56 appearances, and winning four Welsh caps during his time with the Arms Park outfit, including a hattrick against Uruguay in the 2015 World Cup.
But now the 24-year-old is heading for pastures new, having signed a two-year deal with the Ospreys. He takes up a midfield berth as Matavesi moves on, with the Fijian international having been released a year early to take up the opportunity with the Falcons.
Ospreys head coach Steve Tandy said: “Cory is someone I’ve always admired as a player.
“I like the way he plays the game, he’s physical and his postcontact work is excellent, how he can offload the ball. I think he can thrive in our environment and really kick-on with his career.
“We’ve got some variety in the centre position, and we are starting to build some real strength in depth in that position, but Cory will offer something different to our other options.”
“With James Hook also arriving in the summer, we have two fresh options who will really increase competition in the squad.
“It’s going to be a really positive to have Cory around, he’s got some real qualities that will help us develop our game, while we will be good for him.
“It’s a fresh start for Cory. Our track record for developing players speaks for itself, not just home grown youth but under the radar players coming to us from other regions, people like Dan Evans and Sam Parry who have really grown in our environment.”
As for Matavesi, he joined the Ospreys from Worcester in 2014 and has been a regular member of the side, making 70 appearances in all.
Managing Director Andrew Millward said: “Josh came to us to discuss an offer he had received from Newcastle for next season, which he wanted to take up. We considered his request to be released early from his contract and given Josh’s particular circumstances that it’s best for all parties to allow him to take up this offer.”