NEWCASTLE Falcons have been given a major boost with the news that star back-row prospect Will Welch has committed his future to the club.
The 20-year-old openside has signed a new two-year contract coming on the back of new deals for full-back Jeremy Manning and flanker Mark Wilson.
The Falcons are also set to unveil more new contracts later in the week, but head coach Alan Tait could not contain his delight at Welch’s decision to spurn other offers and sign on.
“It’s great for the club because Will has come through our academy, we’ve shown faith in him and now he has shown the same in us,” he said.
“We really think he’s going to be an outstanding openside for the future, we want to keep him in the North East and this is just another statement of how we’re looking to build.”
The 20-year-old has already played 35 games for the Falcons, and last summer represented England at the Under-20s World Cup in Argentina.
“He’s a quiet kid away from rugby, but when he gets on the pitch he really comes to life,” said Tait.
“When he’s not playing or training he can be whatever personality he wants, but the good thing with Will is that once he’s on that field he’s full of communication, enthusiasm and aggression.
“He’s got a lot to learn at such a young age, but he’s working extremely hard with Paul Moriarty and Richard Arnold on the coaching staff.
“Will and Mark Wilson are also both learning a lot from guys like Ally Hogg being in the Newcastle squad, and they work closely with him on the analysis side after their games.
“Obviously with Ally being an experienced Scottish international he has a lot to offer them, and it’s great that they’ve got that resource at their disposal.”
With Welch signing up for two years rather than repeating his current single-season deal, Tait added: “As a club we have never ever pushed one-year contracts, it’s always been the agents, and I said from day one that I wanted to get rid of that short-term thinking.
“When we’ve been talking with our players we’ve been offering them deals for two, three and even four years, and it’s a vote of confidence in the club that a lot of them are coming back to sign them.”
Delighted to have sorted out his future, the in-demand flanker said: “Newcastle is my home club, it’s been a great place to learn and it’s where I want to be.
“Coming through the Falcons academy has been massive in developing my game, and over the past year or so I’ve become much more involved with the first-team side of things.
“I’ve still got a lot to learn and I’m working hard at my game every day, but I love it at the club and I was always keen to commit my future here.”
Welch predicts a bright future for the Kingston Park outfit despite currently being second-bottom of the Premiership, insisting: “We all know the league position isn’t where we want it to be at the moment, but things behind the scenes here are excellent and the future looks good in the longer-term.
“We’ve got a really exciting squad with a lot of good young players, the talent is definitely here and we’re learning all the time from the coaching team and the senior players in the group.”
Welch was part of the Falcons squad who endured a wasted trip to France over the weekend, with their Amlin Challenge Cup match against Bourgoin being postponed twice in two days due to freezing temperatures.
This weekend sees them back in LV= Cup action as they travel to Bath on Saturday afternoon, with a semi-final place still a realistic prospect as they sit top of their group at the half-way point.
