Sonny Parker leaves the Ospreys for Exiles in England
- Published
Sonny Parker, the Ospreys centre
Sonny Parker has confirmed he will leave the Ospreys and has signed for London Welsh in the English Championship.
The New Zealand-born Wales international is the latest senior player to leave the Liberty Stadium.
"Although I'm excited about joining London Welsh I'm really sad to be leaving the Ospreys," said Parker.
Parker, 34, won three Celtic League titles and an Anglo-Welsh cup with the Ospreys.
Parker joins Shane Williams, Huw Bennett, Tommy Bowe, Nikki Walker and Tom Smith in leaving the Ospreys at the end of this season.
He signed for the Ospreys in 2004 following the demise of the Celtic Warriors but looks set to finish his career at Old Deer Park.
London Welsh are currently involved in the RFU Championship play-offs and have ambitions to play in the Aviva Premiership.
Parker, who won 31 Wales caps, admitted it was hard to leave the Ospreys but that he was relishing the new challenge with London Welsh and life in the English capital.
"[Ospreys] is a place that I've considered home ever since I joined from the Celtic Warriors and I've always appreciated the way I've been treated here," said Parker.
"I've grown up with a lot of the boys during this time and I wouldn't be the person that I am if it wasn't for the Ospreys.
"It's hard to leave the Ospreys but I understand the situation and where things are at the moment. I genuinely believe that in Steve Tandy the team is in good hands for the future."
Parker will link up with his former Ospreys coach, Lyn Jones, who is now in charge of London Welsh.
"I know how good a coach Lyn is and what style of rugby he wants to play, and that was one of the major factors behind my decision to join the club," said Parker.
Parker has been a key player at the Liberty Stadium and played 157 games and scored 29 tries for the Ospreys, statistics that place him sixth in the all-time appearance list and fourth in the try scorers chart.
He was selected for the Wales' Rugby World Cup squads in 2003 and 2007 and was part of the Wales side that beat Australia by two points in Cardiff in 2005.