Ospreys lock James Fender will leave the region at the end of the season to join French Pro D2 side Grenoble.

Fender was reportedly close to signing for the club last summer, with the move falling through.

He will now link up with former Ospreys and Wales fly-half Sam Davies, who said in a club press release: “Compared by many as the heir to Welsh legend Alun Wyn Jones, he [Fender] will bring physical strength as well as real playing intelligence to both attack and defence”.

Fender, a former Wales Under-20 international, was part of Wales’ senior squad last autumn, but did not make his Wales debut.

His departure announcement comes amid growing uncertainty surrounding Ospreys’ future, with the region’s owners Y11 Sport & Media in talks with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) to buy rivals Cardiff.

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