The 20-year-old joined the Bath Rugby Academy straight from school and has since worked his way up the ranks to make three first team appearances this season, one of which was in the Guinness Premiership against Worcester Warriors.

Training regularly with the senior players, the centre will be looking to stake a more frequent claim on a first team jersey and is making good use of the advice of the older players.

"It is really good to play and train alongside the senior boys," admitted Ben. "They help make things so much clearer and offer such a good understanding of the game - which is great."

Having watched such players as Nick Abendanon make the transition from Academy to senior squad, Ben wants to grab the opportunity over the next two seasons to show what he can do.

"When you are offered the chance that I have been, you just want to grab it and really go for it.

"I really enjoy playing for Bath Rugby and living in Bath too. It is a great city and a great club."

Skills and Defence Coach Brad Davis believes that there is a lot more to come from Ben and is looking forward to seeing the youngster develop and progress.

"Ben is a big, abrasive centre who has good all-round skills. His performances to date have shown a great deal of promise and we are all expecting him to keep on developing as a player.

"It is really rewarding for us as a club to see a young player like Ben come through the ranks who can challenge the more senior players each week. We think he is one to watch for the future."