WIDNES Vikings have swooped to sign two of Wales’ hottest youth products Sion Pryce-Jones and Connor Parker who have joined the Club’s Academy.

The two Wales Academy Internationals have signed two year deals at the club and have moved to the area to fully commit to their Rugby League careers at Widnes.

Vikings Head of Youth Performance, Phil Finney, spotted the Welsh duo starring for the Dragons against Widnes’ Under 16’s earlier in the season and following talks with the youngsters and their parents they have turned down other offers to become full time Youth players at the Select Security Stadium Club.

The pair will trace Wales Rugby Union star turned Widnes Rugby League favourite Jonathan Davies’ path at Widnes.

Finney said: “We are pleased to have the two boys from Wales at the Club. Our Under 16s played the South Wales Academy side, which is affectively the national squad, and these two lads stood out and made the game extremely difficult for us.

"They are probably the two shining lights in the Welsh team and they have great characteristics, perseverance and resilience and they demonstrated they’ve got the right attributes to do well in this environment.”

Both Jones and Parker will be trained and educated at the Vikings and will be studying a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sport and Excellence as part of the AASE programme to compliment their physical training.

Jones, a prop forward who is also a Welsh speaker, says he’s excited to be at Widnes and will be working hard to ‘pursue his dream’ of making it professionally with the Vikings.

He said: “I started playing Rugby from five years old and moved to playing Rugby League when I was 11 and I’ve loved the game ever since.

“I can’t wait to get involved in pre-season. Hopefully we’ll have a good season with the boys and we’ll do well. The goal for me personally is to go all the way at Widnes. It’s a big move but one I’m happy to make as I’ve joined a Club with a lot of history and one which is really moving forward.”

Connor Parker, a blockbusting prop-forward, said: “I hope that this is the start of my professional career and from here on I hope to progress into the Super League, playing with the likes of Kevin Brown and Danny Tickle.

“And [I hope it will] also give confidence to those in Wales who want to have a career in Rugby League.”