London Welsh went into administration in July 2009

English Championship club London Welsh are set to move to Wales next season - but the Exiles will continue to play their home matches at Old Deer Park.

London Welsh plan to strengthen their bond with Welsh region the Ospreys and share their training facilities in midweek at the Llandarcy academy.

The Exiles will then return to London to play their Championship matches.

BBC Sport understands that the Ospreys are set to loan young players to London Welsh to accelerate their development.

London Welsh, who have played senior-level rugby in England since its formation in 1885, play in English rugby's second tier.

The Exiles, who have dual membership of the Welsh Rugby Union and English RFU, have suffered financial worries this season but have ambitions to win promotion to play in the Guinness Premiership.

So London Welsh will be boosted by the prospect of becoming a development club for the Ospreys and having the possibility of including up-and-coming Ospreys talent such as Wales call-ups Tom Prydie or Kristian Phillips in their top-flight bid.

606: DEBATE Doesn't this sort of thing make a mockery of a regional set-up? I thought the idea was that the Ospreys are the top of a pyramid and there would be movement up and down of players and expertise to the benefit of all concerned oggy57

And it has been suggested that top Ospreys stars returning from injury - like Gavin Henson, for example - could also be gradually phased back into first-team action for the Exiles in the Championship before moving on to play Magners League rugby for the Ospreys.

The Welsh Rugby Union are thought to have concerns over the implications of the link-up for the Welsh Premiership.

As the governing body wants the top young home-grown Ospreys talent to be honed at their feeder clubs likes Swansea, Neath and Aberavon in Wales' top semi-pro league.

The premier clubs have told BBC Radio Wales' Scrum V show that they cannot understand any deal that would see Welsh players playing in an English league.

Chris Clarke, chairman of Wales' premier clubs, said: "The Premiership developed 11 players in the Dragons side that beat the Ospreys last month so I can't understand why the Ospreys would want to take their players outside of Wales."

The BBC have contacted the Ospreys, London Welsh and the Premier clubs in England but are still awaiting an official confirmation.

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