Premiership clubs plot raid of Welsh stars with six primed for moves

Six Welsh internationals have been linked with moves to Premiership clubs ahead of next season, according to reports.

Squad budgets at Welsh United Rugby Championship (URC) sides next season are set to be cut to £4.5m, and three players could move to the Premiership because of it, while one international could switch clubs in England.

Potentially on the move

Loosehead prop Rhys Carre could return to the Premiership and rejoin his former employer, Saracens, next season, which would make him ineligible for Wales.

Carre was released from the Wales squad ahead of the 2023 World Cup and while he is still highly rated, he is also five caps short of meeting the 25-cap law for players abroad.

The prop could be joined in England by fellow clubmates and internationals.

Gloucester are reportedly interested in two Welsh internationals, with reports linking scrum-half Tomos Williams and fly-half Callum Sheedy with a move to the West Country outfit.

Wales Online reports that Gloucester has tabled a lucrative three-year contract to Williams to lure him away from Cardiff. Williams was one of two scrum-halves named in Warren Gatland’s Rugby World Cup squad and would still be eligible for Wales if he made the move, having racked up 52 Test caps already.

The 28-year-old could be joined at the club by fellow international and Bristol Bears’ fly-half Sheedy, according to a report by The Rugby Paper. He could switch West Country teams as a potential replacement for Scotland international Adam Hastings, who is reportedly not being offered an extension at Kingsholm.

A move to Gloucester or an extension at Bristol would make Sheedy ineligible for Wales as well, as he has played just 16 Test matches for Wales. Additional reports state that the Test set-up are interested in Sheedy, particularly after Dan Biggar’s retirement, but there are concerns over whether any of the Welsh URC sides could fit his salary into their budget, especially if he can pick up a lucrative deal in England.

Ins and outs at Bristol Bears

While Bristol might be losing one Welsh international, the Bears are in line to snap another up. According to The Rugby Paper, Pat Lam is looking to sign tighthead prop Leon Brown as a replacement for England international Kyle Sinckler.

Sinckler is off contract at the end of the season and has been linked with a move across the Channel with Toulon understood to be interested in his services.

Brown is also off contract and while the same report states that Bristol have signed Lovejoy Chawatama from Harlequins, they are eager to add more depth in the position.

Finally, it is reported that back-rower Aaron Wainwright and winger Rio Dyer are attracting interest from Premiership clubs as well as clubs in France and Japan.

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