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Two Wales rugby internationals are on the move at the end of the season
Two rugby deals involving Wales internationals have been completed today, with Tomos Williams and Nicky Smith leaving Gloucester and Leicester Tigers respectively. Here is everything you need to know.
- Wales scrum-half Tomos Williams will be departing Gloucester Rugby at the conclusion of the current season, a move confirmed just one day after the English club announced the signings of fellow Wales captains Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake from the Ospreys.
- Williams, 30, joined Gloucester from Cardiff in the summer of 2024 and quickly became a key figure at Kingsholm. His impact was immediate, earning him the Gallagher Premiership Player of the Season award in his first year, and he was subsequently named club captain for the following season, a testament to his rising stock. Despite Gloucester’s efforts to retain the influential scrum-half, who was also one of only two Welshmen named in the British and Irish Lions squad for the summer tour to Australia, Williams has opted to pursue a new challenge elsewhere. He has been strongly linked with a move to Saracens.
- An injury ultimately prevented him from participating in the Lions Test series. In their official statement, Gloucester confirmed Williams’ departure at the end of the 2025/26 season, noting that he had been offered a new contract but chose not to accept it. The club expressed their best wishes, stating that the Welsh international is fully dedicated to finishing his time at Gloucester on a high note. This news, confirming the loss of their club captain, arrived just 24 hours after the Cherry and Whites had secured the double signing of Ospreys stars Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake.
- Wales international prop Nicky Smith is set to join Sale Sharks next season after signing a three-year contract with the English club. The 31-year-old loosehead will be moving from Leicester Tigers, where he has been a first-choice player for the past two seasons since arriving from the Ospreys. Smith is highly regarded as one of the most destructive scrummaging props in the Gallagher Premiership and was recognised for his performance last season by being named in the Premiership Team of the Year, selected by a panel of experts.
- Smith stated that his decision was influenced by the ambition of Sale Sharks’ Director of Rugby, Alex Sanderson, to compete for trophies. He looks forward to joining a team that is clearly focused on winning. Smith also noted that Sale’s front row boasts many quality international players, which he believes will help him improve his game.
- Despite feeling he is currently playing his best rugby, the 59-times-capped Wales international is eager to develop further and hopes to have his best years in a Sale shirt. Sale’s Director of Rugby, Alex Sanderson, expressed his excitement about the signing, describing Smith as one of the “most aggressive, consistent, high-quality scrummagers” in the Premiership who has consistently “caused us a lot of trouble.” Sanderson highlighted that Smith’s agility and mobility around the park complement his set-piece quality.
- He believes Smith’s experience in the Premiership and at international level aligns perfectly with Sale’s ambitions to compete for trophies and the player’s own goal of playing in future World Cups.
FULL STORY: Wales star leaves English club just 24 hours after Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake news
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