Warburton signs national dual contract

Warburton, his back row colleague Dan Lydiate, prop Samson Lee and back Hallam Amos have all put pen to paper on the new deals.

Wales captain Warburton, 28, became the first player to sign a national contract with the WRU in January 2014, which then evolved into a national dual contract with his regional team Cardiff.

Lydiate joined the Ospreys from French club Racing 92 on a dual contract, while Newport Gwent Dragons' Amos first signed in December 2014 and Scarlets forward Lee a month later.

The contracts are 60 percent funded by the WRU, with a player's region paying the rest.

The WRU's announcement comes just eight days before Wales kick off their series of Test matches with a clash with Australia in Cardiff, which is followed by fixtures against Argentina, Japan and South Africa.

"Having our best players playing here in Wales is vital to the future health of our game," WRU chief executive Martyn Phillips said.

"The close working relationship and ambition shared with the regions is crucial in our ability to retain players. Together, we believe we are creating an environment that players want to play in and will get the best out of them on the field.

"Seeing international players re-sign these contracts highlights the success of the programme as we continue to work hard to drive the game forward."

Agence France-Presse