Welsh regional rugby running dry with top names

NEWS: Wales and British and Irish Lions full-back Liam Williams has become the latest victim as Cardiff offloads their high earners amid the club’s’ £2m budget cut for next season.

Williams is bound for Japan after only completing half of his two-year-deal at the Arms Park, but Cardiff were keen to offload one of their highest earners from the wage bill as the club faces a £2m budget cut for next season.

Cardiff’s annual budget is set to be cut by £2m – from £7.2m to £5.2m – next season, reducing to £4.5m for the 2024-25 campaign for each of the four leading Welsh teams.

The 32-year-old remains eligible for the national side and is expected to be part of their World Cup plans.

Williams is not the only international to leave Welsh regional rugby and more big names are set to follow.

Fellow Test players Joe Hawkins (Exeter), Cory Hill (Japan), Rhys Webb (Biarritz), Tom Francis (Provence), Ross Moriarty (Brive), Will Rowlands (Racing 92) and Dillon Lewis (Harlequins) will all move abroad next season.

Six Nations teammates Leigh Halfpenny, Gareth Anscombe and Rhys Patchell also face uncertain futures h

Cardiff’s annual budget is set to be cut by £2m – from £7.2m to £5.2m – next season, reducing to £4.5m for the 2024-25 campaign for each of the four leading Welsh teams.

Williams will be the 17th player through the Arms Park exit this summer, while uncertainty still surrounds the future of head coach Dai Young, who was suspended pending an investigation into complaints over his behaviour towards club employees.

A new six-year deal between the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) and the teams was signed in March, but this required a number of organisations to give their approval, including the Welsh Government.

The contract required Welsh Government consent because of a current loan agreement it holds with the WRU and regions but clubs have complained of cash-flow problems caused by delays in the funding delivery.