Exeter's Joe Hawkins sought for potential URC and Wales return

Cardiff are keeping tabs on Exeter Chiefs inside centre Joe Hawkins and are keen on taking him back to South Wales for a move that would allow him to restart his international career, which stalled with his move to Devon.

The Swansea-born 22-year-old scored one try in 28 appearances for Ospreys, his hometown club. after making his Pro 14 debut in a 23-17 defeat against Zebra in Parma in November 2020.

Hawkins, who played once at fly-half for Wales in an U20s defeat to their Italian counterparts in the Six Nations championship in March 2022, won five senior caps. The last was against the Azzurri the following year.

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His move to Sandy Park in May 2023 was highly controversial. It sparked a war of words and forced him out of Warren Gatland’s Rugby World Cup squad because he had won less than the required 25 games for players playing outside Wales.

Unlike his Chiefs teammates Dafydd Jenkins and Christ Tshiunza, who are eligible for international selection as they joined the Chiefs before winning their first caps, he was forced to place his international ambitions on hold.

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Hawkins signed a heads-of-terms contract with Exeter before winning his first cap, so he did not meet the requirements of the Welsh Rugby Union and the PRB. He even went as far as releasing a statement stating that he held an academy contract, which was understood to be worth around £20,000 a year when he decided to move to the Premiership.

“I have spent the last few years playing professional rugby and later international rugby. I have been held to an ‘academy contract’, being significantly underpaid.”

Hawkins has since admitted that he wants to play for Wales again, and Gatland admitted: “I’d love to have him involved. Despite what everyone says when it was the 60-cap rule, that it was ‘Gatland’s Law’, I was never in favour of it.

“It was something that was pushed hard by the regions in terms of having that implemented,” he added. A move to the Arms Park would allow Hawkins to again pull on an international shirt.