Giant lock Will Rowlands to exit Welsh rugby - report

Giant lock Will Rowlands appears to be turning his back on his Test career in order to pursue a career in France with Racing 92.

Alex Bywater writes in the Daily Mail that a lack of clarity around what Dragons RFC would be offering the 6’8, 123kg former Wasps was a key in his decision to move.

His exit of course puts pay to his Test career, where he has to date earned 21 caps. The question now is whether not he remains in Wayne Pivac’s plans for the Rugby World Cup, if of course, Pivac isn’t sacked in the meantime.

The 31-year-old is presumably at his earning possibilities and the likelihood that he faces stiff competition in the second row post-2023 with the likes of Christ Tshiunza and Dafydd Jenkins coming through the ranks.

The powerful lock original joined the then Dean Ryan coached Dragons on what was described as a long-term contract’ from the start of the 2021/22 season. Ryan has since left the Dragons, although the club have yet to clarify the arrangement that both parties came to.

Rowlands joined Newport based side from the now-defunct English Premiership side Wasps where he has made just under a century of appearances over seven seasons.

Rowlands attended Rugby School and studied business, administration and management at Warwick University before going on to Pembroke College Oxford, where he gained a BA degree in Economics and Management. During his time at Oxford University, he played in the varsity matches of 2012 and 2013 against Cambridge University and was also a part-time member of the Wasps Academy.

He made his debut for the English Premiership club in an Anglo-Welsh Cup match against Leicester in 2012, earning a first team contract in 2014.

Rowlands spent much of the 2015/16 season on loan at Jersey in the Championship before returning to Wasps to making his English Premiership debut away at Saracens.