Wales include six uncapped players in extended summer training squad

Wales head coach Steve Tandy will be without two of his regular tight-heads for this summer’s busy schedule, which includes a non-cap international against the Barbarians and matches against Fiji, Argentina and South Africa in the inaugural Nations Championship.

Tomas Francis has been given the summer off after a busy season with Wales and Provence, while fellow prop, Bath’s Archie Griffin, will have elective surgery at the end of the season and isn’t available.

Former Exeter player Francis started the last four games in the Six Nations and was on the bench for the defeat to England in round one, when Griffin started in his place.

This has opened up an opportunity for Ospreys tight-head Ben Warren, who is one of six uncapped players in the 48-strong group.

The others are Cardiff loose-head prop Rhys Barratt, Exeter Chiefs’ barnstorming back row Kane James, an England U20s international, Dragons back row duo Harrison Keddie and Ryan Woodman, plus Harlequins centre Bryn Bradley.

Jac Morgan, Max Llewellyn and Teddy Williams return to the squad having missed the Guinness Six Nations due to injury, while Ellis Bevan, Dillon Lewis, Tommy Reffell and Joe Roberts are back in favour.

Players will join up with Wales on a staggered basis depending on when their club season ends. The first group of players is due into camp on Monday 1 June.

Tandy said: “Some players will finish next weekend and then some might not come into the squad until the 27th of June, so there’s a lot of staggering, that’s the reason for the extended squad. There will be an updated squad post the Barbarians game before we go into the Nations Championship.

“The priorities for us this summer are to keep growing the players, get them up to speed with the conditioning element and also skill development when they’re coming in. With smaller groups, sometimes it does help that we can get to work with these boys even closer than normal. It’s about getting everyone up to speed then linked to our game model as well.”

Wales face the Barbarians in an uncapped away fixture at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, which forms a double header with the Women’s team on 27 June before the inaugural Nations Championship commences the following weekend.

In the July window of the new two-part Nations Championship, Wales take on Fiji in an away match at Cardiff City Stadium on 4 July. Next the squad travels to South America to play Argentina in San Juan on 11 July before heading to South Africa to face the Springboks in Durban on 18 July.

WALES 2026 SUMMER TRAINING SQUAD

Forwards (27)
Keiron Assiratti (Cardiff Rugby – 19 caps)
Rhys Barratt (Cardiff Rugby – uncapped)
Adam Beard (Montpellier – 65 caps)
Liam Belcher (Cardiff Rugby – 5 caps)
James Botham (Cardiff Rugby – 21 caps)
Rhys Carre (Saracens – 28 caps)
Ben Carter (Dragons – 19 caps)
Olly Cracknell (Leicester Tigers – 5 caps)
Ryan Elias (Scarlets – 48 caps)
Kane James (Exeter Chiefs – uncapped)
Dafydd Jenkins (Exeter Chiefs – 31 caps)
Harrison Keddie (Dragons – uncapped)
Dewi Lake (Ospreys – 31 caps)
Dillon Lewis (Dragons – 57 caps)
Evan Lloyd (Cardiff Rugby – 8 caps)
Alex Mann (Cardiff Rugby – 16 caps)
Jac Morgan (Ospreys – 24 caps)
Taine Plumtree – 14 caps)
Tommy Reffell (Leicester Tigers – 29 caps)
Nicky Smith (Leicester Tigers – 63 caps)
Gareth Thomas (Ospreys – 44 caps)
Freddie Thomas (Gloucester Rugby – 8 caps)
Aaron Wainwright (Dragons – 67 caps)
Sam Wainwright (Cardiff Rugby – 4 caps)
Ben Warren (Ospreys – uncapped)
Teddy Williams (Cardiff Rugby – 8 caps)
Ryan Woodman (Dragons – uncapped)

Backs (21)
Josh Adams (Cardiff Rugby – 70 caps)
Ellis Bevan (Cardiff Rugby – 6 caps)
Bryn Bradley (Harlequins – uncapped)
Sam Costelow (Scarlets – 20 caps)
Dan Edwards (Ospreys – 11 caps)
Jarrod Evans (Harlequins – 17 caps)
Mason Grady (Cardiff Rugby  – 17 caps)
Kieran Hardy (Ospreys – 31 caps)
Gabriel Hamer-Webb (Leicester Tigers – 1 cap)
Joe Hawkins (Scarlets – 11 caps)
Louie Hennessey (Bath Rugby – 1 cap)
Eddie James (Scarlets – 9 caps)
Max Llewellyn (Gloucester Rugby – 11 caps)
Ellis Mee (Scarlets – 8 caps)
Reuben Morgan-Williams (Ospreys – 2 caps)
Blair Murray (Scarlets – 16 caps)
Louis Rees-Zammit (Bristol Bears – 40 caps)
Joe Roberts (Scarlets – 7 caps)
Tom Rogers (Scarlets – 13 caps)
Ben Thomas (Cardiff Rugby  – 18 caps)
Tomos Williams (Gloucester Rugby – 72 caps)