Welsh rugby in danger of losing Morgan and Lake

Welsh rugby is in danger of losing Wales captains Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake with Gloucester in contention to sign the Ospreys duo.

Both players are out of contract at the end of the season and have been linked with moves.

Flanker Morgan, 25, who has also attracted interest from Saracens, was the only Welsh member of the 2025 British and Irish Lions Test series-winning squad in Australia, while hooker Lake, 26, captained Wales on the summer tour of Japan.

Morgan led Wales in the opening autumn international against Argentina in November before suffering a shoulder injury that could see him miss the entire 2026 Six Nations.

Lake then took over the captaincy for the 24-23 victory against Japan, the 52-26 defeat against New Zealand and the record 73-0 loss against South Africa.

When asked about the prospect of signing the pair for next season, Gloucester head coach George Skivington said: "When things are all sorted with people in discussions and everybody is happy with what is being said, I am very happy to talk about it.

"But at the moment it is not right to talk about it."

There is a strong Welsh contingent at Gloucester that includes Freddie Thomas, Max Llewellyn, Josh Hathaway and Tomos Williams.

Cherry and Whites captain Williams is lining up a move to Saracens next season with another Ospreys player, Kieran Hardy, in contention to replace his Wales team-mate at Kingsholm.

"The proximity to Wales is a real benefit to us," said Skivington.

"I personally really enjoy coaching the Welsh lads. They are good, honest, hard- working blokes.

"There are a good group of Welsh players coming through. They bring a good energy on the field and are serious about their work but also have a good level of enjoyment off the field.

"I find them very engaging and [that they] kind of suit how I would draw a rugby player."

Should Morgan and Lake depart, the uncertainty in crisis-stricken Welsh rugby will have been a major factor in their decisions.

Ospreys have said publicly they want to keep the pair, who are close friends, but the two players are unsure what the future holds in their homeland.

Ospreys supporters were told in September Morgan had warned the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) he would leave professional domestic rugby in Wales if Ospreys ceased to exist.

The WRU announced in October that it planned to reduce the number of professional men's sides in Wales from four to three.

Welsh rugby's governing body confirmed it proposes to grant three licences for men's clubs.

There will be one in Cardiff, one in the east and one in the west, which is expected to result in a straight survival fight between Swansea-based Ospreys and Scarlets in Llanelli.

Another option that has now emerged is Ospreys owners, Y11 Sport & Media, taking over WRU-owned Cardiff, which could produce the desired number of three professional sides.

One of the main purposes of the planned reduction in sides in Welsh rugby is to concentrate Welsh talent into three squads.

But if Lake and Morgan leave, they will be joining top Welsh players like Williams, Louis Rees-Zammit and Dafydd Jenkins who play in England.

Wales head coach Steve Tandy selected 13 players in the autumn series who plied their club trade in England or France.

There are more than 80 Welsh-based players out of contract at the end of the season, with a feared exodus of top stars emerging.

The WRU currently has a policy that if players leave Wales to play club rugby elsewhere and have fewer than 25 caps, they become ineligible for international selection.

Neither Morgan nor Lake would be affected by this ruling.

Lake has played 26 internationals for Wales while Morgan has made 24 appearances for his country, with his two Lions caps in Australia pushing him above the threshold.

Lake and Morgan may prove to be the highest-profile departures for next season but they could be followed by others.

Ospreys prop Gareth Thomas and fly-half Dan Edwards are also attracting interest from English clubs.

Edwards, who has been linked with Leicester, would not be eligible to continue his Wales career if he left because he has fewer than 25 caps.

In contrast, Wales wing Keelan Giles has signed a new Ospreys contract with others expected to follow.