There has been a lot of business done in Welsh rugby this season
This season has not come to a close just yet with the Scarlets facing Leinster in a United Rugby Championship quarter-final in Dublin on Saturday, but all four Welsh clubs have been busy recruiting ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
There have been some eye-catching new signings to date with some yet to be announced but are in the pipeline. Of course, every club will also have their fair share of departures too but things are slowly falling into place ahead of the 2025/26 season.
Take a look at all the business which has been done so far and what to expect over the next couple of months.
Cardiff Rugby
It will be a new era at the Arms Park next season with Cardiff now under the ownership of the Welsh Rugby Union.
Thus far Matt Sherratt has added three new signings to his squad with Wales international Ioan Lloyd joining from the Scarlets.
Lloyd is a talented footballer who can cover outside-half, centre and full-back, while he is also an outstanding goal kicker.
But the 24-year-old has been primarily signed as a 10 and will compete with Callum Sheedy and rising Wales U20s star Harri Wilde. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
Taine Basham is a signing worth getting excited about and the 25-year-old is a key recruit with Thomas Young heading to the Dragons.
A few years ago Basham was viewed as one of the brightest backrow prospects in the UK after a series of outstanding performances for Wales but he has fallen down the pecking order since.
He will hope a move to Cardiff can reinvigorate his career, while Sherratt will also be excited at the potential of Wales U20s lock Tom Cottle, who joins from RGC.
They are also set to bring on board George Nott from the Dragons while Sherratt is also looking for a centre and a lock.
New signings: Ioan Lloyd (Cardiff), Taine Basham (Cardiff), Tom Cottle (RGC), George Nott (Dragons)
Departures: Rhys Litterick (Edinburgh), Efan Daniel (Ospreys), Seb Davies (Dragons), Thomas Young (Dragons), Gwylim Bradley, Tinus de Beer (Cardiff), Rey Lee-Lo (retired), Regan Grace, Gabriel Hamer-Webb (Leicester Tigers).
Dragons RFC
The Dragons have been by far the busiest Welsh club when it comes to recruitment ahead of the 2025/26 season.
So far Filo Tiatia has added 11 new players to his squad as the Dragons look to bounce back from what has been a dreadful season for all involved with just one URC victory to their name.
Last season’s recruitment was a disaster and likely played a part in the club parting ways with former head coach Dai Flanagan.
Tiatia has strengthened his pack with some key signings which include experienced Wales props Wyn Jones and Dillon Lewis, with South African prop Robert Hunt from the Cheetahs also coming on board.
Giant Welsh-qualified lock Levi Douglas joins from Biarritz along with Seb Davies from Welsh rivals Cardiff, while backrower Thomas Young is also joining.
They have also moved to bring in South African outside-half Tinus de Beer from Cardiff and Moana Pasifika centre Fine Inisi.
Crucially the Dragons also have an eye on the future with Wales U20s captain Harry Beddall along with Wales U19s front-rowers Codi Purnell and James Talamai returning from England, joining the club’s senior academy.
This season has been a car crash on the field but off it the Dragons are well-placed to kick on given they have the strongest balance sheet of all Wales’ professional clubs and the fact they have signed the new Professional Rugby Agreement.
WalesOnline understands their recruitment is not over yet with a centre and a backrower in their sights.
On the other side of the coin there are 14 leavers, with Wales backrower Basham’s move to Cardiff a big blow.
New signings: Harry Beddall (Leicester Tigers), Fine Inisi (Moana Pasifika), Wyn Jones (Harlequins), Dillon Lewis (Harlequins), Levi Douglas (Biarritz), Robert Hunt (Cheetahs), Seb Davies (Cardiff), Tinus de Beer (Cardiff), Thomas Young (Cardiff), Codi Purnell (Bath), James Talamai (Saracens).
Departures: Scott Williams, Nathan Evans, Lloyd Lewis, Dmitri Arhip, Taine Basham (Cardiff), Dane Blacker (Scarlets), Joe Davies, Lloyd Evans, Ashton Hewitt, Paula Latu, Dan Lydiate (retired), George Nott (Cardiff), Will Reed (Worcester), Josh Reynolds, Josh Thomas, Jordan Williams, George Young.
Ospreys
The Ospreys haven’t been as busy as the Dragons but Mark Jones has been working hard to strengthen the squad ahead of next season.
There are two big signings with Queensland Reds second-row and Wallabies squad member Ryan Smith coming on board.
Smith has been signed to replace experienced Wales and British & Irish Lions second-row Adam Beard who is joining French big spenders Montpellier next season.
The 28-year-old is a high-quality signing and has been outstanding for the Reds this season in Super Rugby Pacific. Join WalesOnline Rugby’s WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free
Smith is the Reds captain, so his leadership qualities are not in question, while he is an athletic forward who is comfortable in the wide channels and doesn’t shirk physical confrontations.
The Ospreys have also done a deal to bring experienced Wales backrower Ross Moriarty back to the country from Brive.
Moriarty is a no-nonsense backrower who will add a huge amount of physicality to the Ospreys pack.
WalesOnline understands the Ospreys are close to signing young hooker Efan Daniel from Cardiff.
New signings: Ross Moriarty (Brive), Ryan Smith (Queensland Reds)
Unconfirmed: Efan Daniel (Cardiff)
Departures: Justin Tipuric (retiring but joining the backroom team as defence coach), Adam Beard (Montpellier), Tristan Davies, Owen Williams (Nice).
Scarlets
The Scarlets have made four key signings ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
Veteran scrum-half Gareth Davies has been outstanding this season but at 34 he is at the tail end of his career and the Scarlets needed to add some depth in that area.
As a result Dane Blacker returns to Parc y Scarlets from the Dragons.
Blacker was a member of the Wales squad the last time he was at the Scarlets but his move to the Dragons did not work out well, so Dwayne Peel will be hoping he can regain his best form.
Former Wales second-row Jake Ball was a cult hero during a hugely successful nine-year stint at the Scarlets before leaving to join Japanese club Green Rockets.
Ball initially retired but has done a U-turn and re-joined the Scarlets where he will be a key figure next season, especially after Alex Craig’s departure to Glasgow Warriors. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here.
The Scarlets have also lost the services of Ioan Lloyd to Cardiff but have succeeded in bringing talented Wales international Joe Hawkins back from Exeter Chiefs.
New signings: Dane Blacker (Dragons), Ioan Jones (Gloucester), Jake Ball, Joe Hawkins (Exeter Chiefs), Bradley Davies (coach – Bridgend)
Departures: Shaun Evans, Alex Craig (Gloucester), Morgan Jones, Efan Jones, Ioan Lloyd (Cardiff), Steff Evans, Edd Scragg, Charlie Titcombe (Leicester Tigers), Carwyn Tuipulotu (Pau).
