Cardiff Blues: Sam Warburton in no rush to sign new contract

Wales' British and Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton says he is in no rush to sign a new contract with Cardiff Blues.

The flanker's current deal expires at the end of the 2013-14 season.

The Blues are hopeful of agreeing new contracts with Warburton and with his Wales and Lions team-mate Leigh Halfpenny.

"I've still got 12 months, still a relatively long time, so I've got a whole season to make that decision," Warburton said.

"Because we've been away on the Lions tour, the full focus was with the Lions.

"Since I've come back I've pretty much laid low and spent some time with family.

"We're going back into the Blues next week and then you can focus on the new season and your future.

"I guess that's when negotiations may start, sometime in the new season."

Warburton was the Lions captain on their successful tour of Australia although he missed the third-Test win over the Wallabies because of a hamstring injury.

The 24-year-old, and Lions man of the series Halfpenny, are contracted to the Blues for another season but centre Jamie Roberts has left the region to join Racing Metro.

Roberts is one of a number of Welsh players who have left Wales for big-money contracts offered by French and English clubs and the chance of regular Heineken Cup rugby.

But Welsh rugby was given a boost with the news that Warburton's fellow Wales and Lions back-row forward Toby Faletau has signed a new contract with the Newport Gwent Dragons.

The number eight has signed a two-year extension on his contract which will keep him at Rodney Parade until 2016 after fears he would join the Welsh player exodus.

"That's great news for the Dragons," Warburton added.

"Toby's obviously one of the highest-profile players and seeing him staying is great news for him - as he's obviously settled there - for the Dragons and for Welsh rugby.

"There's a lot of players in the same situation in the current Welsh squad and hopefully we can get the situation resolved and keep as many as we can in Wales."