Alex Cuthbert: Wales wing to leave Cardiff Blues in summer

Alex Cuthbert made his Wales debut in December 2011

Wales wing Alex Cuthbert will leave Cardiff Blues at the end of the season when his current contract expires.

The Blues have ruled themselves out of signing George North and will now be losing another Welsh wing.

If Cuthbert joins a club outside Wales, he would not be eligible to play Test rugby from the summer of 2018 because of the new WRU selection policy.

Players must have 60 caps to be eligible and Cuthbert has played 47 times for Wales.

There are not enough internationals left for Cuthbert to make the 60-cap mark before his current deal expires.

Cuthbert has just returned to the Blues starting side after suffering a calf injury while playing for Wales against Georgia in November 2017.

The 27-year-old has scored 16 tries in 47 internationals for Wales including the Grand Slam-winning score against France in 2012 and a double in the 30-3 win over England in the Six Nations title decider in 2013.

Cuthbert also scored a try for the British and Irish Lions in the first Test victory over Australia in 2013.

The emergence of wing Owen Lane and full-back Rhun Williams means the Blues are not in the market for a back-three player.

The region has decided to prioritise front-five signings before the 2018-19 season, given that props Taufa'ao Filise and Gethin Jenkins are 40 and 37 respectively, while hooker Matthew Rees is 37.