Jonah Holmes: Wales wing ambitious after Dragons move
- Published
Dragons boss Dean Ryan welcomes long-term target Jonah Holmes
Dragons have signed Wales wing Jonah Holmes following his release from Leicester Tigers.
Holmes moved from Welford Road to preserve his international eligibility and aims to become a permanent fixture under Wales head coach Wayne Pivac.
The 27-year-old scored 24 tries in three seasons with Tigers and has earned three Wales caps to date.
"I'm very ambitious, I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't have ambitions," he told BBC Sport Wales.
Holmes would have been ineligible to play for Wales had he agreed a new contract in England, but opted to move a year before the end of his Welford Road contract - freeing him for more Wales training sessions.
World Rugby rules mean any non-Welsh side is not obliged to release players for international training outside of official windows, but the Welsh regions have a different cooperation with the Test side.
Holmes was in the 2020 Six Nations squad but did not feature in a match-day 23 despite his versatility in also covering full-back.
"I'd like to think I'd get a better chance. I'd train one day (with Wales) and then head back and the rest of the boys would get the rest of the week to train so that wasn't great for me," Holmes said.
"It means I don't have to travel back and forth if I do get in that squad and, if you're playing in that league (the Pro14), you're in the spotlight whereas you're at a distance if you're over in the (English) Premiership.
"It was a hard decision but simple in that if you get this sort of opportunity, I would regret it if I didn't take it."
Holmes' move was a result of a Dragons-only initial bid, though he could still have 80% of his wages met by the Welsh Rugby Union, if he makes it into the 38-strong group of Welsh-based players financed by the union.
Family scare
He spent the first part of the coronavirus lockdown helping out his doctor brother, Raphael, who fell ill in March.
"I was already in quarantine when the lockdown happened, I was looking after my brother who got really ill in Manchester," Holmes explained.
"He was working in intensive care in Bolton and got pneumonia but didn't get tested (for Covid-19) so we'll never know. I was worried for him, but he did everything right and stayed in isolation once he got any symptoms.
"Then as soon as my quarantine finished, I was able to move down to London. Luckily I've got all the gadgets with the GPS and heart-rate monitors, and the Tigers supported me with the transition, so I've been able to keep up with my weekly running loads."
The Pro14 hopes to return to play on 22 August with a series of behind-closed-doors matches, with the 2020-21 campaign starting in October, so Holmes is waiting to learn when he can get to know his new team-mates and playing base.
"I've played at Rodney Parade once when I was at Wasps, but that's it," he added.
"Luckily I do know a few of the boys, so the first day won't be too much like the first day at school and I'm looking forward to getting to know the full squad."