Jake Ball: Former Wales lock signs for Japanese side Green Rockets
- Published
Jake Ball won the last of 50 Wales caps during the 2021 Six Nations
Former Wales lock Jake Ball has signed to play for NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu when Japan's Rugby League One starts in January.
Ball, 33, left Scarlets and quit international rugby at the end of 2020-21 to return to his family in Australia.
The English-born player won 50 caps for Wales and played 133 games over nine seasons for the Llanelli-based region.
"I'm very excited to have joined NEC Green Rockets," he said.
"It will be great to meet my team-mates, coaches and the fans. I'm looking forward to becoming a part of the NEC family and its success in the season to come."
Ball, who qualified for Wales through his father who hails from Pwllheli, explained his decision to leave Wales and end his Test career in an interview with Scrum V in May 2021.
"The last time I saw the family was back last September (2020) and I have my son Max now, who I have not met, who is almost six months old now," said Ball at the time.
Family contact had been limited by Covid-19 restrictions.
He insisted he had no regrets about his decision, with the long-term choice to eventually settle in Australia.
"It was not a decision we came to lightly, it was multiple conversations involving different people," Ball told the Scrum V podcast.
Ball joined Scarlets in 2012 and was a member of the squad that won what was then the Pro12 title in 2016-17.
His move to the Japanese top-flight follows fellow Wales second-row Cory Hill who has joined Yokohama Canon Eagles.