Wales rugby: WRU investigate eligibility of Joe Hawkins and Will Rowlands

Teddy Williams (L) has been linked with Exeter, where Joe Hawkins (C) is already committed to joining Dafydd Jenkins (R) next season

Professional Rugby Board (PRB) chairman Malcolm Wall says the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) is reviewing the future international eligibility of Joe Hawkins and Will Rowlands.

Both will play outside Wales from the end of the 2022-23 season and neither will reach the 25-cap threshold to be certain of playing for Wales.

Hawkins, with five caps, will join Exeter from Ospreys for 2023-24.

Dragons lock Rowlands has 23 caps and joins Racing 92 at the end of 2022-23.

Hawkins could still be deemed available for Wales by eligibility rules if he was uncapped when he signed his Exeter contract.

He was first named in a national squad in October 2022, winning his first cap the following month against Australia.

Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter would not reveal when Hawkins officially signed for the English club but says he does expect the player to be available for Wales for the World Cup and beyond.

"On the face of it, he is ineligible," says Wall, who is also a WRU board member.

"I have seen the claims he signed before he had got capped so therefore we need to know much more detail.

"I don't want to be drawn into hypotheticals because I would like to know the facts and we will review the situation.

"Nigel Walker has raised this issue with me on Tuesday because he became aware of it before I did.

"He and the WRU full-time staff are now trying to get to the bottom of it."

Will Rowlands has played no rugby since leaving the field injured in Wales' autumn Test against Argentina in November 2022

So close to 25

Rowlands is in a different situation to Hawkins because he is two caps short of the threshold as he prepares to leave Newport for Paris.

The 31-year-old lock was unable to add to his tally during the 2023 Six Nations because he missed the tournament with a shoulder injury.

Wales have three World Cup warm-up games in August where Rowlands could make up the numbers required, but those games fall after his Dragons current contract runs out.

Rowlands was named Wales player of the season in 2022 and has become an important member of the squad since his international debut in 2020.

"I can't give a definitive answer on that and it is also under review," said Wall.

"We are trying to do everything we can to make sure there is a competitive Welsh team in the Rugby World Cup whilst adhering to the rules.

"So no definitive ruling on Will at this stage, but it is a different situation to that of Joe Hawkins."

Wall believes the 25-cap rule is still beneficial to Welsh rugby after the tally was reduced from 60 in February 2023.

"When we changed the number all we did was lower the barrier, recognising the financial restrictions we placed on the clubs could reduce some people from their earning capacity," said Wall.

"We had to be in a balanced position in respecting the need of the individual as well as wanting to do everything we can to protect both the clubs and the national side.

"We see this as being important for Welsh rugby. We have found more funding for the professional game for the next six years in order to give the clubs more long-term planning and focus on player development.

"What we don't want then after developing those players is them leaving for clubs in other countries.

"We think they are better developed if they are players of national interest with the close proximity of the Wales training squad, but also they provide us with the ability to field our stars and promote the domestic game.

"That has always been the relationship between the WRU and the clubs. The WRU fund the clubs on the basis they will play a key role in nurturing current and new talent.

"It is the same with England in the principle. The English approach is different because they currently have a complete ban on players playing overseas, while New Zealand do something similar if their players want to be involved in World Cups. They work around it by offering sabbaticals in Japan and the like.

"So this is not something unique to Wales. It is an approach we take on a balanced basis on trying to look after the individual, club and national side."