Cory Hill: Wales forward withdraws from World Cup squad after opting to stay in Japan
- Published
Cory Hill won the last of his 32 Wales caps in 2021
Wales have been dealt another World Cup blow by Cory Hill's withdrawal from coach Warren Gatland's training squad.
The 31-year-old lock was part of Gatland's plans for this autumn's World Cup in France following changes to the Welsh Rugby Union's (WRU) eligibility rules.
But the second-row confirmed he has pulled out to take up a club contract.
He said: "I'm gutted to be leaving the squad, but an opportunity has come up and I need to take it for my family."
Hill becomes the fourth player to withdraw from Gatland's World Cup preliminary squad following the international retirements of Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric and Rhys Webb.
A Six Nations winner in 2019 and 2021, Hill insisted he has not retired from Test rugby and still harbours Wales ambitions, though will not travel to France later this year.
He said in a statement released by the WRU: "Wishing the boys all the best at the World Cup and I hope to be back in a Wales jersey in the future."
Hill won 32 caps for Wales but became ineligible when he moved to Japan to join Yokohama Canon Eagles in 2021 as he was short of the 60-cap requirement for players based overseas.
However, that limit has been lowered to 25 and Hill sparked interest among all four Welsh regions when he left the Eagles last month with an apparent desire to return to Wales and resurrect his international career.
That has now been derailed by a lucrative offer from elsewhere, with the signing club yet to be named, though BBC Wales has learned it is in Japan.
It also means Gatland has now lost two of the original locks named in his preliminary squad, the other being Alun Wyn Jones.
Adam Beard, Ben Carter, Rhys Davies, Dafydd Jenkins, Will Rowlands, Christ Tshiunza and Teddy Williams are the remaining lock options from the 54-man squad named in May.
Hill's former Cardiff team-mate, prop Rhys Carre, was also released from the squad for failing to reach performance targets.