Wales star Wainwright poised for Leicester move

At the end of the current season, Wales’ No. 8 Aaron Wainwright will join Leicester.

After Ospreys duo Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake announced they would join Gloucester for the 2026-27 season, Wainwright, 28, is expected to become the latest top Wales player to leave Welsh rugby’s struggling domestic league.

The departures occur at a time when Wales’ game is in great uncertainty.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) wants to see the number of professional men’s sides in Wales drop from four to three, according to its statement.

Since making his Dragons debut in October 2017, Wainwright has only won 29 matches, recording 93 defeats and seven draws. He has made 129 appearances for the club.

He turned down other offers in favor of a new Dragons contract in 2024.

Now that Wainwright is in the running, he will likely decide to compete in another competition in Leicester along with fellow Wales back rowers Tommy Reffell and Olly Cracknell.

Because he has 62 international caps, Wainwright will still play for Wales.

Anyone under this cap count must play international rugby in Wales if they sign for a club outside of Wales, according to the 25-cap rule.

With 13 non-home-based players in the autumn squad, Steve Tandy’s Wales side is already ply their club trade in England.

Wainwright, Lake, and Morgan join Dafydd Jenkins, Louis Rees-Zammit, Tomos Williams, Rhys Carre, Nicky Smith, Nick Tompkins, Jarrod Evans, Max Llewellyn, and Freddie Thomas as English club signings, while lock Adam Beard is at French side Montpellier.

Wales fly-half Dan Edwards is reportedly close to committing his future to Ospreys, despite Leicester’s interest in doing so.