Wales stars Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake will both leave Ospreys to join Gloucester at the end of the season in another blow to Welsh rugby.
Flanker Morgan is Wales captain, with hooker Lake usually stepping into the role if his team-mate is unavailable, and both men were set to be out of contract with Ospreys in just a few months’ time.
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Given the complete uncertainty surrounding Welsh club rugby at the moment, they have opted to cross the Severn Bridge and join English Prem side Gloucester – just the latest example of talent draining from Wales amid the precarious state of the sport in the country.
The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) have confirmed that the four professional Welsh regions will be reduced to three by 2027 in order to try and resurrect the moribund domestic structure but there is currently no indication exactly when or how that reduction will happen, or which region will be cut.
It is thought there will be one region in Cardiff, one in the east of Wales and one in the west, seemingly meaning a survival shootout between Llanelli-based Scarlets and Swansea-based Ospreys for the latter, although Ospreys owners Y11 Sport & Media have mooted a takeover of Cardiff, who went into administration in April of this year and are now owned by the WRU.
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There are thought to be more than 80 Wales-based players out of contract at the end of the season, creating huge uncertainty as to who will still have a job come the summer.
Dewi Lake has captain Wales on a number of occasions (Getty Images)
Morgan – who has 24 Wales caps and was one of just two Welsh players selected for the British and Irish Lions over the summer – and 26-cap Lake have opted out of the mess, choosing to join the relative stability at Gloucester instead.
“I’m delighted to sign for Gloucester Rugby ahead of the 2026-27 season,” the 26-year-old Lake told Gloucester’s website. “It’s a great club with brilliant supporters. I know a lot of players at Gloucester who speak highly of the environment and I’m excited for the future.
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“I’m also looking forward to the challenge of playing in the Gallagher Prem.”
Morgan suffered a shoulder injury during the Quilter Nations Series this autumn that looks set to rule him out of the 2026 Six Nations, meaning Lake will likely continue to captain the side.
Jac Morgan injured his shoulder in the autumn and looks set to miss the Six Nations (Getty Images)
The back row had previously stated he would leave Wales to play his club rugby should the Ospreys fold, meaning this move could be a sign that they will be the region to miss out in the shake-up.
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Either way, the 25-year-old expressed his gratitude for the experiences he has had in Swansea.
“The Ospreys is a club that means a lot to me on so many different levels so making the decision to move was something that I spent a lot of time thinking over,” said Morgan.
“My whole career to this point has been with this team and there have been so many special moments on the way.
“Coming through the pathway, making my debut, the first time I captained the side and the friendships I’ve forged with players and staff, will all live long in my memory for the rest of my life.”
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