Wales number eight Aaron Wainwright is set to leave Dragons and join Leicester Tigers at the end of the 2025-26 season. The 28-year-old will be the latest top Welsh player to move abroad, following Ospreys duo Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake, who have announced moves to Gloucester for the 2026-27 season.
The departures highlight growing uncertainty in Welsh rugby, as the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) continues to explore plans to reduce the number of professional men’s teams in Wales from four to three. Although a resolution was hoped for before the end of 2025, the WRU now expects progress in the coming weeks.
Wainwright’s Dragons Career
Since making his debut in October 2017, Wainwright has played 129 matches for Dragons, recording 29 wins, 93 defeats, and seven draws. He previously turned down other offers to sign a new Dragons contract in January 2024, but now looks ready for a new challenge in the English Premiership.
At Leicester, Wainwright is expected to link up with fellow Welsh back rowers Tommy Reffell and Olly Cracknell. Despite moving abroad, he remains available for Wales selection, with 62 international caps to his name.
Implications for Welsh Rugby
Under the 25-cap rule, Welsh players with fewer than 25 caps become ineligible for national selection if they sign outside Wales. With 62 caps, Wainwright is well above this threshold, but younger talents like Dan Edwards face a tougher choice. Edwards, 22, is reportedly close to committing his future to the Ospreys, as a move to England would make him ineligible for Wales with only seven caps.
A significant portion of the current Wales squad already play outside the country, with 13 non-home-based players in the autumn squad, including stars like Dafydd Jenkins, Louis Rees-Zammit, Tomos Williams, Rhys Carre, Nicky Smith, Nick Tompkins, Jarrod Evans, Max Llewellyn, and Freddie Thomas. Lock Adam Beard is at French club Montpellier.
Wainwright’s move underscores the trend of top Welsh talent migrating to English clubs, as Dragons, Ospreys, and other regions face the dual challenges of retaining players and navigating structural reforms in Welsh rugby.
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