There remain a handful of top Welsh players without contracts
Liam Williams is on the lookout for a new club(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd)
With the 2024/25 campaign in the rear-view mirror, there is exactly two months until both the United Rugby Championship and the Gallagher Premiership seasons kick-off.
There is even less time until the domestic season begins in France, with the vast majority of professional clubs well into their pre-season training block, although those who have been playing international rugby this summer will obviously start later.
Most clubs have completed their contracting for the 2025/26 season by now but there will undoubtedly be scope to add the odd player as the new campaign approaches.
With that in mind there remain a handful of Welsh players who are without a club heading into the new season.
Liam Williams
The 34-year-old has been out of action since sustaining a knee injury in Wales’ opening round Six Nations defeat to France in Paris.
Williams departed Saracens at the end of the season and is currently on the lookout for a new club.
According to RugbyPass, Williams’ CV has been doing the rounds of a number of French Pro D2 clubs, while there are also rumours he could join third division club Stade Niçois Rugby, who have wealthy owners.
Could Saracens offer Williams an extension to cover Elliot Daly who broke his forearm playing for the British & Irish Lions? Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
Williams’ best days are behind him but he is still a high-class player with significant experience.
Regan Grace
The 28-year-old has endured a horrible time with injuries since switching to rugby union from Super League giants St Helens.
Grace signed for French giants Racing 92 in 2022 but ruptured his Achilles playing for St Helens.
After six month of gruelling rehabilitation in Paris he ruptured the same Achilles again and was released by Racing before playing a single game.
Luckily he was picked up by Bath where he only played a couple of games before getting included in the Wales squad to tour Australia in 2024 where he saw action in the midweek victory over Queensland Reds.
Grace then joined Cardiff but a series of injuries saw his game-time limited and he got released at the end of the season.
He has been heavily linked with a return to rugby league where he scored a remarkable 75 tries in 128 Super League games for St Helens.
Ashton Hewitt
The 30-year-old left the Dragons at the end of last season after a decade of service to his home region.
Hewitt is second on the list of all-time try scorers for the Dragons and would have been capped by Wales if he hadn’t been plagued by injuries.
The former Dragons wing is on the market and should have plenty to offer with his pace and finishing ability his main points of difference.
There have been rumours of an English Championship and a French PRO D2 club showing interest in him but as of yet nothing has been announced. Join WalesOnline Rugby’s WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free
“I’ve got a few years left in me. I feel I’ve got something to prove now and I’m completely over my injury,” Hewitt told MailOnline last month.
“I want to make a difference in whatever it is I do. There are issues to address in society and hopefully, I’d like to be a catalyst for change.
“I’d like to work with clubs in the same way I’m working with other organisations now.
“That could be a route I’d go down.
“I am prepared if I don’t get another contract, but that’s not what I want. I understand the issues in the game, but I truly believe I can still offer a lot on the field.”
Steff Evans
The 30-year-old wing has left the Scarlets after 11 seasons of service for his home club.
In his pomp Evans was a prolific finisher, scoring 74 tries for the Scarlets with his electric footwork and intelligent support play earning the man from Llanelli 13 caps for Wales.
Evans also played a pivotal role in the Scarlets getting crowned PRO 12 champions in 2017, scoring a vital try in the victory over Munster in the final. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here.
He has had a difficult time with injuries of late, having battled back from a serious Achilles injury sustained in the 2023/24 season to take the field for the Scarlets once more.
It is unclear what Evans’ future plans are but he could be a shrewd signing for any club looking for a wing.
Cory Hill
The 33-year-old lock, who can also cover blindside flanker, is on the lookout for a new club after leaving Japanese club Secom Rugguts who are in the third tier in Japan.
Hill has been in Japan for the past five seasons after initially plying his trade for Yokohama Canon Eagles in the top division after leaving Cardiff in 2021.
He was then included in Wales’ Rugby World Cup training camp back in 2023 but later pulled out to sign a contract for Secom Rugguts.
During his two years at Secom Rugguts, Hill earnt a Wales recall for last summer’s tour of Australia.
On that tour, Hill apologised for an incident in 2021 – when he was named as among a group of men who damaged a woman’s house in May 2021. At the time of the incident, the woman said she feared for her and her children’s safety. Hill was never charged by police for the incident, but issued an apology through a representative.
Hill was chosen by Warren Gatland to captain Wales in their final tour match against the Queensland Reds, but pulled out shortly before kick-off amid a backlash from some fans.
The former Cardiff and Dragons lock has won 33 caps for Wales but has not represented his country since the 2021 Six Nations defeat to France in Paris.