40 exclusive Indigo Group Premiership transfers

Indigo Group Premiership

Indigo Group Premiership transfer season is now underway as club’s start announcing retained staff before moving on to those who they are bringing in. Robert Rees brings you the destination of either incoming or outgoing Prem players.

Kristian Dacey

Having announced his retirement from the professional game on Wednesday night, Last Word understands that the former Cardiff and Wales hooker has agreed to a move to his former club Merthyr.

Dave Whiting

The tighthead prop will be leaving the Steelmen at the end of the season to return closer to home and has signed for Luctonians in National league 2.

Taylor Davies

Having been released from the Scarlets, Davies is picking up his rugby close to home and has signed for Llandovery next season.

Ioan Davies

The Dragons have released Davies, who has featured with Newport heavily this season. That’s where he’s due to land next season and will boost Tyron Morris’ back three options.

Iolo Griffiths

The former Scarlets academy winger has been released and alike Tal Rees will be focusing on his education as he moves up to Hartpury College. playing any rugby in the BUCS league.

Josh Phillips

The promising Welsh U20s fly half is another academy player on the move as the Scarlets have released him. He’ll be returning to the Premiership next season….

Tal Rees

Tal has been let go by the Scarlets as regional squads shrink ahead of next season. The move has allowed the youngster to focus on his academic career and he’ll look to attack the BUCS scene with Cardiff Uni alongside his studies.

Morgan Allen

The totemic Cardiff eight looks set to join Premiership-elect Pontypool as Cardiff’s budget prepares to dip following a cull on professional budgets above. Allen’s move up to Gwent is unlikely to be the last of the Cardiff leavers.

Lloyd Evans (Confirmed)

The Aberavon openside is making the short trip down the seaside to Swansea. With a re-build starting this season, the All Whites are looking to add several more experienced players before next season.

Joe Thomas (Confirmed)

The Wizards centre will joins Evans at St Helens next season after Aberavon’s latest squad re-shuffle. The powerful ball carrier will link up with Huw Gustafson’s side when they take up pre-season training over the summer.

2022/23 season reminder

Dan Hill (Confirmed)

The Newport lock is heading south to Australia as first revealed by Last Word on January 6. His final game was the Newport loss to Ebbw Vale on Boxing Day.

Niko Matawalu (Confirmed)

The Fijian international, who featured against Wales last November has joined up with Pontypridd in a conjunction with the University of South Wales, where he is studying ‘rugby coaching and performance.’ His role with the club extends to a player/skills coach with the senior team and a performance coach for the Ponty Schools Dewer Shield team.

Ben Burnell (Confirmed)

The popular, wavy-locked fly half has moved too Cardiff from Pontypridd where he is a part of the professional academy setup. Cardiff RFC have added him to their player archive under the 2022-23 season.

Craig Hudd (Confirmed)

The Bedwas lock looked to have penned a deal with Ebbw Vale last month, but has switched allegiances and gone with Newport RFC for travel reasons. He joins up the growing number of locks at the club.

Adam Court (Confirmed)

The tighthead prop is stepping up from Pontyclun to Ebbw Vale.

Kieran Meek (Confirmed)

The 28-year-old Pontypool centre is on the move to Newport after a strong recruitment drive from the Black and Ambers.

Kelvyn Williams (Confirmed)

Williams will be making the short trip from Merthyr to Pontypool in a bid to further his playing career.

Mathew Powell (Confirmed)

A key member of the Cup winning squad, Powell is making the trip north to Pontypool, returning to his town of birth.

Matt Bancroft (Confirmed)

The young scrum half has signed up with Pontypridd and will battle Joel Raikes for the jersey next season.

Rory Harries (Confirmed)

Another player making his way from Bedwas to Sardis Road is Rory Harries.

Lloyd Lewis (Confirmed)

The Wales 7s star wasn’t offered a new contract by Pontypool and as such will play for Newport next season in the Indigo Group Premiership.

Jack Maynard (Confirmed)

The fly half is on the move back to Llandovery despite living nearer Cardiff. A great move for the Premiership winning maestro after a season of gaining tips from ex-pro Dan Fish.

Tavis Knoyle (Confirmed)

The former Dragons scrum half has been snatched up by Sir Stan Thomas ahead of next season’s Rowland Phillips era. Leaving the Dragons on bad terms with Dean Ryan, Knoyle will now ply his trade with the Ironmen as revealed back in March.

Mata Tutaia*

The big Merthyr lock is making the short journey over the Heads of the Valleys to Ebbw Vale as one of four second row’s coming to the CiNER Glass Community Stadium – the other three yet unknown. They’ve brought in the 35-year-old to not only add to a short lock list, but to bolster senior figures within a young squad.

*Mata didn’t move to Ebbw Vale as they sought for other locks and hasn’t resumed his Merthyr contract either.

Dewi Cross (Confirmed)

Cross is coming east as he leaves Bridgend Ravens for reigning Indigo Group Premiership champions Cardiff.

Josh Lewis (Confirmed)

Despite negotiations with the Ospreys coming to an end some months ago, the former Dragons back announced his retirement from professional rugby last week. Despite this, he looks set to sign a deal semi-professionally at The Wern.

Dan Baker (Confirmed)

Another Dragons leaver that looks set to make the short path north to Merthyr is number 8 Dan Baker, returning to the Premiership 10 years after he last featured for Swansea whilst under the Ospreys guidance.

On the 25th it came clear through other sources that Dan had however, had signed for Aberavon.

Arron Pinches (Confirmed)

It’s all go, or should that be coming and go(ing) at Merthyr with star centre Pinches set for a move to champions Cardiff.

Callum Bradbury (Confirmed)

Bradbury’s deal isn’t quite sealed yet, but looks close to completion as he joins Pinches at Cardiff next season.

Callum has since moved back to Merthyr.

Chay Smith (Confirmed)

Smith’s move back to Monmouth has laid up a deal with the Indigo Group Premiership Cup winners Newport for the 2022/23 season.

Dan Hill (Confirmed)

Ebbw’s Clive Burgess Man of Steel award winner this season has moved to their Gwent rivals after some late negotiations and a sole permit appearance for the Black and Amber’s this season.

Alex Grey (Confirmed)

The former Wales 7s star hasn’t quite featured much of late at Ebbw Vale due to injury and falling out of favour with new Head Coach Jason Strange. Newport approached Grey in January and made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.

Bradley Roderick (Confirmed)

Brad leaves Ponty for Aberavon in a move that’ll make his university study commutes a lot more manageable around training.

Llyr Green (Confirmed)

He’s already made the move back, but as pointed out in April, Green will stay at Llandovery for next season after transitioning back from Cardiff after just half a season in the big city.

Adam Williams (Confirmed)

The Dragons academy and Wales U20s prop has made the switch to Cardiff’s squad for next season. Despite featuring for Ebbw Vale this year, it’s more likely we’ll see him at one of the trio of Cardiff based clubs next time out.

Joe Peard*

Standing at 6-feet-7 and over 19 and a half stone, Peard is an imposing character amongst any pack. The 20-year-old will move from the Dragons academy to England’s Saracens in a big move for the Welsh U20s star.

Joe has ended up signing for Cardiff.

Jonny Lewis (Confirmed)

Lewis stood down after 13 seasons with Llanelli to join his hometown club Waunarlwydd as a player-coach.

Harri Harding (Confirmed)

Released by Ebbw, Harding returns to his local side Pill Harriers to continue his career.

Morgan Strong (Confirmed)

Another Welsh player moving across the bridge is Morgan Strong, who despite a hugely impressive season at Bridgend finds himself at Ampthill in the English Championship next year as already revealed on Twitter.

Corey Talbot (Confirmed)

The final name on the list of movers, for now, is former Ebbw Vale lock Corey Talbot who also moves closer to home with a transfer to Old Redcliffians in Somerset.

 

“Main photo credit”

 

Morgan Allen, lifting the WRU National Cup title, is expected to play for Pontypool next season.