One of the toughest seasons in living memory for Wales' four regions is finally done and dusted, but the hard work is only just beginning as they look ahead to 2023/24.
Times are tough to say the least, with all four sides having their playing budgets cut to £5.2million next season, while wages have also been slashed, making the task of keeping stars in Wales tricky and luring external talent in even trickier.
Each region has seen huge numbers of players leave this summer, with Cardiff losing 16, the Scarlets losing 15 and the Ospreys 14, while nine have also left the Dragons, with the need for major rebuilds on the cards at each club.
A new six-year financial deal that each region signed with the Welsh Rugby Union and Professional Rugby Board in March looked to kickstart the clubs' planning for next season, but there is ongoing uncertainty around when they will actually see the first instalment of that money due to parts of the deal having to be rubberstamped externally due to existing loans.
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But not all hope is lost, with a number of potential suitors from the English Premiership coming on the market in recent weeks after being released by their clubs. Amid unfortunate circumstances, there is even more talent up for grabs than normal following London Irish's expulsion from the league, with the likes of England internationals Henry Arundell and Will Joseph, as well as rising star and former Cardiff Metropolitan University back-rower Tom Pearson, all finding themselves looking for new clubs.
Here are the released English Premiership stars who are looking for new clubs, along with their position and home country:
Bath Rugby
- Darren Atkins (Full-back, England)
- Tom Doughty (Hooker, England)
- Max Green (Scrum-half, England)
- Gabriel Hamer-Webb (Wing, England)
- Valeriy Morozov (Prop, Russia)
- D'Arcy Rae (Prop, Scotland)
- Will Spencer (Lock, England)
- Jordan Venter (Centre, South Africa)
- Wesley White (Flanker, South Africa)
Bristol Bears
- Pete Carter (Scrum-half, England)
- Toby Fricker (Wing, Wales)
- John Hawkins (Lock, England)
- Jake Kerr (Hooker, Scotland)
- Sam Lewis (Flanker, Wales)
- Jac Lloyd (Fly-half, Wales)
- Martin Mulhall (Prop, Ireland)
- Henry Purdy (Centre/ Wing, England)
- Aaron Thompson (Hooker, England)
- Tom Wilstead (Fly-half, England)
Exeter Chiefs
- Luke Cowan-Dickie (Hooker, England)
- Jack Maunder (Scrum-half, England)
Gloucester Rugby
- Ollie Adkins (Prop, England)
- Jenson Boughton (Prop, England)
- Alex Craig (Lock, Scotland)
- Keillan Cullen (Fly-half, England)
- Josh Gray (Flanker, England)
- Giorgi Kveseladz (Centre, Georgia)
- Isaac Marsh (Centre, England)
- Alex Morgan (Wing, Wales)
- Kyle Moyle (Full-back, England)
- Bryan O'Connor (Prop, Ireland)
- Henry Pearson (Prop, England)
- Finn Theobald-Thomas (Hooker, England)
- Henry Walker (Hooker, England)
Harlequins
- Rhys Litterick (Prop, England)
Charlie Matthews (Lock, England)
- Conor Oresanya (Wing, England)
- Jack Stafford (Scrum-half, Ireland)
- Viliami Taulani (Flanker, Tonga)
Leicester Tigers
Calum Green (Lock, England)
- Kini Murimurivalu (Wing, Fiji)
- George Loose (Centre, England)
- Chester Owen (Back row, England)
- Hosea Saumaki (Wing, Tonga)
- Riley Williams (Prop, Wales)
London Irish
Released:
- Isaac Curtis-Harris (Back row, England)
- Facundo Gigena (Prop, Argentina)
- Louie Kirkham (Back row, England)
- Isaac Miller (Hooker, Scotland)
- Oran Murphy (Prop, England)
- Oliver Stirling (Back row, Scotland
- James Stokes (Full-back, England)
- Logan Trotter (Full-back, Scotland)
- Mike Willemse (Hooker, South Africa)
Also likely to be available:
- Ben Atkins (Hooker, England)
Jacob Atkins (Fly-half, England)
Josh Basham (Back row, England)
Lucio Cinti (Wing, Argentina)
Jack Cooke (Back row, Ireland)
- Matt Cornish (Hooker, England)
Ben Donnell (Back row, England)
Caolan Englefield (Scrum-half, Ireland)
So'otala Fa'aso'o (Back row, Samoa)
Danilo Fischetti (Prop, Italy)
- Juan Martín González (Back row, Argentina)
Will Goodrick-Clarke (Prop, England)
Tom Hitchcock (Centre, England)
Ollie Hoskins (Prop, Australia)
Benhard Janse van Rensburg (Centre, South Africa)
Rory Jennings (Fly-half, England)
Izaia Moore-Aiono (Back row, England)
- Luca Morisi (Centre, Italy)
Ciaran Parker (Prop, England)
- Eddie Poolman (Centre, Australia)
Ciaran Parker (Prop, England)
Joe Powell (Scrum-half, Australia)
Api Ratuniyarawa (Lock, Fiji)
Matt Rogerson (Back row, England)
Kyle Rowe (Full-back, Scotland)
- Ignacio Ruiz (Hooker, Argentina)
- Ed Scragg (Lock, Wales)
- Josh Smart (Back row, England)
- Ben White (Scrum-half, Scotland)
- Matt Williams (Centre, England)
Newcastle Falcons
- James Blackett (Scrum-half, England)
Conrad Cade (Prop, England)
- Jeremy Civil (Centre, England)
Connor Collett (Flanker, England)
- Ewan Greenlaw (Centre, England)
- Conor Kenny (Prop, Ireland)
- Pete Lucock (Centre, England)
- Tom Marshall (Back row, Scotland)
- Logovi'i Mulipola (Prop Samoa)
- Cameron Nordli-Kelemeti (Scrum-half, Fiji)
Chidera Obonna (Centre, England)
- Greg Peterson (Lock, United States)
- Sean Robinson (Lock/ Flanker, England)
Charlie Smith (Hooker, England)
- Micky Young (Scrum-half, England)
Northampton Saints
- Callum Burns (Hooker, England)
- Joseph Gaffan (Back row, England)
- Ethan Grayson (Centre, England)
Oisin Heffernan (Prop, Ireland)
- Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi (Prop, England)
- Archie Kean (Centre, England)
- Brandon Nansen (Lock, Samoa)
- Alfie Petch (Prop, England)
- Matt Proctor (Centre, New Zealand)
Courtnall Skosan (Wing, South Africa)
Frankie Sleightholme (Wing, England)
Sale Sharks
- Dominic Barrow (Lock, England)
- Ben Carlile (Prop, England)
- Elliot Gourlay (Centre/ Fly-half, Scotland)
- Sam Hill (Centre, England)
- Ryan Mills (Centre/ Fly-half, England)
- Matt Postlethwaite (Lock, England)
- Kieran Wilkinson (Fly-half, England)
- Jason Woodward (Full-back, New Zealand)
Saracens
- James Flynn (Prop, England)
- Ethan Lewis (Hooker, Wales)
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