Welsh international Tavis Knoyle and fellow former Dragons back Josh Lewis have signed for Premiership club Merthyr. It’s the latest leg in an an eventful career for the 11-cap Knoyle who is one of only three players - along with Tal Selley and Liam Davies - to have played for all four regions.
The 31-year-old scrum-half parted company with the Dragons in February and then made some eye-opening comments about the region on S4C’s Jonathan show. He said there were “too many English people running the place”, so he wanted out.
Knoyle started out with Glynneath RFC and went on to play for Neath and the Ospreys before spending four years with Scarlets, during which time he won the bulk of his Welsh caps. He made his Test debut as a replacement against New Zealand in Dunedin in June 2010 and had his final international outing versus Japan in Tokyo in June 2013. After a short spell at Gloucester, he spent a couple of seasons with Cardiff Blues and then completed the regional set by linking up with the Dragons in 2016, making 61 appearances for them before his departure earlier this year.
As for utility back Lewis, he is heading for his home town club, having been born in Merthyr. After stints in the Premiership with Aberavon and Ebbw Vale, he had three years at the Scarlets before re-joining the Steelmen and then moving to Bath for a season.
He signed for the Dragons in 2018 and played 54 games for them at fly-half, full-back and centre, wearing 12 in the final game of the season against the Lions last weekend. He is one of 16 players to be released by the Gwent region. Now, at 30, he is taking up a new opportunity at Merthyr. It’s understood the Ironmen also have their eyes on Welsh international No 8 Dan Baker who is another player departing the Dragons.
