Professional Rugby Board chair Malcolm Wall doesn't expect Joe Hawkins to be eligible for Wales at the World Cup after the young centre signed for Exeter Chiefs.
The 20-year-old spent the majority of Wales' Six Nations campaign as Warren Gatland's first-choice inside centre but has opted to leave the Ospreys for the Gallagher Premiership.
This has thrown his Wales eligibility into question, with the five-cap centre falling significantly short of the 25 caps required to represent Wales while plying his trade outside of the country.
WalesOnline understands Hawkins' eligibility depends on whether he signed his Exeter contract before he won his first cap for Wales.
Speaking exclusively to WalesOnline, Wall said: "I'm very upset to hear of Joe's leaving and on the face of it that would rule out him playing at the World Cup but that's an individual's decision.
"I can't really talk in any detail about why he's done it and how much Ospreys offered him, and how much Exeter offered him.
"One, I don't have all the details and, two, it would be unfair on Joe to air his remuneration."
What complicates matters is the fact Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter said in February, at a time when Hawkins had already been capped, that he had not signed for the Chiefs.
"I don't know where the rumour has come from and I don't know where it's started, but right here and now there's no truth in it," Baxter told the BBC in February in response to reports Hawkins had signed for Exeter. "It's a lot of talk and I have no idea where it's started."
The playing budgets at all four of Wales' professional sides are dropping next season, while player wages are getting slashed.
To avoid the players striking ahead of Wales' recent Six Nations clash with England, the PRB - which runs the pro game in Wales and is made up of Welsh Rugby Union and regional representatives - agreed to lower the 60-cap rule down to 25.
While it still has its critics, Wall believes they have got the balance right between allowing players to earn higher salaries outside of the country and keeping the best talent at the regions.
He said: "Hopefully everyone understands the principal part of the 25-cap rule which is to encourage players to stay within the Welsh game, particularly the younger players, whilst recognising with the reduction in the budgets that some players would earn a lot more money if they went overseas. We have hopefully got a balance there."
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