Aaron Wainwright: Wales number eight set to leave Dragons and join Leicester

Wales number eight Aaron Wainwright is poised to leave Dragons and join Leicester at the end of this season.

Wainwright, 28, is set to become the latest top Wales player to leave Welsh rugby’s struggling domestic game after Ospreys duo Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake announced they will join Gloucester for the 2026-27 season.

The departures come at a time of great uncertainty surrounding the game in Wales.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) is looking to find a solution as to how it reduces the number of professional men’s sides in Wales, having said it wants to see the number fall from four to three.

The WRU had been hoping for a resolution before the end of 2025, but said just before Christmas that would not be possible and that it now hopes for a deal in the coming weeks.

Wainwright has made 129 appearances for Dragons since making his debut in October 2017 and has only won 29 matches with 93 defeats and seven draws.

He turned down other offers in favour of signing a new Dragons deal in January 2024.

Now Wainwright is expected to decide to try another challenge and link up with fellow Wales back rowers Tommy Reffell and Olly Cracknell at Leicester.

Wainwright will still be available for Wales because he has 62 international caps.

Welsh rugby’s 25-cap rule says anybody below this tally cannot play international rugby if they sign for a club outside of Wales.

A significant proportion of Steve Tandy’s Wales side already ply their club trade in England with 13 non-home-based players involved in the autumn squad.

Wainwright, Lake and Morgan are joining the likes of Dafydd Jenkins, Louis Rees-Zammit, Tomos Williams, Rhys Carre, Nicky Smith, Nick Tompkins, Jarrod Evans, Max Llewellyn and Freddie Thomas, who all play for English clubs, while lock Adam Beard is at French side Montpellier.

Leicester had also been keen on recruiting Wales fly-half Dan Edwards, but he is close to committing his future to Ospreys.

Edwards, 22, would be ineligible for Wales selection if he went to play in England because he has only played seven internationals.