The 57-times capped Harlequins tight head prop Dillon Lewis has signed for Dragons RFC, while the 22-year-old Joe Hawkins is leaving Exeter Chiefs to join the Scarlets in a major double boost for the Welsh professional clubs.
Both will have completed two-year spells in the English Premiership and return to join different regions to those they left. The 29-year-old Lewis launched his career at Cardiff Rugby, while Hawkins was a product of the Ospreys academy.
Lewis, who was part of the Wales U20 Grand Slam side in 2016, earned his first cap off the bench for Wales against Tonga in 2017. He went on to firmly establish himself on the international scene, featuring off the bench in four of the five games in the 2019 Grand Slam season, and made 88 appearances for Cardiff.
“Dillon will bring confidence to our set piece so I’m looking forward to spending time with him and getting him in the building as we build our squad for next season and beyond,” said Dragons’ head coach Filo Tiatia.
“He’s coming in from Harlequins, a well-established club, where he has competed at a high level in the English Premiership and top tier of European competition.”
Lewis is currently battled back from a long-term injury and hopes to finish the season at Harlequins strongly. He believes a return to Wales will enhance his chances of returning to the international fold.
“The opportunity to return home to Wales was something that really excited me. There’s a lot of exciting talent here, and I think people should be optimistic about the future of the Dragons,” said Lewis.
“I still have aspirations to wear the Welsh jersey again, and that starts with putting in performances and getting results for this club.”
Hawkins will link up with the Scarlets squad in the summer following his two seasons with the Chiefs. Having captained Wales U20 he went on to win five caps under Warren Gatland. His debut came against the Wallabies in the 2022 Autumn Nations Series.
Able to slot in at fly-half or centre the versatile playmaker has been seen as one of the brightest young talents to come through the Welsh system in recent years. He started four of Wales’ matches in the 2023 Six Nations.
“Joe is a player of big potential, and we are delighted to bring him home. I’m very much looking forward to welcoming him to Parc y Scarlets and seeing him flourish in the Scarlets shirt,” said Scarlets’ head coach Dwayne Peel.
“He is a player who has the ability to play in a number of positions and is further proof that we are building a young, exciting team that wants to compete. From my numerous conversations with Joe it is clear that he is a dedicated individual with a winning mentality.”
Hawkins helped his current club reach the Premiership Cup final last weekend and is looking to end his time in the west country on a high before heading home and trying to add to his Welsh cap collection.
“I’m really looking forward to playing the attractive brand of rugby the Scarlets play. It is something I want to be a part of and plays to my strengths,” said Hawkins.
“I’m excited to get started at Parc y Scarlets, play in front of their passionate supporters and push on in my career.”
Joe’s signing is the latest announcement regarding the make-up of next season’s squad following the news that talented backs Macs Page and Tomi Lewis have both agreed new contracts with the club.
