Jonathan Davies signs up to play with Scarlets

Jonathan Davies is the latest leading Wales international to commit to the game at home after the Welsh Rugby Union announced yesterday that he had signed a national dual contract to return to the country to play for the Scarlets next season.

The 27-year-old centre, who has represented the British and Irish Lions as well as earning 48 caps for Wales, will be back with his home region after two years at French Top 14 club Clermont Auvergne.

Davies is the 17th player to sign a national dual contract (NDC), one of the joint agreements made between the WRU and the professional Welsh regional teams.

"I am delighted to be returning to the Scarlets," Davies, who missed the recent World Cup through injury, said in a WRU statement. "The joint commitment between the WRU and regions is driving for success and I believe the time is right to return to Wales and signing an NDC is the best decision for me rugby-wise."

Ospreys players Scott Baldwin, James King, Dan Baker and Rory Thornton last week signed NDCs, following major names like captain Sam Warburton, Alun Wyn Jones and Dan Biggar.

‘Most talented’

“His (Davies’s) return demonstrates the value of the NDCs as a means of ensuring as many of the most talented players as possible play their rugby here in Wales,” WRU chief executive Martyn Phillips said.

Meanwhile, the WRU has said it has not received an approach from Twickenham to speak to its head coach, Warren Gatland, about taking over from Stuart Lancaster and would not welcome one.

Gatland, who has been in charge of Wales for eight years, is under contract until the end of the 2019 World Cup after last year signing an extension that boosted his salary to around £450,000 (€640,000) a year.

It would cost the Rugby Football Union some £1.5 million (€2.1m) to buy him out, but it has said that money is no object in its quest to find a head coach with a track record of success.

"We have not had an approach from the RFU to speak to Warren," said the WRU chairman, Gareth Davies. "As he is under contract to us for the next four years, anyone wishing to speak to him would be obliged to seek permission from us first. That has not happened, we want to keep him."