Wales scrum-half Tomos Williams has agreed to join Premiership side Gloucester from Cardiff this summer.
The 29-year-old will still be eligible to play for his country having been capped 53 times.
Williams has been Cardiff’s leading performer so far this season.
However, he will move to Kingsholm for the 2024-25 season in search of club honours as Cardiff and the other Welsh regions face further budget cuts next season.
A two-time Six Nations winner, Williams was part of the Wales squad that reached the last eight of the World Cup, scoring a try in the quarter-final, and has been in outstanding form since his return.
Losing a homegrown talent such as Williams, hailed by head coach Matt Sherratt as “one of the most talented players” he has worked with, will be a major blow for Cardiff.
The number nine has spent his entire career at the Arms Park since making his debut in 2013, scoring 25 tries in 137 appearances.
But a new challenge and the current lack of opportunity to challenge for club silverware are understood to be the major factors behind the move.
The Welsh regions are braced for further budget cuts, down to £4.5m for 2024-25 having already dropped from £7m to £5.2m this season.
Williams has seen Wales team-mates Liam Williams, Gareth Anscombe, Dan Biggar, Rhys Webb, Dillon Lewis, Tomas Francis and Will Rowlands all move away in the past six months, with George North heading to Provence next season.
However, he will provide valuable experience for Gloucester, alongside Italy international Stephen Varney and Caolan Englefield, with Micky Young’s short-term deal ending in June.
