Wales captain Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake will leave Ospreys at the end of the season to join Gloucester in switch to Gallagher PREM
Updated 15/12/2025 at 15:39 GMT
In a double blow for Welsh rugby, Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake will play for Gloucester next season in the Gallagher PREM after leaving Ospreys at the end of the season. Ospreys head coach, Mark Jones, said 'uncertainty in Welsh rugby' made it hard to keep the pair. Watch and stream the Gallagher PREM, Quilter Nations Series and Premiership Women's Rugby on TNT Sports and discovery+.
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Wales captain Jac Morgan and hooker Dewi Lake will leave Ospreys at the end of the season and move to Gloucester to play in the Gallagher PREM.
Flanker Morgan has been with the Welsh club since joining from Scarlets in 2021 and has made 51 appearances so far.
During his time with Ospreys, Morgan burst onto the international scene and has become a leader for both club and country in the captaincy role.
He also appeared on his first British and Irish Lions tour earlier this year, scoring a try in the second Test against Australia.
Speaking about leaving Ospreys, Morgan said: "This was an extremely difficult decision for me to make, but I hope our supporters can understand the reasoning behind me wanting to pursue a new challenge.
"The Ospreys is a club that will always hold a special place in my heart. There are some incredible people here that have played an important part in getting me to where I am now, and I will never forget that.
"I am looking forward to the new challenge ahead, but until then I will be working hard to get back to full fitness and giving 100% for the team until the end of the season."
Morgan will be joining a Gloucester side who are struggling for form this season - both in the league and Champions Cup.
Whatever the end of the season brings, the Wales skipper is excited for the challenge of helping them improve next term.
"I'm delighted to sign for Gloucester Rugby ahead of the 2026/27 season. It's a great club with brilliant supporters," Morgan said.
"I know a lot of players at Gloucester who speak highly of the environment, and I'm excited for the future. I'm also looking forward to the challenge of playing in the Gallagher PREM."
After coming through the Ospreys development pathway, Lake has made 71 appearances for the club - but he is ready for the next stage of his career.
"I had a really good chat with the club about their ambitions and how I could play a part in that, and it got me really excited for the challenge ahead," Lake said.
"I’ve always admired Gloucester for the way they play. I feel like it’s suited to my strengths and the way I like to play the game.
"The Gallagher PREM is probably the most competitive league in the world, and I feel like I'm at a good stage in my career to take the opportunity with both hands."
Gloucester’s director of rugby, George Skivington, said: "We’re really pleased to get a deal for Jac over the line.
"He’s a genuinely world-class rugby player and has a big impact in every team he’s been a part of, and that’s a really exciting prospect.
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"Jac no doubt had lots of offers on the table, so for him to commit to the project here at Kingsholm is a great nod to the programme we have in place, and the ambition we have for next season and beyond.
"Dewi is the epitome of a modern-day hooker, dominant at set piece and industrious around the park.
"He’s a gritty and abrasive player, and I know that’s what fans like to see in a Gloucester player. I think they’ll take to Dewi really quickly.
"With Dewi and Jac coming in, we’ve significantly bolstered our pack, adding to the talent that’s already here, and we’re shaping up nicely for the start of the 2026/27 season."
It is a big loss for Ospreys - and Welsh rugby - to see the pair move away from the club.
Head coach, Mark Jones, said: "I think I speak for everyone at the club when I say Jac will be sorely missed. He is a tremendous player and leader that always gives his all when he is on the pitch.
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"As a club, we have always done our upmost to keep our most talented players, and that certainly was the case with Jac.
"Unfortunately, these matters are sometimes taken out of your hands, especially under the current circumstances in Welsh rugby.
"We respect his decision and wish him nothing but the best for the future. He will always be welcome back at the Ospreys.
"Similarly to Jac, the club put in a lot of hard work to try and keep Dewi, but this became increasingly difficult with the current landscape and uncertainty in Welsh rugby.
"He has always represented both the Ospreys jersey and Welsh jersey with immense pride and is a fine example of the quality produced by our pathway."
Meanwhile, Welsh Rugby released a statement (via Wales Online) in the wake of Morgan and Lake's decision to leave the Ospreys, in which they vowed to create the right environment to keep the best players in Wales.
The WRU is in the process of restructuring the professional game in Wales, and looking to cut the number of professional teams from four to three.
"We are striving to build a world-class system in Wales to maximise the potential for the success of our professional clubs and national teams," read a WRU statement.
"We want Welsh talent to be at the heart of the system. We are, of course, disappointed when players leave the system in Wales.
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Jac Morgan on the way to scoring a try for Wales against Argentina last month
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"But we are also realistic that top-class players will get opportunities to explore new experiences and to challenge themselves as they develop their careers.
"Creating the right environment for Welsh talent in Wales is a fundamental part of the new plans we announced for the Future of Elite Rugby in Wales at the end of October.
"We are at the beginning of that journey and are working with all the professional clubs to put that new system in place as quickly as possible.
"The WRU has guaranteed all existing player contracts and also written to our regional clubs and the Welsh Rugby Players' Association to confirm financial support for new signings.
"As we work to create a truly world-class rugby environment in Wales in the next years, we hope that players like Jac and Dewi – and others – will come back to Wales.
"We wish them both the very best in the meantime – and we still have them at the heart of our national game from an international perspective."
Watch and stream the Gallagher PREM, Quilter Nations Series and Premiership Women's Rugby on TNT Sports and discovery+
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