Gatland wants Wales selection option for Hawkins

Wales caput coach Warren Gatland says he would emotion to beryllium capable to prime Exeter centre Joe Hawkins and that he has ne'er been successful favour of Welsh rugby's headdress rule.

Exeter duo Christ Tshiunza and Dafydd Jenkins this week told the Scrum V podcast they want Hawkins to beryllium eligible for Wales action again and judge his continued omission is "unfair."

Those playing extracurricular Wales are required to person 25 caps to correspond their country, that number having been dropped from 60 successful February 2023.

The norm was initially brought successful during 2017, designed to effort and support nan apical players successful Wales and ironically dubbed "Gatland's Law".

Hawkins, 22, falls foul of nan caps argumentation and missed past year's World Cup because he only had 5 caps erstwhile he made his move from Ospreys to Exeter successful 2023.

"I'd emotion to person him involved," said Gatland.

"Despite what everyone says erstwhile it was nan 60-cap rule, that it was "Gatland's Law", I was ne'er successful favour of it.

"It was thing that was pushed difficult by nan regions successful position of having that implemented. Now it's down to 25 caps."

There person been strengths to nan argumentation which has helped successful keeping internationals for illustration Mason Grady, Rio Dyer and Teddy Williams astatine master clubs successful Wales.

But pinch Hawkins unavailable for selection, Gatland believes nan Wales nationalist squad are astatine a disadvantage.

"We each - nan Union and nan regions - are uncovering it difficult financially and there's only 1 squad being punished for that norm and that's us," said Gatland.

"We'd emotion to person personification of Joe's expertise and springiness him nan opportunity to person much Test matches.

"But unfortunately, we're restrained by nan regulations wrong nan Union astatine nan moment."

The Professional Rugby Board (PRB), which is made up of representatives from nan Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) and nan regions, would person to let Hawkins to beryllium fixed a typical exception for him to beryllium disposable for selection. The different measurement would beryllium if nan norm was scrapped altogether.

The determination to little nan magnitude of required caps from 60 to 25 was portion of nan negotiations successful February 2023 betwixt nan WRU and nan players.

It came astatine a clip erstwhile nan nationalist squad were considering going connected onslaught for nan Six Nations location lucifer against England, a threat that was yet averted.

Gatland admitted nan PRB and nan Union would person to alteration immoderate determination now connected nan 25-cap norm and joked "maybe nan players tin spell connected onslaught again!"

It was a superior constituent he was highlighting and 1 that will proceed to beryllium debated arsenic nan WRU hole to motorboat a caller strategy later this year.