The Test future of Joe Hawkins remains unclear as Ospreys coach Toby Booth alluded to recent "conversations" with the centre over his future.
Booth was speaking publicly for the first time since Hawkins and Ospreys back-rower Ethan Roots were unveiled as new Exeter Chiefs signings for next season. Both departures are undoubtedly blows for the Ospreys, but the loss of 20-year-old Hawkins has an extra dimension given the move likely ends his fledgling Test career for now.
With five caps, Hawkins falls short of the Welsh Rugby Union's 25-cap rule, whereby capped players with fewer than 25 Wales appearances cannot play for Wales if plying their club rugby trade away from the regions. Hawkins' new club boss at Exeter, Rob Baxter, claimed last week that he expected the midfielder to be able to continue playing for Wales, but ultimately it would be up for the WRU to decide.
The scenario which would allow that to happen would be if Hawkins signed a contract with Exeter before he was called up by Wales in October 2022. Right now, it is unclear whether that is the case, but WalesOnline understands that senior figures at the Professional Rugby Board are unhappy with how this situation has played out and the likelihood is that the rules will be adhered to strictly.
Like Baxter, Booth said that whether Hawkins can play for Wales while at Exeter is not for him to decide. However, he did reveal that there had been recent talks with the centre over his future.
"That is for somebody else to decide," said Booth on Hawkins' eligibility. "I know that we were in conversations with him recently but that's for the WRU."
When asked whether he had signed a pre-contract with Exeter, Booth said: "I don't know the answer to that because I am not his agent. All I can answer is that I know we had long conversations with him about his future at the Ospreys."
Speaking generally about the loss of both Hawkins and Roots, Booth said it was disappointing to lose the pair but he couldn't begrudge the players for heading elsewhere.
"They have both joined Exeter and there seems to be quite a lot of Ospreys players going there so I will have word with Rob Baxter when I see him," he joked.
"I have no issue with players moving on," he continued. "It is a short career and everybody knows what the backdrop is. We have been in conversations with these boys from the very start. Time moves on and as those windows of opportunities close people vote with their feet and I understand that.
"I don't take it as a reflection of the Ospreys with the conversations I have with both players. I wish them well because they have short careers and have to get as much certainty as possible.
"It's disappointing because those sort of players are the sort of players when I came here I would look to recruit or develop from within and grow our own. Ethan was a development player in New Zealand and to bring him over, identify and develop him and to see how well he has played in our European campaign... Joe is an international rugby player and he wasn't before he started. We can enjoy the part we played in their development and if you do things right you never know what is around the corner and often these people come home."
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