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Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
Steffan Thomas

Wales lock Cory Hill left sweating on club future ahead of Rugby World Cup as he struggles to secure contract

The future of Cory Hill remains up in the air with the Wales second-row struggling to secure a contract in Europe.

Hill recently left Japanese club Yokohama Canon Eagles where he had played his rugby for the past two years and has been linked with French Top 14 clubs Castres Olympique and Bordeaux.

WalesOnline understands there was some initial interest from the Welsh regions but given the budget cuts being imposed upon them they were not in a position to offer the athletic lock a deal.

READ MORE: Alun Wyn Jones attracts interest from England following Ospreys exit

Hill has been included in Wales' extended Rugby World Cup training squad after two years in the international wilderness with Warren Gatland a big fan of the 32-cap star.

While there has been plenty of initial interest from France, many clubs are put off by signing overseas players who will miss large chunks of the season due to international rugby commitments.

Should he not find a club in Europe he may have to remain in Japan which would be far from ideal if he has any aspirations of representing Wales after the World Cup this autumn.

There are a number of players in Wales' World Cup training squad who have not yet announced where they will be plying their trade next season, with experienced pair Gareth Anscombe and Leigh Halfpenny in the unattached bracket after leaving the Ospreys and Scarlets respectively.

Former England prop Henry Thomas, who was a shock inclusion in the Wales squad, is also facing an uncertain future with his situation at French champions Montpellier up in the air.

With a raft of retirement from Test rugby including Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric and Rhys Webb, Gatland will not want any more distractions as he tries to ensure Wales are competitive in France this autumn.

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