By David Williams
The Dragons have won the race to snap up Nick Tompkins for next season and will also be adding fellow Welsh international Jonah Holmes to their back division.
Tompkins has signed a one-year deal to play at Rodney parade while Saracens are in the Championship next season, but will return to his parent club to resume his ling-term contract there in 2021-22.
Despite winning the Junior World Championship with England at Under 20 level, Tompkins was able to use his Wrexham-born grandmother to qualify for Wales this season.
The centre scored a try on his debut after coming on as a replacement against Italy in the opening game of the Six Nations this year and then retained his place for the next three games.
Meanwhile, Holmes was last week released a year early from his contract at Welford Road and will join Tompkins at the Dragons next season after deciding to move to wales to further his international hopes.
He made his test debut against Tonga in 2018 at full back, but he is equally at home on the wing.
Another Welsh three-quarter at Leicester, former Ospreys and Wales U20 centre Joe Thomas, is also looking to return home this summer, while the influx of talent from England could also see Newcastle Falcons centre Johnny Williams join the Scarlets.
He is another Junior World Championship winner with England in 2016 and played for an England XV against the Barbarians last year.
However, ‘John Bleddyn Rhys Williams’ has strong Welsh connections and got his first taste of international rugby playing for Wales U16 alongside current senior squad members Leon Brown and Owen Watkin.
Wing Owen Jenkins will remain with the Dragons after putting pen to paper on a long-term contract with the region.
Wales Sevens international Jenkins, 26, linked up with Dragons at the start of this season and has made 11 appearances in all competitions, scoring three tries.
Dragons director of rugby Dean Ryan said: “Owen was given an opportunity with us at the start of the season and has taken it with both hands.
“He has developed his game in our environment and I’m looking forward to working with him when we return.”
