Cardiff have announced the signing of Welsh-qualified Exeter Chiefs loosehead Danny Southworth ahead of next season.
The 25-year-old heads to the Arms Park after a season that has seen him feature off the bench in five Gallagher Premiership matches and three Champions Cup fixtures.
Having not featured in either competition before January, Southworth has become a regular in the Exeter matchday squad in the following months.
As Cardiff look ahead to life after Rhys Carre, with the Wales prop returning to Saracens this summer, Southworth will provide competition for Corey Domachowski in the position, with Rhys Barratt also on the Blue and Blacks’ books.
Southworth made his senior debut for Exeter in 2020, crossing for a try in his first Premiership appearance against Wasps. Since then, minutes have been hard to come by, with Southworth having made 25 appearances in total for the club – although he did play a significant part in Exeter’s Premiership Cup triumph last season.
“It was a hard decision to leave Exeter, which is my hometown club and somewhere with boys I have played alongside my whole life,” said Southworth.
“But this is a fantastic opportunity for me to play in a different league with new experiences and playing styles. I’m hoping to play a lot of games in the URC and Europe and bring my abilities to Cardiff.
“I have been impressed by the brand of rugby Cardiff play and the amount of players coming through so it is a really exciting opportunity for me to experience a new brand of rugby, new coaches, new teammates and a new city.
“After five-six years at Exeter, I feel this is the right time for a new challenge. I am excited to see how far I can go in a new environment.”
The prop, who was converted from No. 8 earlier in his career, qualifies for Wales through his grandparents and harbours ambitions of playing for Wales.
A product of the Exeter academy, Southworth started his life in rugby playing for his local club, Barnstaple. Since being with Exeter, he’s had spells with Chinnor, Plymouth Albion and Coventry to aid his development.
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