James to join Jenkins in maiden Welsh camp

Exeter Chiefs back-rower Kane James has been named in his first Wales camp as he joins club teammate Dafydd Jenkins in the 48-man extended squad for the 2026 Nations Championship.

The 21-year-old won the 2024 U20 World Championship with England U20s but switches his international allegiance to his country of birth ahead of an exciting summer of games.

James said: “This is a huge moment for my family, and I am extremely excited and thankful for the opportunity. I can’t wait to get stuck in.”

The young forward is one of six uncapped players named in the squad while Jenkins, with 31 international caps, is one of the more experienced men in the pack.

Head coach Steve Tandy said: “The priorities for us this summer are to keep growing the players, get them up to speed with the conditioning element and also skill development when they’re coming in.

“With smaller groups, sometimes it does help that we can get to work with these boys even closer than normal. It’s about getting everyone up to speed then linked to our game model as well.”

The Welshmen start their summer with an uncapped fixture against the Barbarians at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham as a warm-up for their Nations Championship campaign.

In July, Wales will face Fiji in Cardiff, Argentina in San Juan and South Africa in Durban on consecutive weekends.