Josh Adams shone in the 2019 Guinness Six Nations and will have the opportunity to continue his Wales career after confirming a move to Cardiff Blues at the end of the season.
The flying winger notched three tries during Wales’ scintillating Grand Slam campaign and was one of six men nominated for the Guinness Six Nations Player of the Championship.
He started all five games in the Championship this year, dotting down in the 26-15 victory over Italy, the memorable 21-13 triumph over England where he out-jumped Elliot Daly to seal the win late on and the 18-11 success against Scotland.
Adams initially joined Worcester in 2015 and ran in 34 tries in 59 appearances but would not have been considered for international selection had he signed a new deal with the Warriors due to the WRU rule that players based outside Wales with fewer than 60 caps cannot be chosen.
The 23-year-old is not currently affected by the rule as he wasn’t offered a contract by a Welsh region following his 2015 release by the Scarlets but now he’s relishing a move back to his homeland and the Guinness PRO14.
“It is great to be returning to Wales and I cannot wait to link up with Cardiff Blues next season,” said Adams.
“I’ve been really impressed with John’s [Blues head coach John Mulvihill] vision for the future and the attacking brand of rugby the Blues play will really suit my game.
“It is a young and exciting squad, with a good blend of experience, which has a bright future and I’m looking forward to contributing towards that.
“I will always be grateful to Worcester Warriors for giving me the opportunity to become a professional player and I have loved my time at Sixways.
“But to play for Wales I need to play in Wales and Cardiff Blues is the best fit for me. I’m really looking forward to the next chapter at Cardiff Arms Park.”
Adams has now won 11 caps for his country since debuting against Scotland in the 2018 Championship and is yet to taste defeat on the international stage.
He scored his first try against Argentina in the summer before really coming into his own during this year’s Guinness Six Nations and Cardiff Blues coach John Mulvihill is excited to have the speedster – who was the joint-top try scorer in the English Premiership last season – on board.
“It’s an exciting signing for the region and demonstrates our strong rugby ambition going forward,” said Mulvihill.
“Josh is a player we can build success around. He brings genuine hunger to succeed, enormous energy and the skill-set and speed to make a real difference to our group.
“Just from watching the Guinness Six Nations, you can see he’s a really busy player, who makes big contributions both in attack and defence, and is a good team man.
“We’re looking forward to getting him on board for next season.”