So long, farewell

As the 2022/23 season begins to disappear into the rear view mirror, the time comes around to say goodbye to the players departing the Arms Park this summer and those who have done so during the course of the campaign.

Thanks to the well-publicised financial problems that Welsh rugby is facing generally, and the acute problems that Cardiff are facing within that, there are a high number of players taking a significant amount of quality and experience away from the Welsh capital with them this off-season.

All-in-all it is 24 players that are heading for the Arms Park door this summer, including record appearance holders, fan favourites and promising young players.

Lloyd Williams

Starting with probably the most major Cardiff departure this year as post-2003 record appearance holder and general club legend Lloyd Williams leaves the club after 261 first team outings across all competitions and 14 years at scrum-half, with the occasional outing at fly-half and on the wing!

Following in the footsteps of Dad Brynmor, Uncle Gwynfor and older brother Tom, Lloyd properly established himself as the Blue and Blacks’ 9 in 2011 and hardly looked back over the next decade, maintaining an incredible level of consistency that took him to Six Nations titles, European finals and the Rugby World Cup.

Even when Tomos Williams burst on to the scene he remained a constant and played a crucial role in helping the young scrum-half’s development, while managing to force his way back into international reckoning in 2020/21 after four years away.

A true club legend who has given so much to Cardiff Rugby over the years his loss will be keenly felt from a playing and leadership perspective as he prepares to embark on a new adventure with Ealing the rumoured destination.

Josh Navidi

What can you say? A man with the ability to win games all by himself, such his is never-ending engine, immense quality and physical attributes, not to mention the extra 10% that the #DREADSOFDESTRUCTION supplied him with.

Navidi made 184 appearances in all competitions for Cardiff, but it is borderline unbelievable that he wasn’t properly recognised as the world class international he came to be known as until he’d played over 100 times for the Blue and Blacks. It took six years of week-in, week-out standout showings, multiple player of the year awards and, even then, an injury crisis before he nailed down a Wales spot in 2017.

Not letting that bother him though he would go on to get 27 caps in four years, win a Grand Slam, go to a World Cup semi-final and on a Lions tour, as well as winning the European Challenge Cup with his club, before having to hang up his boots this summer. What a career it was in the end!

Kris Dacey

Another man high on the post-2003 appearances list, third place Dacey departs the club after 202 appearances across 13 years at hooker having reached the double-hundred away at Benetton in the European Challenge Cup quarter-final.

A rock in the middle of the front row for over a decade, the Merthyr man also departs as the forward with the most tries post-2003 having crossed the line 34 times and leaves as a true icon at the Arms Park thanks to his performances and trademark flowing locks that always caught the attention, and attracted the jealousy, of the terraces.

Abrasive, athletic and skilful, his eight Wales caps place him as the second best hooker in the country between 2015 and 2017, and he is now set to take that quality and experience to the Welsh Premiership with the Ironmen of his hometown.

Jarrod Evans

The man who has created some of the most electrifying moments that Cardiff Rugby has seen over the last few years, fly-half Jinkin’ Jarrod Evans heads for pastures new this summer after 127 appearances and 765 points for the Blue and Blacks in eight seasons with the first team.

In what has been a quality-filled spell for 10s at the club with Rhys Patchell, Gareth Anscombe and Rhys Priestland on the books at one time or another, it is Evans who has remained close to a constant with his passing range, vision and vicious side-stepping unlocking defences right across the world.

With a right boot that has also created many memories, the sheer x factor he brings is a major loss to the Arms Park, but there is an element of excitement in the sadness as he prepares to rip it up with Harlequins in the Gallagher Premiership from next season.

Rey Lee-Lo

We’ve been lucky at Cardiff to have had some terrific overseas signings over the years; Fa’ao Filise, Paul Tito, Ma’ama Molitika, Xavier Rush, Robin Copeland, Casey Laulala, Blaine Scully and Ben Blair to name just a few, but Rey Lee-Lo undoubtedly jumps right up towards the top of the list.

For many he will be situated firmly at number one after his 151 appearances in eight years at the club, in which time he’s established himself as a fans favourite while very rarely speaking publicly. Instead he did his talking on the pitch, putting in quality performance after quality performance, at times single-handedly dragging the team onwards.

The ability to beat a man and get over the gain line, the defensive organisation, the spot blitzing, the offloading, he has shown it all. A true Rolls Royce of a player who never seemed to show any sign of ageing despite turning 37 in his final year. Lee-Lo will be truly missed at the Arms Park but always remembered as a Cardiff great.

Uilisi Halaholo

The final piece of the midfield trio that has led us through the last few years, Willis Halaholo departs the Arms Park this summer with 18 tries from 97 games across six years, and a never-ending trail of defenders with broken ankles left in his wake.

At times the viciousness of The Hot Stepper’s side-steps were close to requiring parental consent for viewing, so it’s no wonder Cardiff have had so many evening kick-offs while he has been in the team. That ability to create something from nothing has been the key to many of the best tries scored by the club in recent times though.

His partnership with best mate Lee-Lo will go down in folklore as one of the best Blue and Blacks double acts, while Halaholo himself will always remain a terrace favourite for his willingness to stop and chat with supporters and engage on social media. Here’s hoping a lucky club is able to pick up a top class talent soon.

Dmitri Arhip

Another class act on the list of top overseas signings, Dmitri Arhip departs this summer after an unexpected 71 appearances in five years having joined Cardiff late in the summer of 2018 when a contract with Montpellier was nullified due to French restrictions over neck and spinal injuries.

Despite that disappointment of missing out on a Top14 adventure and not being able to return to Ospreys, the Moldovan never gave less than 100% for the Blue and Blacks, and has been a major part of the scrum shifting from an area of weakness to, particularly in this last season, a real weapon for the team at times.

Arhip’s legacy will live on in the experience he has no doubt passed on to the likes of Keiron Assiratti and Will Davies-King, as well as the gif of him making a heart to the camera when Cardiff beat Munster at the Arms Park in 2018.

Dillon Lewis

Welsh international Lewis heads up the M4 for Harlequins this summer after 90 appearances in nine years having graduated the Academy in the same cohort as the likes of Jarrod Evans, who he joins at The Stoop, Liam Belcher, Tomos Williams and Shane Lewis-Hughes.

The tighthead prop has become a regular member of the matchday 23 over the course of the last four years and won 50 Wales caps thanks to his performances in Blue and Black, learning from the likes of Fa’ao Filise, Scott Andrews and Adam Jones before pushing for the three jersey.

Brad Thyer

Loosehead prop Brad Thyer faces the agonising prospect of leaving the club this summer stuck on 99 first team appearances having struggled for game time due to the form and durability of Rhys Carre and Corey Domachowski in recent years.

Another Academy graduate, he was also part of that cohort with the aforementioned players and broke through in 2014 before becoming a regular member of the matchday 23 between 2017 and 2020, but post-pandemic has dropped out of favour and spent some time on loan at Glasgow in late 2021. Seems set to join Ealing this summer.

Kirby Myhill

Rounding off a departing front row is West Walian Myhill who, similarly to Thyer, is extremely close to the 100 Club with 98 first team appearances under his belt since arriving from the Scarlets in the summer of 2016.

The hooker overcame some tough spells on the sideline with injuries during his time at the Arms Park, but bounced back to become a key member of the matchday 23 and even led the side on a handful of occasions.

Max Llewellyn

It’s always disappointing when a future star chooses to head for pastures new, but in the circumstances you cannot blame Llewellyn for choosing to sure up his future by switching across the Severn Bridge to Gloucester for next season after 45 appearances for the Cardiff first team.

After helping the Rags win the Welsh Cup in 2019, the centre broke into the first team on the other side of the pandemic but injuries prevented a consistent run of games until the start of his final season at the Arms Park where his form has earned him a call-up to the Wales pre-World Cup training squad.

Harri Millard

Another Academy graduate departing this summer is Hurricane Harri Millard who leaves after eight years at the club where he made 39 first team and 24 Rags appearances having struggled to ever hold down a starting spot due to injuries and the form of others.

A rapid centre with pace to burn, there’s an argument that the 26-year-old’s best position at the senior level may have been on the wing, but he made the majority of appearances at centre at a time when the quality of the midfield was unarguable.

Rhys Priestland

The basket case that has been Welsh rugby more than ever over the last few months has had serious impacts on the international prospects and careers of a number of players, but at the other end of the professional rugby journey is Rhys Priestland who could well be forced into retirement due to to the financial restrictions in place.

16 years after making his Scarlets debut, the 36-year-old enjoyed six years at Bath before arriving at Cardiff in the summer of 2021 and went on to play 32 times and score 193 points for the Blue and Blacks, as well as adding to his Wales cap haul which now sits at 56. It would be a tough way for his career to end, but Priestland has enjoyed a seriously good career nonetheless.

Jason Harries

A player who has definitely opted to call time on his professional rugby career amid the ongoing shenanigans is Jason Harries as the man affectionately known as “The Rail Replacement Bus Service”, courtesy of regularly replacing “The Lane Train” in the starting XV, hangs up his boots in a full-time sense after 15 years in and around the game.

Starting out in the Scarlets pathway and playing for Wales U20, he spent a few years touring the world with Wales 7s before stepping into XVs with London Scottish, Edinburgh and then on to Cardiff where he’s scored 13 tries in 58 games across five years in all competitions. A bit of a cult hero at the Arms Park, his experience and solidity will be missed especially during international windows.

James Ratti

Since the RFC has properly been utilised as the Rags since around 2018 there have been a number of success stories with Academy players bridging the gap between age grade rugby and the first team, but James Ratti is the poster boy for picking up discarded players from the professional game and earning a second shot at that level.

After eight appearances for the Rags early in the 2019/20 season, he got an opportunity in the first team just before Christmas and didn’t look back, playing 58 times in the intervening four years and making a successful switch to the back row which earned two call-ups to Wales squads. Ratti will re-join the Ospreys for next season.

Joe Peard

An odd one this one, as second row Peard departs the club after just 12 months having not had the opportunity to really impress with the Rags, let alone the first team. Signing from the Dragons last summer, despite reported interest from Saracens, it seemed a good move from Cardiff to bring in a 21-year-old physical lock.

However, Peard was restricted to just 8 Rags outings, with just 5 of those being starts and only 1 coming after Christmas. There was no mention of an injury and he now heads for pastures new with supporters left somewhat confused by what went down.

Olly Robinson

A player who departed during the course of the season, Robinson left just prior to Christmas in disappointing circumstances from the side of the club that did not befit the five years he spent at the Arms Park after arriving on loan from Bristol early in 2017/18, going on to make 80 appearances in all competitions.

He would go on to be an important part of the Challenge Cup winning side in Bilbao and captain the first team on occasion, before his time at the club was noticeably coming to an end by early 2022 as he went on loan to Leicester Tigers and then became considered a Rags-only player. Unfortunately there was no chance to say a proper goodbye before Robinson headed for Hartpury University RFC in the English Championship.

Theo Bevacqua

Into the Academy departures and loosehead prop Bevacqua departs after just a single first team outing against Munster in February 2021. There were also 10 Rags appearances alongside playing for Wales U20, while this year he played regularly for Cardiff University in BUCS Super Rugby.

Ethan Lloyd

Scrum-half Lloyd leaves with two first team appearances off the bench as part of the Heineken Champions Cup misfits squad of December 2021. A key member of the Rags squad over the last two seasons, he has 45 appearances in all competitions at that level and helped the club lift the Indigo Group Premiership in 2022 and the Welsh Cup just two months ago. Seems set to play for Merthyr next season.

Harrison James

A slight shock to many people with the club suffering a shortage of 10s currently, but the Wales U20 squad member heads for the exit this summer after 28 appearances and 120 points for the Rags, with particularly crucial interventions in winning the Welsh Cup this season. Likely to play BUCS Super Rugby next year.

Ryan Wilkins

Another member of that misfits squad from the Heineken Cup, centre Wilkins heads for Pontypridd after 20 Rags appearances over two years. Battling a tough spell of injury he returned to play a part in the Welsh Cup triumph and push for the top of the league in the season just gone.

Tommy Davies

A bit of an enigma! Believed to have played for Millfield School in 2021/22, the centre appeared on the Academy squad list last summer but never made an age grade or Rags appearance before being released during this off-season.

Ben Burnell

Injuries and the covid pandemic had a major impact on Burnell’s time in the development pathway, as a broken leg curtailed his U18 campaign, covid prevented playing opportunities for a year and then a major shoulder problem prevented him from a full first season in the Premiership with Pontypridd. After four Rags appearances and a brief return to Sardis Road he signed for Jersey Reds in February.

Rhys Anstey

A third member of the Heineken Cup misfits to move on, big second row Anstey also played in pre-season against Harlequins for the first team as well as racking up 30 Rags appearances. He initially signed for Ealing Trailfinders in February but has subsequently played for Richmond in the English Championship. It is unclear whether that is on loan/permit or as part of a permanent move.