Dewi Lake and Jac Morgan join Gloucester and prepare for Premiership debuts

Dewi Lake and Jac Morgan, both of whom have captained Wales, have joined Gloucester and are due to make their Premiership debuts at Kingsholm against Exeter on Saturday, BBC Sport Wales reported on Tuesday. Lake has been unveiled as Gloucester captain with Morgan named among his deputies after both signed from the Ospreys for the 2026-27 season following moves announced in December 2025.

The pair left the Ospreys in a double signing described in the original coverage as a two-for-one deal for Gloucester; they had been teammates and close friends for around a decade and were named co-captains for Wales at the 2023 World Cup by Warren Gatland. Jac Morgan was the only Welsh player selected for the 2025 British and Irish Lions side that won the series in Australia. Lake is 27 and Morgan 26, and the article reports Lake has played 34 internationals for Wales and captained his country on 22 occasions.

Lake described their decision to join the same club and their close relationship in direct terms: "I am incredibly happy we got to land at the same club together," he said. He added, "He's an incredible friend off the field, but on the field also an incredible leader and player," and recalled their first day at Gloucester when they planned to meet in the car park because "neither of us wanted to go in on our own."

Gloucester already hosts a notable Welsh contingent, including Max Llewellyn, Freddie Thomas, Josh Hathaway and Deian Gwynne, and Morgan said that presence had helped with settling in: "It's been like a home from home. It's great to have a couple of fellow Welshmen here." The pair also noted frequent use of the Welsh language around the club, with Morgan saying, "A lot of us are speaking Welsh to each other when we're in the building," and Lake adding, "Jac and I rarely speak English to each other."

The club's initiation traditions were mentioned: the article states the former Gloucester "milk challenge" has been discontinued and replaced by a more physical "shed challenge" involving running steps with sandbags and flipping tyres. Lake said of his early impressions, "Being here at Gloucester has been class so far," and continued, "The boys and coaches have been welcoming, it feels like a place where I'm able to get better, learn a lot and test my game in a new league. I wanted to challenge myself and be uncomfortable, if you like, in a new environment. That's the reason why I decided to make the move and I'm sure Jac feels the same."

Morgan pointed to Gloucester's rugby culture and history as draws, noting people had stopped them in the street to welcome them and that former Welsh players such as Tomos Williams, James Hook and Richard Hibbard have featured at Kingsholm. "There's a lot of Welsh who have played here in the past and they're part of the history," he said, adding that he had seen a photo of Hibbard in the club corridors and had spoken to past players about their experiences.

Both players expressed gratitude to the Ospreys while acknowledging the off-field turmoil that influenced their moves. Morgan said they were "thankful of everything the Ospreys have given us over the last few years and the bonds we created with players and coaches," and Lake noted, "The off-the-field stuff going on in background was tough to deal with sometimes." The article reports that since their move was announced, the Ospreys have been given a stay of execution for at least two seasons, and that one of Ospreys or Scarlets is set to disappear by 2028 under a Welsh Rugby Union plan.

Lake and Morgan are set to return to Wales for the Nations Championship in November; the Wales summer included a victory against Fiji followed by away defeats to Argentina and South Africa, and the article lists home autumn fixtures against Japan, New Zealand and Australia as the next international matches on the calendar.