Gallagher PREM feels more Welsh than at any point in its 30-season history, even during the two seasons London Welsh were in the English top flight.
Of course, plenty of Welsh players have played in PREM in the past – Bath Front-row duo Jon Humphreys and Paul James used the cars to travel over the Severn Bridge while the northern clubs Sale and Leeds often looked that way in their recruitment. But not in the same quantity or quality as now.
Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake, who have captained their countries for the past 12 months, were two of the main players in the summer transfers, replacements Ospreys for Gloucester.
Both wasted no time in proving their worth on the opening weekend when 16 Welsh players took to the field, the most of any country outside of England.
Morgan was all over the place at Sandy Park, making heavy yards, tackles and steals as he did, while Lake literally led from the front with several maul attempts.
Leicester, meanwhile, fielded an all-Welsh back row of ex-Dragons Aaron Wainwright – another tempted to leave home, Tommy Reffell and Olly Cracknell – in their high-profile defeat at home to Saracens. Gabe Hamer-Webb even managed to outscore fellow winger and Welshman Louis Rees-Zammit by scoring three tries. Bristol two flyers in their win at Sale Sharks.
Sale had three of their own Welshmen in the front row duo of Nicky Smith and Tomas Francis, and loose forward Christ Tshiunza.
Four years ago, on the first weekend of the PREM season, there were only four senior Welsh internationals in the respective 23s, with one of them Sam Cross (Newcastle) playing in seven rather than 15, and the league still had two teams in it.
Since then, possibly due to a lack of job security in the volatile Welsh rugby landscape, more top players have sought to ply their trade England and leave regional rugby behind.
The number of capped Welshmen playing in the first round has increased on the previous year from 2023/24, with 12 in the first round in 2024/25, 13 in that stage of the competition in 2025/26 and now 16.
Had Louie Hennessey (Bath) and Josh Hathaway (Gloucester) been available, for example, the number could have been even higher.
Only three of the seven PREM clubs did not have any Welsh internationals in their 23rd round of the first round – Harlequins, Newcastle and Northampton champions.
Harlequins they preferred to do their summer shopping in South America, with four Cougars involved in their opening night defeat to Bath.
Argentina is the third most popular country after Wales, with a total of 10, Scotland takes second place 13.
No other nation is even close to double figures, but the foreign legion’s limited contingent totals 58 players – two more than the number of England internationals who were actively involved last weekend.
Almost half of England’s representatives in the first round came from three clubs – Bath (9), Sale (9) and Northampton (8).
While Welsh players of the highest order seem more popular than ever before, it is instructive where rugby is in the Pacific right now as internationals from that part of the world are few and far between.
When you think back over the years, Pacific Island players have made huge contributions to the league, with the likes of Seru Rabeni, Simon Raiwalui, Michael Tagicakibau, Seilal Mapasu, Nicky Little and most recently, Sam Matavesi to name but a few, all of whom have left a huge mark.
But now, Fiji (Elia Canakaivata, Sale Sharks and Eroni Mawi, Saracens) and Tonga (Sam Moli and Solomone Kata, both Leicester) started the last PREM season with just two players apiece, while Bristol’s aging back-line warrior Steven Luatua was Samoa’s sole representative.
Even African beef Zimbabwe had how many Fiji and Tonga, and would have had more if Edward Sigauke had played for Harlequins against Bath.
League of Nations – international players who did not play in England in the 1st round of PREM
Wales (16): Archie Griffin (Bath), Louis Rees-Zammit (Bristol), Dafydd Jenkins, Kane James (Exeter), Dewi Lake, Jac Morgan, Freddie Thomas (Gloucester), Gabe Hamer-Webb, Aaron Wainwright, Tommy Reffell, Olly Cracknell (Less Francis, Leester, Lee, To Cracknell, Lee) (Sale), Nick Tompkins, Tomos Williams (Saracens).
Scotland (13): Josh Bayliss, Finn Russell, Cam Redpath (Bath), Tom Jordan (Bristol), Will Hurd, Cam Henderson (Leicester), Chris Harris, Elliot Millar Mills (Newcastle), Rory Hutchinson (Northampton), Arron Reed, Gus Warr (Sale), Sa Fergus.
Argentina (10): Santi Carreras (Bath), Pedro Rubiolo, Benjamin Grondonna (Bristol), Pedro Delgado, Boris Wenger, Rodrigo Isgro, Guido Petti (Harlequins), Joaquin Moro (Leicester), Franco Molina, Simon Benitez Cruz (Newcastle), Juan Martin (Saracens Gonzales).
Italy (3): Stephen Varney (Gloucester), Danilo Fischetti, Ion Neculai (Northampton)
Australia (2): Harry Johnson-Holmes (Harlequins), Josh Kemeny (Northampton)
Fiji (2): Elia Canakaivata (Sale Sharks), Eroni Mawi (Saracens)
Ireland (2): Kieran Marmion (Bristol), Jean Kleyn* (Gloucester).
New Zealand (2): Steven Luatua* (Bristol), Hoskins Sototu (Newcastle)
South Africa (2): Dan du Preez (Bath), Jean Kleyn (Gloucester)
Tonga (2): Sam Molly, Solomone Kata (Leicester)
Zimbabwe (2): Lovejoy Chawatama (Bristol), Cleopas Kundiona (Northampton)
France (1): Anthony Belleau (Northampton)
Georgia (1): Luka Ivanishvili (Bristol)
Samoa (1): Steven Luatua (Bristol)
USA (1): AJ MacGinty (Bristol)
*double international
