TRANSFER | Hadleigh Parkes set to end international career by departing Wales

Sunday, 05 April 2020 at 16:34

bySteven Smith

Wales international centre Hadleigh Parkes has become a top target for financial powerhouses Kobe Steelers, according to reports.

The ambitious Japanese side, whose current squad includes All Black greats Dan Carter and Brodie Retallick, are said to have next targeted Welsh centre Parkes.

RUCK sources suggest the contract on offer is a two-year deal worth £1m or £500,000 per season.

It's unclear when Parkes' existing contract with the Scarlets, which he signed two years ago, runs out, or whether they have offered him an extension.

The Rugby Paper claim Parkes, who will be 33 in October, is in talks with Kobe about joining them in November.

As far as international debuts are concerned, Parkes’ was a bit special. Having spent three years at the Scarlets qualifying to play for Wales, the Hunterville, New Zealand-born centre literally burst on to the Test scene against South Africa in the final game of the 2017 Under Armour Series at Principality Stadium.

EDITORS PICKS:

He scored within seven minutes of his first game in a Welsh shirt, bagged a second try later in the first half, and carried off the man of the match award after helping Wales to beat the Springboks 24-22.

A vital cog in the Welsh back line, he started four of the five Grand Slam matches in 2019, scoring a vital try in the clincher against Ireland, and featured in 11 of the record run of 14 successive victories in 2018/19.

He's since gone onto became a regular, winning 23 caps to date.

WALES RUGBY WAGS:

Meet the stunning WAGs of Wales‘s rugby stars. The women behind the heroes.

Ellie Hughes - girlfriend to Ross Moriarty

Rugby star Ross and his girlfriend are both from Swansea

Ruby McCarthy - girlfriend of Elliot Dee and

Wales hooker Elliot and his other half have a dog. The 25-year-old, who only broke into the senior squad in 2017, has been dating Ruby, 24, since 2014 after meeting in their hometown of Newbridge. She is a tourism marketing manager in Cardiff, and the pair have a dog called Wes.

Becky James – wife of George North

She became a Double Olympic silver medallist at Rio in 2016 but was forced to retire shortly after, aged 25, after an injury. She’s now turned baker instead.

The couple married near her family home in Crickhowell this summer.null