Wales prop Paul James will return to the Ospreys next season after spending three years with English Premiership club Bath, the Welsh region announced yesterday.
The 32-year-old, who has won 55 caps for Wales, has signed a two-year contract with the Ospreys. He previously spent nine years at the Swansea-based club, making 180 appearances.
“It’s great to be coming home next year,” James told the club website.
“I think I’m coming back as a better player thanks to the different experiences I’ve had over the last couple of years and hopefully I’ll be able to play a big part at the region going forward.”
He added: “I’ve had a great few years at Bath. I have really settled in well and the club has been great to me, so I want to finish on a high there this season before I head home for the next chapter.”
James’s Ospreys return bucks a trend of leading players leaving Wales. Ten members of the national squad currently play their club rugby in either England or France.
Ospreys chief executive Andrew Hore said: “Although circumstances dictated that we have lost players over the last few years that we didn’t want to release, we have always clearly said that when the business was on a more stable footing we would look to bring selected personnel back to the region, and this is exactly what we have done with Paul.”