Young back in the capital to resume his Cardiff career

NEW Cardiff recruit Thomas Young has returned to the Welsh capital to link up with the Arms Park outfit for pre-season as he prepares to end his international exile.

The Wales back-rower (pictured) came through the Blue and Blacks’ pathway system to make a total of 19 appearances for the club’s first team before departing for Gloucester in 2014.

The Aberdare native’s next move was to Wasps, where he spent eight years before returning to Cardiff this summer.

He first linked up with the squad for pre-season training last week, and insists he is ready to make his mark.

“I’m obviously very happy to be back here,” he said as he kicked off a new week of training.

“It’s a case of being the same, yet different. There’s a few boys here that I already know but there’s also been a lot of change. I’m really happy.

“This was the club I grew up supporting, and I was a ball boy here as well a few years ago.

“So it’s nice to come back and I’m really looking forward to getting started.

“It’s nice to come somewhere where you know people, and they obviously gave me some stick as soon as I walked in.

“But as I say, I’m happy to be here and hopefully we can push on and have a good season. I came through the academy system and before that I was here watching, for obvious reasons.

“To come through the academy and age grade system, it was always a goal to play for the Blues, as it was at the time.

“Things worked out a bit different but now I had the opportunity to come back. I want to make sure I take the opportunity and show what I can do.”

The former Wasps flanker fell foul of the Welsh Rugby Union’s 60-cap rule for the latter stages of his career in Coventry.

He was ruled ineligible to play for Wales after he signed a contract extension with his English club when he had just three caps to his name (he had not received an offer from a Welsh region at the time).

He then spent 18 months in international exile but was granted special dispensation to play for Wales in the autumn of 2021, when he had agreed to join Cardiff the following season, although that did not extend to the 2022 Six Nations and Wales head coach Wayne Pivac did not apply for it given the availability of players at his disposal at the time.

His return to Cardiff will make him eligible again should Pivac wish to draft him in.