Wales centre Joe Hawkins has declared his intent to secure a spot in the 2025 Rugby World Cup squad, channeling the frustration of missing the 2023 tournament in France into a renewed drive for the upcoming global event in Australia. Hawkins, who was ruled ineligible for the previous World Cup due to the Professional Rugby Board’s 25-cap rule while playing for Exeter Chiefs, has since returned to the national setup by signing with the Scarlets. The move allowed him to bypass the eligibility restrictions that previously barred him from selection, restoring his status as a key asset for the Welsh backline.
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The 25-cap rule dictates that players with fewer than 25 international caps are unavailable for Wales if they are not contracted to a Welsh club, a provision that effectively locked Hawkins out of the 2023 campaign despite his strong form in the Premiership. However, Hawkins views this setback not as a failure but as a catalyst for his current trajectory. “It would have been nice to have a World Cup under my belt already, but that just makes me even more excited for potentially what’s ahead over the next year,” Hawkins stated, emphasizing that the missed opportunity has sharpened his focus rather than diminished his ambition.
Reflecting on his time in England, Hawkins acknowledged the value of his two-year stint at Exeter, praising the professional development and exposure to top-tier Premiership competition. “I loved my couple of years in Exeter with the life experience and playing in the Prem, where you can see a lot of the boys are thriving in now,” he noted. As the 2025 World Cup approaches in 12 months, Hawkins aims to leverage his combined experience from the Premiership and his return to Welsh club rugby to cement his place in the squad, proving that his absence in 2023 only heightened his determination to succeed on the world stage.
Source: Yahoo Sports
