Exeter Chiefs youngster to captain national team

Rising young Exeter Chiefs star Dafydd Jenkins will captain the squad for the championship and is in line to become the second youngest men’s player to lead Wales in a match.

Wales senior men’s head coach Waren Gatland has named a 34-player squad for the 2024 Guinness Six Nations campaign.

Five uncapped players are selected among the 19 forwards and 15 backs: Cardiff Rugby back rows Alex Mann and Mackenzie Martin plus their club teammates hooker Evan Lloyd and full-back Cameron Winnett, as well as tighthead prop Archie Griffin (Bath Rugby).

Another eight players could make their first Six Nations appearance this Championship, including Keiron Assiratti, Corey Domachowski, Cai Evans, Kemsley Mathias, Joe Roberts and Teddy Williams who all made their international debuts last summer plus Scarlets duo Sam Costelow and Ioan Lloyd.

There are recalls for Ospreys centre Owen Watkin and Cardiff Rugby back row James Botham in a Wales squad that has an average age of 25.

Rugby is in the Jenkins family DNA – Dafydd's father, Hywel, was back-row forward with Swansea and Neath, while both of his grandfathers also played.

Standing at 6ft 7in and tipping the scales at 18 stone, the 21-year-old certainly has all the physical attributes. However, it is his on-field understanding of the game which makes him stand out even further.

He made his Chiefs debut during the 2021/22 season in the Premiership Rugby Cup against Bristol Bears and within weeks was then featuring for the Devon club in both the Heineken Champions Cup and Gallagher Premiership.

Jenkins is one of a glut of young Welsh youngsters currently plying their trade at Sandy Park, teaming up with the likes of Oli Burrows, Christ Tshiunza and Dan John, all of whom he has played with in the Welsh Under 20s set-up.

In November 2022, Jenkins was capped at Test level for the first time, coming on as a replacement for Wales in their Autumn International against Georgia in Cardiff before heading to France in autumn 2023 as a part of Wales’ Rugby World Cup squad.