Ross Moriarty’s move to the Dragons from Gloucester has been confirmed by the Welsh region.
The Wales back row forward has signed a two-year deal to start next season that will enable him to continue his international career.
The switch, revealed by Dai Sport earlier this month, is not on a national dual contract, meaning the Dragons will be funding Moriarty’s wages in total – although they are now wholly owned by the governing body.
Moriarty, 23, had been linked with a move to Scarlets and clubs in both England and France were also keen for his signature, but playing within Wales was the only way the 17-cap forward could continue being selected under the new 60-cap regulation.
“It is with much excitement that I am able to announce the completion of my transfer to Welsh regional side, the Dragons,” said Moriarty.
“After meeting with Bernard Jackman, I was excited by the future plans of the club as the region looks to begin a new chapter in its history.
“Playing international rugby is the pinnacle of every player’s career and with the new rules, it left me with no choice but to move to Wales to further my international ambitions, especially with the Rugby World Cup ahead.”
“I would like to thank Gloucester, specifically the players and coaching staff, for their continued support throughout my seven years at the club as well as Hartpury College who were an integral step on the road to achieving my goals,” he continued.
“Furthermore, I would like to thank the fans for their continued support. They have made the decision to move to Wales extremely difficult.
“I am now looking forward to finishing the season off strongly and teaming up with Bernard Jackman and the Dragons at the start of next season.”
Dragons head coach Bernard Jackman said: “I am delighted to have been able to convince Ross to join us as we build our team for the future,” said the head coach.
“It’s a significant signing and a real reinforcement of how players are perceiving this region now. He is the perfect fit for us in terms of the type of player that we are looking to add to our squad in that he is young, ambitious, Welsh and very talented.
“We are building a team for the long term and to be able to get a player of Ross’s calibre, who is only 23, is an example of that.
“Speaking to Ross it’s clear that we have the same values and philosophies on how the game should be played and I know that he will add to the local talent that’s already here.
“We are proud of the fact that some more Dragons are now starting to break into the Welsh squad and we will continue to work hard to develop more international players from within and that will be easier when they have the chance to work day in and day out with world-class players like Ross.”