Wales Name Owen and Hope in Nations Championship Squad

Wales have selected three uncapped players in a 39-man squad for the November 2026 Nations Championship, with head coach Steve Tandy rewarding strong club performances and recalling several established internationals. Dragons centre Aneurin Owen and scrum-half Che Hope join Cardiff prop Rhys Barratt as newcomers, while hooker Dewi Lake will captain the team against Japan, New Zealand and Australia in Cardiff.

The squad, announced on October 20, contains 22 forwards and 17 backs. Wales will host Japan on November 7, New Zealand on November 14 and Australia on November 21 at Principality Stadium before the competition concludes with a finals weekend at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.

According to the squad announcements published by BBC Sport and the participating clubs, seven Scarlets players and seven Cardiff Rugby players have been selected. The Dragons contribute six players, while the Ospreys supply four, alongside 14 squad members playing for English clubs and Montpellier lock Adam Beard.

Owen, 26, earns his opportunity after consistently strong performances for the Dragons. He previously joined the Wales squad in 2021 but did not appear in the Tests against Canada or Argentina. His selection also comes as Cardiff centre Ben Thomas remains injured.

Tandy highlighted Owen's reliability and contributions to his club as key factors behind the selection.

"Aneurin has been so consistent, you only have to look at what he has done week in and week out. I have spoken to a lot of people around how consistent he is with his training standards, communication on the field and attitude to work. He sees the game really well." Tandy said.

Hope, 23, receives his first invitation to a Wales international camp after impressing for the Dragons. He joins Tomos Williams and Reuben Morgan-Williams among the scrum-half options, with Kieran Hardy facing an extended absence following a knee injury.

Tandy praised the young scrum-half's performances at club level.

"Che is a really exciting talent, and the way that he has performed for the Dragons has been outstanding." Tandy said.

Cardiff back-rower Taine Basham also returns to the international setup for the first time since the summer of 2023. He has started the season strongly and won his previous Wales cap against England in the 2024 Six Nations.

Tandy said Basham had impressed during Cardiff's matches against South African opposition late last season and had continued to develop since then.

"At the end of last season when Cardiff were playing the South African teams, Taine was really impressive and really fronted up. He has kicked on and settled into Cardiff really well. He has been telling me all about his line breaks!

He's a great character, and this is a great opportunity." Tandy said.

Cardiff prop Barratt completes the uncapped trio after previously featuring against the Barbarians during the summer. The squad also includes returning Dragons lock Seb Davies, who last represented Wales during the 2022 Six Nations, and winger Rio Dyer, who has 24 international caps.

Several experienced players are absent. Leicester flanker Tommy Reffell has a knee injury expected to sideline him for four to six weeks, while fit-again number eight Taulupe Faletau was omitted despite making his first Cardiff appearance of the season against Northampton.

Wales have also recalled lock Dafydd Jenkins, props Tomas Francis and Archie Griffin, hooker Liam Belcher and centre Louie Hennessey after their unavailability for the July fixtures. Jenkins, who plays for Exeter Chiefs, said returning after shoulder surgery was an important step in his international career.

"Pulling on the Wales shirt is something I dreamed of since I was little, so it was hard to miss out in the summer, but I had to put my health first. Steve, the physios and all the staff were really supportive and positive, putting my best interests first. It was tough not to be there for Kane on his first campaign, to not be able to help ease him into things but I'm thrilled to have that chance now.

Three games at home is a class opportunity for us both to have, so I'm just looking forward to digging back in with the group and trying to earn a spot back in the line-up." Jenkins said.

Tandy said the selection combines returning internationals with players who have earned recognition through their club performances.

"It's great to welcome back the players who were unavailable for the first three rounds of the Nations Championship. Added to that, there are a number of players who've been in great form for their clubs, and so we wanted to give them an opportunity in the squad this autumn." Tandy said.

Wales enter the November window after playing Fiji, Argentina and South Africa during the summer, recording one win and two losses across those three matches. The November fixtures form rounds four to six of the inaugural Nations Championship, with all three Wales home games scheduled for Saturdays.

The competition's finals weekend will feature six matches over three days at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, with all 12 participating nations competing for their final positions and points toward the overall northern-versus-southern hemisphere standings. The Wales fixtures and finals weekend will be broadcast live on ITV and S4C.