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Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
Anthony Woolford

Another outstanding Welsh teenager lost to English rugby as hot second row prospect signs for Exeter Chiefs

Welsh regional rugby has lost a burgeoning teenage talent to England.

Cardiff Blues and Wales Under-18 lock Christ Tshiunza is set to move across the Severn to Gallagher Premiership giants Exeter Chiefs for next season.

The highly-rated second-row has come through the rugby ranks in the Welsh capital playing for Cardiff Schools, the Blues' Under-16s and 18s as well as Rhiwbina RFC.

He was also a product of Whitchurch High School, where former Wales and Lions skipper Sam Warburton spent his formative years.

His move to the west country academy is another big blow to the regional game here and the quest to keep the best young players within the Welsh system.

His move to the Chiefs will see Tshiunza work with former Pontypool coach and head of rugby at Cardiff University Louie Tonkin.

Former Pontypool coach and head of rugby at Cardiff University Louie Tonkin is joining the Exeter Chiefs Academy (Huw Evans Agency)

He is set to join the Chiefs senior academy this summer after leaving Cardiff University three years ago to become director of rugby at the Bahrain Rugby Union.

He recently took up a short stint as assistant coach of Thailand, helping former Samoan star Apollo Perelini knock his side into shape for the Asia Rugby Championship, before returning to the UK this month.

And he's set to have a talented Welsh player he can work with at Sandy Park in the shape of Tshiunza with the forward recently turning in an impressive performance for Wales Under-18s in their Six Nations festival.

With young Wales props Sam Wainwright and Rhys Carre heading off to Saracens next season, another departure to England prompted rugby legend and BBC TV pundit Jonathan Davies to go on to social media and ask: "How do we miss these lads."

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