Cardiff Blues are set to release South African international Franco van der Merwe.

The Springbok second row was recruited from Ulster earlier this year, but, due to a change in the strategic direction of the region and the continued financial uncertainty in Welsh rugby, he is being let go.

The 34-year-old is now being targeted by newly promoted Aviva Premiership outfit London Irish, who would require approval from the RFU to sign him.

The Blues board opted to release Van der Merwe amid the ongoing financial challenges within the Welsh game and chairman Peter Thomas not being ready to continue to plough money in.

Thomas had been looking for the WRU to play a greater role in the region, relieving him of some of the financial burden, but that deal didn’t come to fruition.

Van der Merwe’s departure is likely to see a more prominent role for new Welsh international Seb Davies, the 21-year-old lock who started both Tests on the South seas tour.

That will tie in with the Blues’ shift to focusing more on homegrown talent, amid the appointment of Clive Jones as director of development.

At the time of Jones’ unveiling, Blues chief executive Richard Holland said: “Due to the ongoing financial challenges the business faces, we must put all our efforts into developing from within if we want to be competitive in the future.

“This fits into the Welsh Rugby Union’s strategy and there will be further investment into our realigned academy system to ensure we maximise the potential from within.”

With Kiwi Jarrad Hoeata having left at the end of last season, the release of Van der Merwe, without him playing a game for the Blues, leaves them with a second row contingent of Davies, George Earle, Macauley Cook, James Down and new recruit from Exeter Damian Welch, with the fit-again Josh Turnbull also able to provide cover.