8th June 2018

Cardiff Blues have secured a quintet of current stars to new contracts ahead of the 2018-19 season.

Four of the re-signings come in the pack with Kirby Myhill, Matthew Rees, George Earle and James Down all agreeing new terms.

All four have made a significant contribution during the 2017-18 campaign, making in excess of 15 appearances each.

Both Rees and Earle are currently recovering from injury but bring vast experience and leadership to the pack.

In the backs, full-back Dan Fish, who has been hit by a succession of injuries in the past 18 months, has also been given a new deal.

The latest re-signings complete Cardiff Blues’ retention with only Alex Cuthbert (Exeter Chiefs), Taufa’ao Filise (retirement) and Damian Welch (Cross Keys) the only players departing Cardiff Arms Park.

Cardiff Blues head coach John Mulvihill said: “I’m delighted to have secured this group of players to new deals, and their contribution to the squad will be crucial over the course of the season.

“We’ve got good depth in this squad at the moment, and it’s great to see players competing for their places in the side and use that competition as a motivation to push on.

“The experience from players like George Earle and Matthew Rees will be invaluable, especially in terms of developing our young players in the pack, and they are key leaders in the squad.

“Kirby Myhill played a part in some key victories last season, and I’m keen to see him compete for that number two jersey.

“Having local players, such as Dan Fish and James Down, who have come through the system are also an important part of this team’s identity and will no doubt add the depth of quality that we need next season.”

Attention now turns to recruitment with progress being made to bolster the strength and depth of the squad with quality signings ahead of a return to the European Champions Cup.

Mulvihill added: “With the retention side completed, we also remain extremely positive on the recruitment front.

“We’ve made good progress with a number of key targets and are looking forward to unveiling this in the very near future.”