Welsh Rugby
Charteris secures international release
ESPNscrum Staff
March 1, 2012
Wales' Luke Charteris looks for support, Wales v Namibia, Rugby World Cup, Stadium Taranaki, New Plymouth, New Zealand, September 26, 2011
Luke Charteris is set for a switch to France © Getty Images
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Luke Charteris has confirmed that he will be released for Wales duty by his new club.

The lock - who will leave the Dragons at the end of the season - is expected to join James Hook at Perpignan.

A regular during Wales' run to the Rugby World Cup semi-finals in 2011, Charteris has ensured that he will be available for all future training camps and Test matches after leaving Rodney Parade.

Player release has been a thorny issue in the past - notably for players overseas or with English clubs - and is set to dominate headlines in the future due to the current player drain in Wales. Charteris will join Hook, Lee Byrne, Mike Phillips, Gethin Jenkins and Huw Bennett in France.

"The only option I have is to stay at the Dragons, which is great, or to move abroad," Charteris told BBC Sport. "There were no other options to another Welsh club and to be honest that's probably not something I would have looked at and wanted to do anyway.

"In terms of marrying that with international ambitions, it's down to the individual player. I've sort of worked very hard to make sure that where I'm going, they've given me full releases so that as long as I'm playing well and I'm putting myself out there performance-wise, that if I'm called on I'll be available for all Welsh training and for Welsh games because that's massively important to me."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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