Scarlets release South African flanker Jarrod Taylor after 44 appearances

Jarrod Taylor has left the Scarlets after two and a half years with the Welsh region, the club confirmed, with the 25-year-old South African flanker making 44 appearances during his time there.

Taylor joined the United Rugby Championship side midway through the 2022/23 season from Western Province and established himself as a consistent presence in the Scarlets back row. His next destination has not been announced.

Interim director of rugby Nigel Davies praised Taylor’s professionalism while acknowledging the difficult nature of the decision. “Jarrod has been a pleasure to work with from the day I arrived,” Davies said. “He is an outstanding professional who prepares well, trains hard and consistently puts the team first.”

“Sometimes in professional rugby difficult decisions have to be made around squad balance and how you utilise the resources and overseas positions available to you. Unfortunately, that has been the case here.”

Davies was effusive in his assessment of Taylor’s character and contribution to the club’s environment. “He is the type of player every coach enjoys working with. He asks questions, wants to improve, cares deeply about the team and gives everything he has every day.”

Taylor, for his part, expressed gratitude for his time in Wales. “I’m very grateful for my time at Scarlets and I’ll always look back on my two and a half years at the club with fond memories,” he said. “Thank you to everyone who made me feel welcome and good luck to the boys for the future.”

The departure reflects the ongoing challenge facing URC clubs in managing their allocation of overseas player slots, a constraint that regularly forces regions to make calls on popular squad members regardless of their on-field contribution.