Wainwright credits Leicester move for raising his standards ahead of Wales' World Cup push

Aaron Wainwright has credited his move to Leicester Tigers with raising his game ahead of Wales’ Nations Championship campaign, saying the Gallagher Premiership has proven a noticeable step up in physicality and intensity since he left the Dragons this summer.

The 29-year-old ended a nine-year stay at his home Welsh region to join Leicester ahead of the 2024-25 season, and has already helped the Tigers climb to the top of the early Premiership standings. He says the high standards demanded at Welford Road have drawn more out of him as a player and leader.

“I’ve found it to be a step up, the physicality and intensity of games, but I’ve enjoyed it,” Wainwright said. “It’s a new challenge at Leicester, standards are very high and that’s led a lot by the players. They’ve got a lot of good leaders and experience there, and that’s brought more of a voice out of me.”

Wainwright recalled being challenged almost immediately upon arrival. “In the first few days I didn’t know my role straight away and someone was getting stuck into me. I thought ‘I need to make sure I’m really on it here’ — that’s the level they’re at.”

He returns to his preferred number eight position for Wales after featuring at six for Leicester, with the national side hosting Japan in Cardiff on Saturday as the Nations Championship resumes following a four-month break. The fixture is effectively a must-win for Wales, who sit fifth in the northern hemisphere standings with tests against New Zealand and Australia to follow in the next fortnight.

Head coach Steve Tandy has won only three of his first 12 matches in charge, though Wales showed signs of improvement during the 2026 Six Nations, pushing Scotland and Ireland close in defeats while beating Italy and Fiji.

Wainwright acknowledged the squad had fallen short in the final two games of last summer’s campaign but insisted the group is ready to translate its stated progress into on-field results.

“We’ve spoken a lot about being on this journey and we can put that into action,” he said. “Give the fans something they can see on the pitch that reflects the words that we’re saying. That’s what we have to deliver on Saturday.”