British & Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton has vowed never to leave his native Wales and wants more players to follow his lead, rather than assume the grass is greener on the other side of the Channel.
The 26-year-old is among a handful of players to have signed a dual contract, committing his time to both Wales and club side Cardiff Blues.
And rather than chase riches on offer from France’s Top 14 and beyond, Warburton believes a display of patriotism will pay dividends.
“I certainly can’t see myself moving elsewhere. I love it here in Wales,” he told BBC Sport. “Hopefully more players will follow.
“The contract for me has worked out brilliantly, especially from a fitness perspective this year, getting looked after great when it comes to game time, when it comes to medical treatment.
“Cardiff Blues and WRU, from a communication point of view, have been excellent at keeping me in the loop as to what’s going on, which games you play in, which ones you don’t and managing your game time really well, so for me it’s worked out perfectly.
“Rather than playing every week where you do end up flogging a dead horse it keeps you relatively fresh, so that the games you do play in, you can try and really make an impact in those games and you're probably going to get more out of a player.”
