Scarlets have announced that Wales international centre Eddie James has signed a new contract with the club.

From Carmarthen, James played his junior rugby for Carmarthen Quins before starring for Coleg Sir Gâr and coming through the ranks of the Academy to play for Wales U18s and U20s and then establishing himself in the Scarlets senior side.

Standing at 6ft 4in and weighing in at 104kg, James has been a key part of the Scarlets and Wales midfield for the last season, establishing himself as first choice under Steve Tandy for the national side.

He has become one of Wales’ leading midfield operators, making his Test debut against the Springboks in 2024 and has gone on to win 11 caps for his country.

James has played 53 matches in a Scarlets jersey, making an instant impact with a try on his URC debut against Edinburgh and is viewed as an important part of the side the club is building for the coming seasons.

“Growing up in the region and supporting the Scarlets as a youngster, the club means a huge amount to me, it’s home to me and so it was an easy decision to extend my contract and I am delighted to be staying on at Parc y Scarlets,” James said.

“It’s an exciting season ahead for us. The new signings have added to the talent we already have and there’s a clear ambition about where we want to go as a group.

“There’s competition building and that will push standards and make us a better team.

“I’m looking forward to getting back in with the boys next week, getting my head down in training and building towards a massive opening URC game of the season against Cardiff here at the Parc.”

James is the latest player to have signed a new contract ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, adding to a list that includes Fletcher Anderson, Josh Macleod, Henry Thomas, Gareth Davies, Dan Davis, Sam Lousi, Harri O’Connor, Jac Davies, Will Evans, Carwyn Leggatt-Jones and Gabe Hawley.

“Keeping Eddie at Parc y Scarlets is a very significant signing for our club and we are delighted he will continue his rugby journey with us,” Scarlets Director of Rugby Nigel Davies added.

“Having players like Eddie at the heart of what we’re building is every bit as important as new players coming into the squad.

“Eddie has come through our pathway, represented Wales through the age grades and is now an established international player. That’s a journey we want other young players to mirror across our region and to be able to see and believe in.

“The exciting thing with Eddie is that there is still so much more to come from him. He’s only 24 and has some outstanding physical qualities. He’s big, powerful and explosive, but he’s also got the skill-set to play the type of rugby we’re building here.

“Eddie has already achieved a lot, but his best rugby should still be ahead of him, and it’s great that he sees the Scarlets as the place to deliver it.

“We’re building around a strong core of Scarlets-developed players, adding quality and experience around them and creating genuine competition throughout the group.”

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