Centre Gabe McDonald, one of a crop of exciting young home-grown backs at the Scarlets, has signed a new contract with the club.
The talented midfielder has made significant strides in his game during pre-season, impressing the coaching group with his performances, attitude and response to the challenges put in front of him.
The 21-year-old Burry Port product crossed for his first Scarlets try and landed three conversions in last weekend’s pre-season win over Exeter Chiefs – providing further evidence of his talent.
Having studied at Ysgol y Strade and Coleg Sir Gâr, McDonald shone for Scarlets U18s before being awarded a senior academy contract.
A Wales U19s cap, he has been a powerful midfield presence for Carmarthen Quins in Super Rygbi Cymru and is now pushing for further opportunities at senior level with the Scarlets.
Director of Rugby Nigel Davies said: “Gabe has some really good natural attributes. He’s powerful, he can carry, he’s got good skills and he understands the game. What has impressed us this summer is the work he’s put into some of the more subtle parts of his game.
“Sometimes player development isn’t about making huge changes. It’s about understanding the small things that can make the qualities you already have more effective – your positioning, decision-making, timing, what you do without the ball and understanding what’s happening around you.
“Gabe has really engaged with that. He’s taken feedback on board, worked on his game and we’re beginning to see the benefits of it in the way he’s training and performing.
“We’ve talked a lot about creating genuine depth and competition across our squad. That comes both from signing players and from the players developing and improving within our programme and putting pressure on the people around them.
“Gabe is another player who has come through our regional pathway, and that’s something that remains hugely important to us. We want talented players from within our communities to see a genuine route into the Scarlets senior team – and that opportunity has to be earned.”
McDonald made his senior debut against Exeter two years ago and last season made his bow in the United Rugby Championship, playing in the home win over Glasgow Warriors and against Connacht in Galway.
He said: “When I was younger my grandmother used to take me to every home Scarlets game, we had season tickets every year; I’m chuffed to have signed a new contract with the club.
“For me it’s about working hard on developing my game and being able to train every day alongside the international centres we have here at the Scarlets is driving me on to achieve those levels.
“Exeter was a good step for us as a team. We played with ambition, put into the game a lot of the things we’ve been working on and it was obviously a great feeling to get my first Scarlets try.
“There are a lot of youngsters in the squad putting their hands up at the moment, fighting hard for the jersey. There is real competition throughout the squad and that’s driving us all. So it’s important we maintain those standards and push on against the Dragons tonight (Friday) at Llandovery.”
McDonald has been named in the starting line-up for Friday’s second pre-season game against Dragons RFC at Llandovery and is among a clutch of players who have signed new deals ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, including Eddie James, Fletcher Anderson, Josh Macleod, Henry Thomas, Gareth Davies, Dan Davis, Sam Lousi, Harri O’Connor, Jac Davies, Will Evans, Carwyn Leggatt-Jones, Gabe Hawley and Harry Thomas.
The Scarlets’ BKT United Rugby Championship challenge kicks off on Saturday, September 26 (kick off 7.45pm) with the visit of Cardiff to Parc y Scarlets. Tickets for the game and season tickets can be purchased here