London, England -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/27/2010 -- Wasps will announce the signing of the Wales and Lions back-row Andy Powell, who has been released by the Cardiff Blues despite having a year of his contract to run.
The Welsh region felt the 28-year-old had lost his way after he was suspended from the national squad during last season's Six Nations, having been charged with drink-driving in a golf buggy taken from the team hotel.
Powell will join his sixth club, after stints with Newport, Leicester, Béziers, the Scarlets and the Blues. The Wasps head coach, Shaun Edwards, is Wales defence coach and Powell, who had been linked with a switch to rugby league with Crusaders, has forged a close affinity with the national head coach, Warren Gatland, who had urged him to stay in contention for a place in next year's World Cup squad.
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With no openings in any of the other three regions in Wales, Powell's options were limited. He was offered a contract by Agen but the move to Wasps, while going against Gatland's preference of having his players based in Wales, will keep him in the coach's eye.
The Blues, resigned to losing Powell, were looking for a transfer fee of at least £10,000. He had spent five years with them, his longest stay with one team.
"Andy had a difficult season following the unwise incident with the golf buggy and he lost his way somewhat," said the Blues' head coach, David Young. "Both parties felt it was in their best interests if we parted company."
Wasps, who count Gatland among their former directors of rugby, have long regarded themselves as a refuge for lost souls, happy to take on players who have a reputation for being difficult. Powell has had two coaching mentors in his career: the South African, Ian McIntosh, when he started out with Newport and Gatland, who have the forward his first cap in November 2008.
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