Wales international Johnny McNicholl pens new Scarlets deal

Scarlets have confirmed that Wales international Johnny McNicholl has signed a new contract with the Welsh province.

Born in Christchurch, McNicholl made his professional rugby debut with provincial side Canterbury in 2011 with his Super Rugby debut for Crusaders coming in 2013.

The 31-year-old moved to Llanelli in 2016 and since then has racked up 99 appearances for the club and in the process enjoyed a Guinness PRO12 title in 2017.

“I’ve really enjoyed my rugby this season, results may not have been what we wanted, but we are looking to develop our game under a new coaching team and I feel there is a lot more to come from us," he told the club's official website.

“I have had some great moments in a Scarlets jersey since I arrived here from the Crusaders; the title win in Dublin, the European campaign the year after.

"Hopefully, with the fans back in the stadium and behind us, we can get back to those levels and be challenging again.”

McNicholl was named in the Wales squad for the first time in November 2019 after qualifying for Wales through the residency rule and went on to make his international debut during the 2020 Six Nations. He has been capped seven times for Wales with his last appearance coming in November 2021.

“Johnny has been outstanding for us this season, not only on the field, but as a leader off it. He is a key member of our group," said Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel.

“He is a player who can produce something out of nothing and embodies the kind of attacking game we want to develop here. Johnny has been here a while now, he has a young family who are settled in Wales and he’s established himself as an international player. We are delighted he has signed a new contract with us.”