Botham the latest to pen fresh terms

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Cardiff are delighted to confirm James Botham has signed a new, long-term contract at the club.

The versatile back-row forward’s made 51 appearances since making his first team debut during the 2018-19 season and was due to come out of contract in the summer.

But the 26-year-old has pledged his future to the club once again and is excited by the young talent and potential within the squad.

He said: “I always wanted to play in Wales and with Cardiff being my first and only club, it’s great to be able to sign another contract here.

“I am settled here in Cardiff and in terms of rugby it’s great to see so many young, talented player also signing new contracts as we build for the future.

“We have a lot of potential in this group and I feel like we’ve shown that this season, as well has how much we want to play for each other, the club and the supporters. So I am really excited to see what we can do as a team next year.

“However, there is still plenty of rugby to be played this season and I’m really pleased to be back fit and in contention. We are all looking forward to the next few weeks and having a strong finish to the current campaign.”

Botham has been one of the standout players for the club in recent seasons but has been blighted by injuries in the current campaign.

He suffered a hamstring injury in the final fixture of pre-season but earned a Six Nations call up following his fine form during the festive period.

However, his time in a Wales shirt was cut short by a knee injury, which has kept him sidelined until now.

Cardiff Rugby head coach Matt Sherratt added: “It’s great to keep Jim at the Arms Park on a new long-term contract.

“He has been unfortunate with injuries this season but he is back fit and available and we are all seeing him back in a Cardiff jersey this season and beyond.

“He is already a key player for us but I have no doubt that he can get even better in our environment.

“What sets Jim apart is his athletic ability and skill set, which is absolutely top class. He is already a capped International and has a huge burning desire to add to that and take his game to the next level.

“He certainly has all the attributes to achieve that and we are looking forward to seeing that over the next few years.”

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