Amman Valley rugby star Jac Morgan has said he relishing the opportunity to co-captain Wales at the Rugby World Cup with fellow forward Dewi Lake.

In the Six Nations Under 20s Championship 2019-20 he captained Wales and achieved more turnovers than any other player in that tournament.

He was called up to the senior Wales squad for the 2022 Six Nations Championship and made his senior Wales debut on 12 February 2022 in the 20-17 victory over Scotland.

Morgan was controversially dropped by Wales coach Wayne Pivac, ahead of the 2022 tour of South Africa, but consistent performances for the Ospreys saw him recalled to the Welsh squad for the 2022 end-of-year internationals.

He scored four tries in two matches, gaining plaudits from the press despite an overall poor series for the side, and retained his place in the Welsh squad for the 2023 Six Nations.

The 23-year-old Ospreys flanker, from Brynamman, led Wales in two of their three World Cup warm-up Tests, and will share the responsibility with hooker Dewi Lake who captained Wales in the second warm-up match.

Morgan, from Brynamman, said: "There are loads of experienced players in the squad. There are plenty of leaders in the squad who say their opinion and get stuff going.

"Dewi is great as a captain. He captained the (Wales) Under-20s. When something needs to be said, he will say it.

"I would never have thought this would have happened four years ago. It is great to be here with Dewi."

The Ospreys forwards will lead a squad that includes recent international newcomers in wing Rio Dyer, centre Mason Grady and prop Corey Domachowski.

But there is no place for scrum-half Kieran Hardy, from Pontyberem, with Wales head coach Warren Gatland deciding to select just two nines in Tomos Williams and Gareth Davies.

On appointing Morgan and Lake as co-captains, Gatland added: "They complement each other well. They are good mates as well.

"It is a good opportunity and something I have never done before. Both of them have a big future ahead of them."

Gatland has chosen a split of 14 backs and 19 forwards for the tournament, with Fiji looming as opening opponents in Bordeaux on September 10.

Fly-half Gareth Anscombe and number eight Taulupe Faletau have won Gatland's vote in the final 33-strong group despite not featuring during Wales' three-game August schedule due to injuries.

And he has named Lake, who is currently recovering from a knee injury, and his fellow hooker Ryan Elias (hamstring), plus lock Dafydd Jenkins (knee), who at 20 is the squad's youngest player.

Centre George North, meanwhile, will head to his fourth World Cup, putting himself in illustrious company alongside the likes of Jonny Wilkinson, Brian O'Driscoll, Dan Carter and Richie McCaw.

North and his midfield colleague Grady can also provide wing cover, with Gatland opting for five back-three players Liam Williams, Leigh Halfpenny, Louis Rees-Zammit, Josh Adams and Dyer.

Also heading to France are Scarlets centre Johnny Williams, who watched the last World Cup four years ago from a hospital bed while he was treated for testicular cancer, Scarlets fly-half Sam Costelow and former England prop Henry Thomas.

Thomas, whose father is from Swansea, won seven England caps in 2013 and 2014, but new World Rugby regulations enable players to appear for another country either of their birth, parent or grandparent provided a minimum three-year period has elapsed since last being selected elsewhere.

Other players from Gatland's training group who did not make the final squad include Ospreys wing Alex Cuthbert, Gloucester centre Max Llewellyn, Cardiff prop Keiron Assiratti, Ospreys lock Rhys Davies and Scarlets back-row forward Taine Plumtree.

Gatland said: "The toughest part of the job is always selection and this is particularly the case when it comes to picking a Rugby World Cup squad.

"Over the past three months the whole group of 48 players in the wider training squad have been outstanding in terms of attitude and effort, so having to reduce the squad down to the final 33 has been really hard.

"There have been some close final decisions in the last 36 hours.

"But we can only take 33 players and those we have selected we think offer a good combination in terms of talent and experience.

"We have a few more training sessions here in Wales before we depart for France on September 3 and we cannot wait to get out there and get started in this tournament. We look forward to what lies ahead for this group.

"This will be a very proud moment for these players, their families and friends and I would like to congratulate them all on the achievement."