Yannick Bolasie could play his final match for Swansea City when they club take on Premier League Bournemouth in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Thursday night. Bolasie’ short-term contract with the club expires this weekend and although head coach Luke Williams is keen to keep hold of the 34-year-old former Crystal Palace and Everton star, tight finances and other irons in the fire for Bolasie mean that may not happen.

Wales have been warned a new sense of harmony can bring Scotland their first win in Cardiff for 22 years when the Six Nations kicks-off next week. Scotland’s Finn Russell believes his appointment as co-captain is testament to the newfound rapport between he and head coach Gregor Townsend following a fractious past.

Dafydd Jenkins believes it’s no bad thing that Wales have been written off by many as Six Nations no-hopers. Wales are no better than fifth favourites with most bookmakers for the tournament that starts next week, but the new skipper is unconcerned.

Former Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins has pinpointed a stable financial position as his top priority at Newport County, having completed a majority takeover of the club. The 60-year-old has purchased 52 per cent of the club from the Supporters’ Trust after a new ownership model was approved in September.

After a record year in 2023, The Hundred will return to Cardiff in 2024 with Welsh Fire captain Tammy Beaumont determined to build on last year’s progress in the women’s tournament. Cardiff will host its first game on Sunday 28 July, with both the Fire men’s and women’s teams kicking off their competition against Oval Invincibles.

Luke Littler will make his Premier League debut against Luke Humphries in a rematch of their World Championship final in Cardiff next week. The 17-year-old headlines the opening night of the weekly competition against the man who beat him in the showpiece at Alexandra Palace at the start of the month.

Wales will kick off their 2024 fixtures with a friendly against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin. The game, which will take place at Shamrock Rovers’ Tallaght Stadium, will kick off at 7:30pm on Tuesday 27th February and start Wales’ preparations for the upcoming UEFA Women’s European 2025 qualifying campaign.

Warren Gatland has paid new Wales captain Dafydd Jenkins a major compliment by saying he expects to see him “in the mould of Alun Wyn Jones”. Jenkins has won many admirers through his captaincy of Exeter Chiefs, with the Gallagher Premiership club in title contention and progressing to the Investec Champions Cup knockout phase.

Harri Ackerman has been named captain of Wales U20s for their Six Nations campaign by head coach Richard Whiffin. Dragons centre Ackerman will lead a 37-man squad as clubmate and flanker Ryan Woodman has been ruled out with a broken thumb.

Alfie Tuck doesn’t just want to walk the walk on the pitch for Wales, he wants to talk the talk off it, too. The 17-year-old QPR midfielder is taking weekly Welsh lessons in a bid to immerse himself in the nation’s culture.

Warren Gatland believes Wales can make a virtue out of a Six Nations squad that is young, raw and still wet behind the ears. The Wales coach reckons the boldness of youth and Welsh players’ earlier exposure to Test rugby than their rivals can all reap rewards in the tournament that begins next week.

In the battle between master and apprentice, new Swansea City head coach Luke Williams – Russell Martin’s former assistant at the Swans – knows he still has some lessons to learn. Jamie Paterson scored for the Swans against Southampton and also struck the post but the home side still lost 3-1 to a dominant Saints.

Dragons coach Dai Flanagan admitted his team had missed a real opportunity as a slump in home form saw them slide out of Europe. The Dragons were unable to make it four wins in a row at Rodney Parade as they conceded five tries in a 29-9 defeat to the Sharks that saw them crash out of the EPCR Challenge Cup.

Seb Palmer-Houlden got in the groove as Newport County warmed up for next week’s FA Cup visit of Manchester United with a hard-fought 1-0 win over 10-man Wrexham. In an all-Welsh battle at a packed Rodney Parade, the visitors had defender Will Boyle sent off for a wild challenge on Shane McLoughlin in the 18th minute and County used their numerical advantage to great effect.

An injury to George North – and therefore a big scare for Wales – was the price paid by Toby Booth’s Ospreys after they won for the first time on South African soil against one of the ‘big four’ provinces. The Swansea region bagged a home game in the Round of 16 in the EPCR Challenge Cup with a stunning 38-28 win over the Lions in Johannesburg.

Wales trio Rupert Shipperley, Jacob Draper and Sarah Jones can start preparing for the Olympic Games this summer after Great Britain men’s and women’s teams secured their places in Paris. Welsh star Jones was at the heart of the GB women’s effort – scoring first as the team beat Ireland in the FIH qualifiers bronze-medal match in Valencia. Great Britain’s men – with Team Wales Commonwealth Games stalwarts Shipperley and Draper in their ranks – then overcame New Zealansd, 3-1, in their qualifier in Oman to clinch their own spot in Paris.

Stevie Williams has described his triumph at the Tour Down Under in Australia as “simply perfect”. The Welshman won the last stage in Adelaide to confirm his victory in the overall title. “To kick off the season with the team’s first overall tour win, and our maiden victory in a top-tier stage race is nothing short of marvelous. It’s simply perfect,” said Williams, who rides for Israel-Premier Tech.

Russell Martin gave further proof he is a manager heading for higher things with a convincing and record-breaking victory at his former club, Swansea City. But the former Swans head coach says Southampton’s new unbeaten club record will not carry as much importance if the Saints do not return to the Premier League. Southampton broke a 103-year-old club record on Saturday by extending their unbeaten run to 21 games with a 3-1 victory at Martin’s old club.

On the day rugby superstar Louis Rees-Zammit jetted off to Florida in pursuit of his American football dream, two Welsh track and field athletes continued to take the world of bobsleigh by storm. Reigning British shot put champion Adele Nicoll and Welsh international sprinter Kya Placide teamed-up to win British Bobsleigh’s first Europa Cup gold medal for seven seasons with success in St Moritz on Friday morning. They took top spot for the first time in their bobsleigh careers less than 24 hours after Nicoll secured silver in the monobob event at the same venue.

Cardiff Rugby bowed out of the Investec Champions Cup staying true to the style that has won them plenty of pats on the back this season, yet has failed to earn them a victory. Their 48-26 defeat to Top14 leaders Racing 92 at La Defense Arena in Paris was full of flair, effort and tries but in the end it was a chance lost to reach either the Round of 16 in the Champions Cup or Challenge Cup. Outscored by seven tries to four, Cardiff ended bottom of their pool with a -113 points difference having conceded 28 tries in their four fixtures.