Jack Simpson, the former Cardiff City defender, has been handed a six-game ban and an £8,000 fine by the FA after admitting directing a racial slur towards team-mate Rohan Luthra. Simpson committed the offence during a pre-season tour of Portugal with Cardiff in July.

Life after Gareth Bale initially appeared bleak for Wales, but Rob Page’s men have the chance of a third consecutive appearance at the European Championship in their own hands after a remarkable turnaround in Euro 2024 qualifying. Page’s job was reportedly in danger after a damaging 4-2 home defeat to Armenia was followed by a 2-0 loss away to Turkey in June.

Harry Wilson admits the onus was on him to step out of Gareth Bale’s shadow and keep Wales on track for major tournaments. Boss Rob Page revealed recently he spoke to Wilson last summer and told him he was no longer simply a squad member and that he is a “big player” for Wales.

Dai Sport contributor Simon Thomas explains the background to his new book ‘Rugby Lives’. It all started with a question that kept on popping up in my head: “I wonder what happened to so and so?” Now the identity of “so and so” would change from week to week and month to month, but there was a common thread.

Having spent a World Cup campaign of highs and lows vying with Elliot Dee and Ryan Elias for the Wales hooking berth, Dewi Lake is now ready to resume battle with his rivals on the URC stage. This Saturday, he travels to Rodney Parade with the Ospreys for a derby clash against Dee’s Dragons and then, eight days later, it will be a home encounter with Elias’ Scarlets.

The great debate about who should be in at No 10 for Wales is raging once again following the retirement of Dan Biggar. Not only that, Gareth Anscombe is unavailable to Warren Gatland for the Six Nations because of his club commitments in Japan, Sam Costelow and Owen Williams are both currently injured and Jarrod Evans is ineligible following his switch to Harlequins.

Marc Guehi is aiming to be England’s ‘Steady Eddie’ after overcoming doubts during a loan stint at Swansea City to become a regular in Gareth Southgate’s squad. The Crystal Palace centre-back, 23, has seven senior caps and has featured in three of the previous four games ahead of the final Euro 2024 qualification double-header against Malta and North Macedonia.

National coach Josh Morgan believes a healthy medal tally from the Home Nations International tournament proves the future strength of Welsh table tennis will extend beyond Anna Hursey. In a week where 17-year-old Hursey broke into the top 100 women players in the world, other Welsh youngsters underlined their protentional in Bangor at the weekend.

The Welsh Rugby Union was an “unforgiving, even vindictive” environment to work in for some of its employees. Witnesses interviewed as part of Dame Anne Rafferty’s review of the union reported feelings of powerlessness and fear, with the WRU described in the review’s report as an organisation which was “unsure on its feet”.

The Welsh Rugby Union have pledged to let someone else mark their homework as a result of disastrous failings in the governing body. Of the 36 recommendations made in a damning independent report – all of which the WRU says they will implement – the most significant is the agreement to hand over ultimate judgement on how it operates to an independent body.

Wales midfielder Jordan James is targeting Euro 2024 qualification after enjoying the “best night of my life” against stellar Croatia trio Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic and Marcelo Brozovic. Croatia have often carried the tag of having the best midfield in world football, but they had few answers in Cardiff last month as Wales beat them 2-1 to keep hopes of playing at Euro 2024 alive.

Wales’ European Championships qualification fate is set to be determined over the next few days, so here’s a reminder of the state of play. The last group stage fixtures from the Euro 2024 qualifiers are set to be played across the coming days, though some nations have already booked their place at the tournament in Germany next summer.

Ben Davies insists Wales are determined to prove the doubters wrong by making Euro 2024 and reaching a fourth major tournament in five attempts. Wales are preparing for decisive Euro 2024 ties against Armenia and Turkey knowing qualification for next summer’s finals is in their own hands.

The Dragons have confirmed that former head coach Paul Turner will be returning to the region in a consultancy capacity to work alongside Dai Flanagan and his coaching team. Turner – who previously worked at the club between 2005 and 2011 – is joining the ‘Men of Gwent’ on a part-time basis.

It took 18 penalties before Flint Town United were able to clinch their place in the fourth round of the JD Welsh Cup as they eventually won 8-7 in the shoot-out after their game at Bangor 1876 ended 1-1 in regulation time. But it took 67 minutes before the first goal of the game came along, Elliott Reeves firing the Silkmen ahead.

It’s a long way from a muddy November cross country on Llandaff Fields to the start of an Olympic marathon on an August morning in the centre of Paris. But Dewi Griffiths hopes his latest outing at Saturday’s Cardiff Cross Challenge will be another step on the journey towards realising his Olympic dream next summer.

Erol Bulut accused Cardiff City of lacking fight as they succumbed to a 3-2 home defeat to Norwich City that dropped the Bluebirds down to ninth in the Championship table. Defeat was Cardiff’s first in four matches, and Bulut slammed his players for their shoddy set-piece defending against the Carrow Road outfit.

Michael Duff blamed his players for “a mad 15 minutes” as they lost for the third time in five matches to drop to 17th in the Championship table. The Swans head coach pointed the finger at poor defending from set-pieces as they went down 3-2 at high-flying Ipswich Town.

It was a weekend to forget for the Welsh regions, with all four teams losing at home in the United Rugby Championship – but it could have been such a different story. Both the Scarlets and Ospreys were leading with less than five minutes to go against the Emirates Lions and Glasgow Warriors respectively, only to concede late scores.

Harry Wilson is filling the biggest boots in Welsh football – those once worn by Gareth Bale. It’s a huge claim to make, but Wales manager Rob Page is better-placed than most to gauge the influence of Wilson on his team since Bale opted mainly for the footwear of the fairways.