Cardiff City striker Callum Robinson is convinced the Republic of Ireland are heading in the right direction despite their disappointing Euro 2024 qualifying campaign. Ireland will not be in Germany for next summer’s finals – barring an unlikely series of results elsewhere which could hand them a second chance via the play-offs – after taking just six points from their first seven Group B fixtures, with just a tough trip to the Netherlands next month to come.

Fresh from their recent World Championship exertions in Antwerp, Welsh gymnasts Ruby Evans and Poppy-Grace Stickler were back in action over the weekend – and helped inspire Clwb Cymru Caerdydd to an historic British club triumph. The Great Britain pair, along with team mates Mali Morgan, Evie Flage-Donovan and Ellie Lewis, were crowned Women’s Artistic British Team champions in Stoke-on-Trent yesterday.

Welsh jockey Richard Patrick is celebrating a home success after winning the DragonBet Welsh Champion Hurdle on board Nemean Lion at Ffos Las. On a weekend when there was contrasting fortunes for Wales’ national rugby and football teams, Patrick tilted the balance in home nation favour on Sunday by winning the country’s biggest jump race after the Welsh Grand National.

March 27th, 2010. It was a clear, bright South Wales afternoon and the most galactic of ‘Galacticos’ Ospreys sides had arrived in Newport to take on the Dragons. The starting XV reads like a fantasy draft: a Jerry Collins-Marty Holah-Ryan Jones back-row; Jonathan Thomas and Ian Evans in the second-row boiler room; a Welsh international front-row of Paul James, Huw Bennett and Adam Jones; and behind the scrum, the likes of Mike Phillips, Tommy Bowe, James Hook and Lee Byrne.

David Brooks is determined to shine at a major tournament for Wales after suffering finals disappointment in the past. Wales put automatic qualification for Euro 2024 in their own hands by beating Croatia 2-1 on Sunday as Brooks made his first international start since June 2021.

Wales’ two-goal hero Harry Wilson has repeated the claims of his captain and teammate Ben Davies that comments from FAW chief Noel Mooney were “not helpful” prior to their stunning Euro 2024 victory over Croatia. Wilson celebrated his 50th cap with a brilliant double as Wales boosted their Euro 2024 automatic qualification hopes with a 2-1 win in Cardiff.

Emotional former Newport forward Simon Raiwalui was proud that his Fiji players were still fighting to the very end of their World Cup campaign and thought they had laid the foundation for a bright future for the island nation in the 15-man game. The Fijians went down 30-24 to England in their quarter-final at the Velodrome on Sunday, coming up short in their pursuit of a try that would have given them a stunning last-gasp upset.

Rob Page welcomed Wales putting automatic qualification for Euro 2024 in their own hands after admitting he had been “fighting fires” before the stunning 2-1 victory over Croatia. Harry Wilson, winning his 50th cap, scored twice as Wales climbed above the 2022 World Cup semi-finalists in to second place in Group D.

Dan Biggar feels that the future is bright for Wales after his Test career drew to a close despite the agonising Rugby World Cup exit. The Wales fly-half bowed out at Stade Velodrome as hopes of reaching a third World Cup semi-final in the last four tournaments were ended by Argentina.

Wales wing Josh Adams believes that World Cup co-captains Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake will be “massive figureheads” during the build-up to Australia 2027. The dust has yet to on Wales’ World Cup campaign in France, which was ended by quarter-final opponents Argentina.

Wales captain Ben Davies has told the boss of the Football Association of Wales to zip it over the future of manager Rob Page. Davies and his squad are fuming that Football Association of Wales chief executive Noel Mooney has undermined Page on the eve of their crunch Euro 2024 qualifier at home to Croatia on Sunday night. Tottenham defender Davies had wanted all the focus to be on how Wales were going to beat the Croatians for the first time in seven attempts to keep alive their hopes of automatic qualification for the finals in Germany.

Warren Gatland had opened the debate over his future as Wales coach by claiming: “If the union want to get rid of me, then they’re completely entitled to do that. That’s up to them.” Gatland is raking over the ashes of Wales’ 29-17 defeat to Argentina in their Marseille World Cup quarter-final. His deal with the Welsh Rugby Union contains a break clause to allow for a review after this tournament, but if he is given the green light to continue his contract would run on until the next tournament in 2027.

Wales fly-half Dan Biggar will banish any thoughts of Test rugby retirement when he lines up in Saturday’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Argentina. The 33-year-old wins his 112th cap at Stade Velodrome – and it will be a final Wales appearance if Argentina triumph.

Ben Davies has urged Wales to summon up the spirit of reaching the World Cup to beat Croatia and keep their European Championship qualification hopes alive. Turkey’s shock win in Croatia on Thursday night damaged Welsh prospects of claiming a top-two place in Group D.

The Rugby World Cup quarter-finals kick off with a banger in Marseille, as Wales meet Argentina for the right to face either Ireland or New Zealand in Saint-Denis in the last four. Wales have yet to put a foot wrong in France, qualifying out of Pool C with 19 points and four wins in four matches, rounding off the first stage of the competition with a 43-19 win over Georgia in Nantes last Saturday.

Wales striker Nathan Broadhead plans to keep on scoring for club and country after being lifted by the presence of Ed Sheeran in the Ipswich dressing room. Ipswich fan Sheeran served pints to supporters at the recent Sky Bet Championship game with Hull at Portman Road before going into the home dressing room to celebrate the high-flying Tractor Boys’ 3-0 victory.

Gary Carlisle is a man on a mission at Whitchurch Hockey Club and is not afraid to spell it out. “If I can get one of our teams – men’s or women’s – eventually up into the National League, then I have done my job,” says the club’s recently appointed director of hockey. That’s a tough assignment, given that Whitchurch men’s first team currently play in the competitive second tier West Regional Premiership and the women’s firsts – known as Whitchurch Saints – are in Premier 1 of the South Wales Women’s League.

New Wales cap Regan Poole admits he owes much to Manchester United after making his international debut on Wednesday night. Defender Poole seemed destined for stardom in 2015 after leaving Newport aged 17, on the same day United made Anthony Martial football’s most expensive teenager.

The DragonBet Welsh Champion Hurdle will take centre stage at Ffos Las on Sunday as the climax of three days’ racing across Wales. The £50,000 race – which forms part of Gentlemen’s Day at the course – will celebrate its 102nd running, the culmination of the return of the jump season after two days of meetings at Chepstow.

Cardiff Met student and professional cricketer Bhavya Doshi has arrived in Wales, just as the eyes of the cricket world are focussed on his home nation of India. As the hosts prepare to take on Pakistan, this is how he’s coping with missing out on the party.