By Simon Thomas It’s been a momentous few weeks in the rugby life of young Sam Costelow. His fine early season form in the BKT United Rugby Championship saw the Scarlets fly-half named in Wales’ squad for the autumn internationals – but that was just the start of it. The late withdrawal of team-mate Leigh […]

By David Williams A Nottingham Forest fan alleged to have been stamped on by former Swansea City striker Oli McBurnie has claimed he was singled out and attacked after telling the star: “You’re s*** at football, I’m better than you.” George Brinkley told Nottingham Magistrates’ Court he genuinely feared for his life after being put […]

By Gareth James Osian Roberts knew Morocco would make an impact at this World Cup – he just didn’t know it would be this huge. The Welshman who was a key part of the Wales set-up as assistant manager when Chris Coleman was in charge, spent three years as Morocco’s technical director before returning to […]

By Paul Jones Warren Gatland insists it’s a good thing that he will collide head-on with the best team in the world when his second stint as Wales coach begins in just 51 days. Under the re-fashioned Gatland era, Wales kick off their Six Nations campaign against Ireland in Cardiff on February 4. Ireland will […]

Warren Gatland wants to operate in a “no excuses environment” after taking up the reins for a second stint as Wales head coach. The New Zealander’s previous spell at the helm between 2007 and 2019 delivered four Six Nations titles, three Grand Slams, two World Cup semi-final appearances and a brief time as rugby union’s world number one team. This time around, though, he takes charge after a year that produced just three victories from 12 starts under Wayne Pivac, which included home defeats against Italy and Georgia.

There were times when Kristian Dacey feared his playing career may be over. The Welsh international hooker admits he found himself in some dark places amid a catalogue of injuries. But, with the help of his family, he soldiered on and is now so glad he did.

Matt Richards closed out the 2022 short course season in record-breaking style as his stunning form continued at the Scottish National Short Course Championships. The 19-year-old claimed a haul of four gold medals, a silver and a Welsh record to boot on another impressive weekend at Glasgow’s Royal Commonwealth Pool. On day one, the Olympic gold medallist triumphed in the 100m freestyle a week on from his British record performance in Sheffield.

Deposed world champion David Smith has admitted his disappointment at losing his boccia crown. The Swansea-based Paralympic champion lost his World Championship title in Rio de Janeiro over the weekend. Smith had to settle for a silver medal in the BC1 class after being well beaten by formidable opponent,  Witsanu Huadpradit of Thailand, who won 5-0 to secure gold.

Dragons coach Dai Flanagan has been handed some welcome headaches as he looks towards the festive derbies. During an extended three week stay in South Africa, he gave game-time to a large group of players and is delighted by the way they all put their hands up. He now faces some tricky selection decisions, first for Saturday’s EPCR Challenge Cup tie at home to Pau and then the back-to-back BKT United Rugby Championship games against rivals Cardiff and the Scarlets over the holiday period. The Dragons returned from South Africa with three Challenge Cup points thanks to a highly creditable 31-31 draw with the Emirates Lions in Johannesburg, having been competitive in URC defeats to the Emirates Lions (33-25) and the DHL

Dewi Lake has enlisted the help of an England World Cup winner to ensure he lands his darts as a line-out thrower. The Ospreys hooker – who could make his comeback from injury against Montpellier in the Heineken Champions Cup this weekend – is taking advice from Simon Hardy, a line-out specialist with Sir Clive Woodward’s all-conquering World Cup winning side of 2003. Lake, who has been transformed from a No.8 to an all-action hooker in the professional ranks, has been having one-to-one coaching with Hardy at the Ospreys.

Russell Martin claimed Norwich City’s players apologised for leaving with all three points after their 1-0 victory. It was a strange revelation, given that the Canaries scored the only goal of the game and for the most part dealt quite comfortably with what the Swans could throw at them. Martin’s side had 65 per cent possession and attempted 17 shots, but as Spain have found to their cost in the World Cup, statistics – particularly those around possession and passing – do no not always equate to an ability to win matches or even score.

Cardiff laid down a statement of intent as they go in search of their third EPCR Challenge Cup title, with a resounding seven-try, 41-0 win against Brive in their opening game at Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday. “We would have settled for that before the game. But the nil is just as pleasing as the seven tries,” said  director of rugby Dai Young. Kristian Dacey, with two, and returning Wales wing Josh Adams scored first-half tries.

Cardiff City manager Mark Hudson has heaped praise on young striker Kion Etete after his role in the Bluebirds’ 2-2 draw at Stoke City. The 21-year-old – who moved to Cardiff from Cheltenham in the summer for £500,000 – came on as a second-half substitute when Hudson’ side were 2-1 down. Within two minutes, Callum Robson had scored the equaliser for Cardiff who resumed their Championship campaign by avoiding a third successive defeat.

Joe Allen is fit and available for Swansea City, despite claims by head coach Russell Martin that his midfielder played too many minutes against England at the World Cup. The Wales star returned from Qatar having suffered more hamstring problems during the final group stage game, where he played 81 minutes before being substituted. Allen had gone to the tournament with major doubts over his fitness, but managed to recover sufficiently to come on and play 13 minutes in the second match against Iran.

Joe Hawkins has been tipped by his coach Toby Booth and teammate Max Nagy to help turn around the Ospreys’ fortunes when they welcome the English Champions, Leicester Tigers, to the Swansea.com Stadium on Sunday.  Hawkins made his senior international debut for Wales last month in the agonising 39-34 loss to Australia.  Now, the 20-year-old inside centre has been tipped to revive the Ospreys in a tough Heineken Champions Cup opener, which is live on S4C. 

By Matthew Burgess The Cardiff Devils (13-5-2) could be without up to four players for Saturday’s visit of the Belfast Giants (12-7-0). Brodie Dupont’s team are seeking their first victory of the season against the defending Elite League champions. However, they will require a bounceback performance following a Challenge Cup setback against the Sheffield Steelers […]

Cardiff scrum-half Lloyd Williams will reach a major landmark this weekend when he plays his 250th game for the team he joined 12 years ago. It was way back in March 2010 that Williams made his debut for Cardiff Rugby. Now, he is set to make a landmark appearance for the BKT United Rugby Championship outfit when they take on French club Brive in the EPCR Challenge Cup at the Arms Park on Saturday. Only retired prop Taufa’ao Filise has played more games for the region and the 32-times capped Williams is within sight of the Tongan’s record tally of 255.

Rising young Welsh stars Awen Gwilym Davies and Niall Pickerd-Barua are set to play in the renowned Junior Orange Bowl Championship in the USA – dubbed the “unofficial World Championships” for players aged 14 and under. The two 12-year-olds, both from Cardiff, will test their progress at the Coral Gables in Florida when the tournament begins on Sunday. The iconic event brings together around 800 of the top-ranked players from 76 countries across the globe. Originally founded in 1945, the calibre of competition provides many players with their first taste of international competition.

Rubin Colwill will go straight from the World Cup finals to a tough-looking Championship match for Cardiff City away to Stoke City on Saturday. Bluebirds manager Mark Hudson has confirmed that Colwill is available for the club’s resumption of their campaign, despite having spent the past month with Wales at the tournament in Qatar as well as the build-up. Colwill only played nine minutes at the tournament, when he came on as a substitute during the late stages of the 3-0 defeat to England.

Football in Wales is set to go ahead on the day of the King’s coronation on May 6. The Football Association of Wales cancelled all fixtures on the weekend following the death of the Queen in September, receiving criticism in particular for the decision to prevent children from playing by postponing youth-team matches. But there will be no repeat when Charles is crowned at Westminster Abbey, with the JD Cymru Premier play-offs to determine European qualification among the fixtures due to take place in Wales that day.