The man who once bit off more than he could chew in South Africa reckons Wales can take a chunk out of the Springboks this weekend Scott Baldwin has the enviable record of a 66 per cent success rate against the Boks, with two wins and a narrow four-point defeat in three matches against them for Wales. He memorably came off slightly worse against the country’s wildlife in 2017 when he put his hand too close to a lion at Bloemfontein Zoo and ended up needing surgery, but against the country’s rugby players, Baldwin is very much up on the deal with his digits all intact.

By David Williams Leicester Tigers flanker Tommy Reffell is set to make his Welsh senior team debut against South Africa on Saturday’s Test series opener at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium. Bridgend-born Reffell, who helped Tigers win this season’s Gallagher Premiership title at Twickenham, will line up in Pretoria alongside back-row colleagues Dan Lydiate and Taulupe […]

A record turnout in the disability event and two Anglesey golfers winning the chance to play at St Andrew’s in the week of the 150th Open Championship were the highlights of the Wales Golf Festival. Dion Lewis and Wyn Thomas of Baron Hill Golf Club won through in the R&A 9-Hole Challenge, with the remarkable prize taking them the to Home of Golf next month to represent Wales in the finals against players from England, Scotland, Ireland Australia and New Zealand.

There have been some seriously dark times in the rich, turbulent history that is Welsh rugby. You only have to recall the countless thrashings by New Zealand – some of which are too painful to remember without feeling embarrassed – but South Africa dished out the worst beating on June 27, 1998. In the last passage of play, replacement Springbok hooker Naka Drotske dropped a pass near the try line, which saved Wales from the humiliation of having 100 points scored against them.

Ospreys head coach Toby Booth insists he is looking forward to his team testing themselves against the best after their daunting draw for next season’s Heineken Champions Cup. The region’s reward for winning the Welsh Shield in the URC is a Heineken Champions Cup draw against French champions Montpellier and English champions Leicester Tigers. The draws for both the Champions Cup and the European Challenge Cup were made in Dublin, venue for both finals on 19 and 20 May next year, and included for the first time five teams from South Africa.

Gemma Grainger insisted Wales had taken some plus points from their draw with New Zealand in Spain, even if they came away with no goals. The Wales manager watched her team draw 0-0 in a friendly in Pinatar in their last game before their crucial World Cup qualifiers in September. Grainger’s squad are continuing preparations ahead of the final two qualifiers against Greece and Slovenia, where victories can guarantee a play-off place for the tournament.

Four Welsh athletes have been named as part of an initial Great Britain team of 64 heading for next month’s World Athletics Championships in Oregon. Melissa Courtney-Bryant, Jeremiah Azu and Joe Brier have joined marathon runner Josh Griffiths, whose selection had already been announced. A further group of athletes have been nominated for selection via a top 32 Road to Oregon qualification position and have been informed.

David Eaton set himself the goal of competing for Wales at the Commonwealth Games when he was 13 years old. It was the summer of 1994 and he was sat in front of the television at his grandparents’ house in North Wales. It was a goal the gymnast would go on to achieve – and a lot more besides.

By Rob Carbon Tomas Francis is back in full training and in line to play for Wales against the world champion Springboks in Pretoria on Saturday (2 July). The Ospreys tight head prop had been struggling with a back problem, forcing Scarlets rookie Harri O’Connor to be added to the 33-man tour party as extra […]

By David Williams Wales captain Sophie Ingle admits she is a “little bit” envious of Chelsea teammates preparing for Euro 2022 and who are keeping a low profile on the squad’s WhatsApp group. Midfielder Ingle has played a key role in Chelsea’s success under Emma Hayes in recent years, winning the Women’s Super League title […]

Dragons chairman David Buttress – the man who launched Just Eat in the UK – reckons he has just listened. Buttress insists he took soundings from Dragons supporters as part of an exhaustive 10-month process surrounding the identity of the Gwent regional side. A new club crest, name and slogan was officially unveiled for the first time at Rodney Parade with the club now being known as Dragons RFC.

By Owen Morgan Adele Nicoll and Bethan Davies delivered a golden double at the Muller UK Athletics Championship in Manchester on Sunday morning. At the same time as Nicoll was claiming shot put gold with a massive new personal best in the field, Davies was marching to a dramatic win on the track in the […]

Elfyn Evans kicked up clouds the fine dust – or “fesh-fesh” as it’s called in Kenya – to finish second on the Safari Rally and help his Toyota team score a crushing 1-2-3-4 finish on the toughest round of the FIA World Rally Championship. Evans had set fastest time on both passes of the Soysambu stage that opened Saturday’s loop to keep himself within 16 seconds of team-mate Kalle Rovanperä, but lost time – and ultimately the chance of victory – on the day’s final two wet and muddy stages because of an issue cleaning the windscreen.

Wales coach Wayne Pivac admits his men are on a mission to restore lost pride when they face the daunting challenge of South Africa this week. The tourists will meet the world champions with faces still red after Wales’ 22-21 defeat to Italy in their last match of the Six Nations. “I hope we are going to be a lot better than our last game,” pledged Pivac.

By Daniel Parker A rare note of cautious optimism chimed around Rodney Parade with the appointment of Dai Flanagan as Dragons head coach. Flanagan – a former Pontypridd and Cardiff Blues fly-half who hails from the Gwent-Glamorgan frontier in the Rhymney Valley – will take on day-to-day managerial duties from hereon in, with Dean Ryan […]

Gareth Bale has told Los Angeles FC he will see them soon in a message posted as it was announced the Wales captain is joining the Major League Soccer club. After weeks of speculation – that included the always seemingly unlikely idea that he might move from Real Madrid to play in the Championship for Cardiff City – Bale has opted to play in the United States as he prepares to lead Wales into the World Cup in Qatar later this year. The five-time Champions League winner is soon to be a free agent and is looking for a new club ahead of playing for Wales at the World Cup , which starts in November.

Jeremiah Azu says he wants to change British sprinting forever after winning the Muller UK Athletics Championships 100m title in the fastest time ever run by a Welshman. Cardiff’s reigning under-23 champion blasted to a remarkable wind-assisted time of 9.90 to win the final in impressive style.

Glamorgan’s Colin Ingram admitted his team were disappointed at losing a seven-over bash against Somerset which leaves the Welsh county as outsiders to make the T20 Blast knockout stages. Glamorgan were denied a win in their final home match of the season in a hectic, rain-affected fixture. The match was reduced to just seven overs a side, with Glamorgan losing by 16 runs.

Hannah Brier became Wales’s fastest woman in history with a blistering 100m run at the Muller UK Athletics Championships in Manchester on Friday night. The Swansea Harrier had previously jointly held the Welsh record of 11.39 with Sallyane Short and Elaine O’Neill.

As the soft, summer rain fell, barely three miles from where Phil Bennett helped Llanelli famously beat New Zealand 9-3 at Stradey Park 50 years ago, family, friends, players past and present, coaches and rugby supporters gathered at Parc y Scarlets to honour his legacy. Bennett was described as “a great gentleman and a great rugby player” as giants of the sport from Wales and beyond united in tribute to him at a remembrance service at the stadium. Bennett, who died earlier this month after a long illness at the age of 73, captained Wales and the British and Irish Lions.