Gareth Bale joked he would be delaying his retirement “for a little bit” after he fired Wales to their first World Cup in 64 years on Sunday night. Speculation had been rife that the Real Madrid star – who is set to become a free agent at the end of the month when his deal at the Bernabeu expires – would retire if Wales had failed to qualify for yet another World Cup. But the 32-year-old stepped up when his country needed him most to fire in the free-kick that was deflected past Ukraine goalkeeper Heorhiy Bushchan to make history.

The eyes of the world will be watching as Wales take on Ukraine in the World Cup play-off final at the Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday evening in a bid to secure a place in Qatar in November. It is set to be an emotional night for both teams, as Wales will be on the hunt to end decades of hurt after missing out on previous World Cups since 1958. Meanwhile, Ukraine will also be vying for a place in their second finals – their first was in 2006 – after three months of war with Russia, so it will be an inspirational occasion for the country should they qualify.

Joe Cordina claimed the IBF super-featherweight title in his home town of Cardiff with a one-punch, second-round knockout to unseat Japan’s Kenichi Ogawa. Welsh favourite Cordina thrilled the Motorpoint Arena crowd with a devastating right-hand finish, to storm to his first world title. The 30-year-old underwent major hand surgery in 2019, raising concerns on his potential future punching power.

Joe Rodon says he has taken a leaf out of Gareth Bale’s book and not “cried” over his club situation as the pair bid to take Wales to the World Cup. Like Bale at Real Madrid, Rodon has been under-employed by his club this season – making just 10 appearances for Tottenham Hotspur and only three in the Premier League. But the duo will be key pillars at either end of the pitch for Wales against Ukraine on Sunday in the World Cup play-off showdown at Cardiff City Stadium,  a gigantic match that is live on S4C.

Wales defender Ben Davies has praised Ukraine star Oleksandr Zinchenko as “a stand-out man” for the way he has conducted himself in the media ahead of Sunday’s emotionally-charged World Cup play-off final. The eyes of the world will be on Cardiff City Stadium to see if Ukraine’s national football team can pull off a win that would lift a country that has been at war since Russia’s invasion in February. A tearful Zinchenko spoke from the heart ahead of Ukraine’s 3-1 play-off semi-final victory over Scotland on Wednesday, detailing what it would mean for his country if they qualify for the World Cup in Qatar later this year.

By Owen Morgan The publication of the FAW’s recent research into the popularity of football has re-ignited the age old argument – what is Wales’ national sport? While the heavyweights of rugby and football battle it out for a title which is unlikely to ever be undisputed, here’s a gentle reminder that there are plenty […]

By Gareth James Wales’ World Cup play-off opponents Ukraine deserve “cheer and encouragement” following their 3-1 win in Wednesday night’s 3-1 play-of semi-final win against Scotland. That’s the view of Craig Brown, the last manager to take Scotland’s national men’s team to a World Cup finals. The Ukrainian team had not played a competitive match […]

Hugh Morris, Gareth Bale and Brynmor Williams were Welsh sports stars given awards in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list. Glamorgan chief executive Morris was awarded an MBE for services to cricket and charity, while Wales captain Bale had the same honour for services to football and charity. Williams, a former Wales and Lions scrum-half, was also recognised for his charity work as well as achievements in rugby.

By Paul Jones Wales boss Robert Page admitted his team selection for their opening Nations League game in Poland was influenced by Sunday’s World Cup play-off final. Skipper Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey, Ben Davies and Joe Allen were all rested as Wales slid to a 2-1 defeat in Wroclaw – their first loss for nearly […]

Ukrainian refugee Svetlana Osiptsova will be guest of honour at Ffos Las Racecourse this week – in recognition of her incredible story of courage and solidarity with those in her homeland. The speech therapist and her 16-year-old daughter Sofia are among the more than 1,100 Ukranians who have fled the war and settled in Wales since March. Leaving behind her husband, Alexander – an ambulanceman – in their home city of Mykolaiv, Svetlana and Sofia arrived in Wales on April 11.

Welsh golfers made it a clean sweep of the major prizes in a strong field at the Welsh Open Youths (Mixed) at Porthmadog. Alex James, Royal Lytham and St Anne’s, won the event as part of an all-Welsh top three, while Wales international Izzy Hopkins, Bristol and Clifton, finished as the top female.

By Carl Field The 2022 Welsh Rhythmic Championships take centre stage at Sport Wales National Centre in Cardiff this weekend as Commonwealth Games selection draws ever closer. In two days of action across the various age groups in the Open and Closed categories, it will also be the last chance for the Team Wales contenders […]

By Stuart Taylor As the latest dust covering settles on another pathetic domestic season, many feel it will take more than a symbolic spring clean to solve the structural issues that continue to trouble Welsh rugby. After years of failing to maintain the upkeep of Welsh rugby, independent consultants Oakwell Sports Advisory were commissioned to […]

Rob Page has been heralded as a national hero as he stands just one game away from taking Wales to the World Cup finals for the first time since 1958. Page and his team – who will face Poland on Wednesday night at the Tarczynski Arena in Wroclaw – would be immortalised forever in Welsh history if they qualify for the World Cup in their next game against either Scotland or Ukraine on Sunday. But first they have a warm-up date with a tricky Poland side in the Nations League – opponents stacked with world class talent, who have already qualified for Qatar after beating Sweden 2-0 in their play-off final.

By Paul Jones Steven Naismith wants Scotland to embrace the prospect of “making more history” when they face Ukraine on Wednesday night. The Scots’ qualification for the delayed 2020 European Championship saw them take part in their first major tournament since the 1998 World Cup in France. Now, if they overcome Ukraine in a World […]

By Rob Cole Poppy Stickler is undergoing a pretty nerve-wracking summer with GCSE exams and Commonwealth Games selection battling for top billing in her life. The Whitchurch HS international gymnast doesn’t have long to wait to see if she makes the grade for Birmingham this summer as part of Team Wales and it would be the perfect […]

By Simon Gronow The trip over the Severn to Gloucestershire proved to be a good one for Wayne Jones as he took his Darrian T90 GTR to a very comfortable win on the Red Dragon I T Stages Rally. On only his fifth event in the car, Jones and navigator Jonathan Davies got off to […]

By Matthew Burgess The Cardiff Devils have brought back two of their most influential players in recent years to aid head coach Brodie Dupont’s first full season in charge. Former captain Joey Martin and Team GB goaltender Ben Bowns were announced as new signings at a fan event that also saw the club confirm extensions […]

Marie Tilley is no stranger to forging on through adversity in her life, so 193 miles of arduous path and 30,649 feet of elevation was never going to intimidate her. Sure enough, Marie’s epic fundraising efforts continued this month when she completed the famous Offa’s Dyke route in a 12-day period. And the cause couldn’t have been more poignant.

Steve Cooper will become the first Welsh manager in the Premier League since Mark Hughes in 2018, after revealing he first doubted Nottingham Forest might even climb into the Championship’s top 10. The former Swansea City head coach hailed “magical” Forest for reminding the world of the City Ground club’s rich history by securing a Premier League future. Forest will return to the Premier League for the first time in 23 years next season, after defeating Huddersfield 1-0 in Sunday’s Championship play-off final at Wembley.