It’s the new year, so perhaps it’s time to try a new sport. Padel is the new kid on the block – fast and furious and rapidly growing, it’s already got the backing of some major names as Lucy Rees discovers. Padel. Ever heard of it? Probably not. Well, it’s a sport that you could […]

By Steffan Thomas   Nigel Ashley-Jones has worked with some of the best coaches in world rugby from Eddie Jones to Steve Diamond, but he believes Scarlets boss Dwayne Peel could be just as good. Ashley-Jones’ appointment as the Scarlets’ head of physical performance went under the radar somewhat when it was announced last summer. […]

By Rob Carbon James Rowberry has delved into the JD Cymru Premier League to uncover his latest signing at Newport County. His predecessor, Michael Flynn, brought in Priestly Farquharson from Connah’s Quay Nomads last season and now Rowberry has snapped up Penybont’s James Waite. While Farquharson was an England beach football international, the 22-year-old Waite […]

By Paul Jones Andy Fisher insists the possession-based football played at Swansea City was a major draw in convincing him to move from MK Dons. The goalkeeper – who has stepped up from League One to follow his former head coach Russell Martin for a fee that could rise to £500,000 – has said the […]

Full-time contracts have been awarded to a dozen of Wales’ leading female players by the Welsh Rugby Union for the first time. Alisha Butchers, Natalia John, Siwan Lillicrap, Carys Phillips, Gwenllian Pyrs, Donna Rose and Keira Bevan, Hannah Jones, Jasmine Joyce, Ffion Lewis, Lisa Neumann, Elinor Snowsill, are the first full-time athletes. The 12-month deals, a first for the women’s game in Wales, came into force this week with players and management based at the National Centre of Excellence.

Laura Deas will go for gold next month when the Welsh Olympian returns to the Games, this time being held in Beijing. She may be a specialist in skeleton – one of the most technically demanding of winter sports – but as she tells Lucy Rees, her foundation as an athlete was built around a […]

By Rob Carbon Another former Welsh international, Swansea-born Shaun MacDonald, has joined the ranks of the JD Cymru Premier League after signing for Penybont. The 33-year-old MacDonald, who won four caps for his country, has put pen to paper on an 18-month deal and joins the likes of Jazz Richards, David Edwards, David Cotterill, Neal […]

By Rob Carbon Ollie Cooper will be staying at Newport County for the rest of the season – that’s official! Swansea City boss Russell Martin confirmed on Friday that he was more than happy with the progress his young midfielder is making at Rodney Parade and has no plans to call him back in January.  […]

The number of members at Welsh golf clubs has gone up by almost a quarter in the last two years, with a 13 per cent rise in 2021, according to official Wales Golf figures. That followed an increase of 10per cent  2020, putting the membership of Welsh golf clubs comfortably back over the 50,000 figure – a windfall for many clubs in otherwise difficult times with other revenues falling.

By Owen Morgan Competition opportunities on home soil may currently be few and far between due to COVID measures, but that didn’t stop Welsh athletes producing outstanding performances away from their homeland at the weekend. Leading the way were Jenny Nesbitt and Osian Perrin who chalked up new Welsh and United Kingdom records respectively at […]

The Scarlets’ capture of former All Black Vaea Fifita is yet to be confirmed by Wasps head coach Lee Blackett. The significant transfer coup for the New Zealand second row has been secured for next season by the Welsh region, who have been looking for a high quality lock since the departure of Jake Ball. But Blackett has remained tight-lipped about Fifita’s future and claimed: “There’s a lot of rumours out there.

By Steffan Thomas Nick Tompkins insists Wales will see the benefit of his move back to Saracens as he targets his ultimate dream of playing at a Rugby World Cup. The 26-year-old made a fast start to test rugby after being a shock selection for Wayne Pivac’s 2020 Six Nation squad having previously represented England […]

Russell Martin has admitted he needs to bring in fresh blood if Swansea City are to prevent their current slump becoming a full blown crisis. The Swans head coach has been linked with a number of players in the January transfer window as he tries to halt a slide that has led to four straight defeats. The last of those – which followed a month of inactivity – was their 3-2 home defeat to Southampton in the third round of the FA Cup at the weekend.

By Paul Jones Steve Morison has admitted he gave Isaak Davies “tough love” last month but hopes his young Cardiff City striker will continue to respond by becoming an FA Cup hero against Liverpool. Davies scored one of the Bluebirds’ two goals in their 2-1 extra-time victory over Preston on Sunday – a victory that […]

Rubin Colwill must step up and fill the void left by the departed loan star Ryan Giles for Cardiff City to prosper in the second half of the season. That’s the view of Giles’ namesake, David Giles, with the former Bluebird and Wales international urging Colwill to rise to the challenge. Cardiff play their first knockout match of 2022 on Sunday, when they host Preston North End in the Third Round of the FA Cup in a tie that is live on S4C.

Kyle Joseph has been backed to make a big impact after his return to Swansea City and can help fill the void left by Ethan Laird, according to head coach Russell Martin. Joseph has been recalled from his loan spell at Cheltenham Town, where the 20-year-old Scotland U21 international was used primarily as a striker by the League One club and scored four goals in 12 games. But Martin has stressed Joseph’s versatility and feels he can help ease the loss of wing-back Laird who was shifted on to Bournemouth by Manchester United for the season half of the campaign after the Cherries gazumped the Swans’ loan fee.

By Graham Thomas Every time Elvis Taione enters the building at the Ospreys training ground, the greeting is always the same. “The boys here, they never say ‘Good Morning’ to me,” reveals the Tongan international hooker. “They just go, ‘Uh-huh-huh!’ and I have to go ‘Uh-huh-huh’ back! “It’s kind of become the routine. But I […]

By Paul Jones Liam Williams says he is excited by what is to come in the next chapter of his career after agreeing a switch to Cardiff for the 2022/23 United Rugby Championship season. The Wales and British & Irish Lions international full-back, who can also operate on the wing, has been signed from Welsh […]

Legendary Welsh trainer Dai Burchell was honoured by Chepstow Racecourse on Thursday when they ran the Happy Retirement Dai Burchell Novices Hurdle. The fifth race of the day was titled after 84-year-old Burchell, in recognition of his decision to retire in February by which time he will have turned 85. Chepstow-born Burchell, whose trainer’s yard is near Ebbw Vale, plans to bring down the curtain on an extraordinary career in the sport.

By Gareth James Cardiff City defender Aden Flint has had his red card against West Brom overturned and avoided a three-match ban. Flint and West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone were sent off at the final whistle as tempers boiled over following Sunday’s 1-1 Sky Bet Championship draw at The Hawthorns. A post on the FA […]