The opening weekend of the 2021/22 JD Cymru Premier season will see back-to-back champions Connah’s Quay begin their title defence away to Cefn Druids on Friday 13 August. Last season’s runners-up The New Saints will also be in action on the opening night, with Anthony Limbrick’s side visiting play-off winners Newtown at Latham Park. The […]

Scotland coach Sean Lineen admits he has been left dismayed by his team’s 43-3 thrashing at the hands of Italy at Cardiff Arms Park in the third round of the U20 Six Nations. The Scots – who meet Wales in the final round of the tournament – were flattened by an efficient and impressive Italian outfit who rain in six tries. “Poor, very poor,” said dejected head coach Lineen.

Wales’ Commonwealth Games champion Mike Wixey looks set to be denied a chance to defend his shooting title after organisers declared they were abandoning plans to hold the shooting event in India next year. Wixey struck gold for Wales in 2018 and was looking forward to defending his title next January when the shooting and archery events were due to be held in Chandigarh, six months before the main Games in Birmingham. But the two events have now been cancelled due to the uncertainty posed by the COVID-19 pandemic – leaving Wixey and his partner Sarah, who won bronze at the Gold Coast four years ago, without a chance to compete.

By Paul Jones Wales forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys can’t wait for the fans to create a buzz again at the Principality Stadium when Wales take on Canada on Saturday.   This will be the first Wales home game with a crowd in 15 months, this is something that some of the players have never experienced before.   “It is sad that some people have won first caps and had massive experiences while friends and family can’t be there,” said Humphreys.  

Phil Parkinson has revealed he’s been sold a Hollywood dream for Wrexham and is itching to bring it to reality as their new manager. The 53-year-old has been appointed as Wrexham boss by the club’s joint owners, actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds. Former Bolton and Bradford boss Parkinson replaces Dean Keates, who departed the Racecourse Ground last month and says he was attracted by the visions laid out by the celebrity co-chairmen.

By Tom Prosser Wales’ hopes of winning the U20s Six Nations were dealt a big blow after they fell to a 36-19 defeat to France.  Cardiff Rugby’s Jacob Beetham scored a try in each half while Morgan Richards of the Dragons also went over for Wales on a sunny afternoon at Cardiff Arms Park. But France were clinical in attack and ran in five tries to seal a bonus-point win.

Sam Riley is hoping the feelgood factor – as well as the know-how – from his Harlequins connection can fuel him all the way to a Six Nations title. The England U20 hooker has already seen his club lift the Premiership crown after their thrilling win over Exeter Chiefs last weekend. That victory was followed by the news that four Quins players were called into the senior England squad and the satisfaction has filtered through to Riley, who faces Ireland U20 on Thursday night in a match that is live on S4C Clic.

There are already over 20 Welsh athletes selected for Team GB to go to Tokyo later this month, but Olympic researchers have uncovered two more Welsh gymnasts who went to the Games more than 100 years ago. Wales’ leading men’s gymnast Brinn Bevan may have just missed out on a place in the British team heading to Japan, but Welsh Gymnastics is still able to boast two more Olympians following the amazing discovery. Olympic historians have confirmed the background details to two previously unknown British competitors at the 1900 and 1908 Games and discovered they were both born in Gwent.

Ollie Leatherbarrow insists he and school pal Murray Redpath can lead a Scottish turnaround when they face Italy in the U20 Six Nations Championship on Thursday. The Scots have begun the tournament with two defeats, even though they showed flashes of inspiration against two powerful sides in Ireland and England. Now comes Scotland’s chance at getting off the mark at Cardiff Arms Park, where the entire tournament is being hosted, in an afternoon clash that is live on S4C Clic.

It’s been a week of bruised self-reflection for Welsh football after the heavy defeat to Denmark knocked Wales out of the Euros at the last 16 stage. A lot of people have had their say. But there is one voice who should be heard and acted upon in Welsh football rather more often, says Fraser Watson. The dream was over, Wales eliminated, and the post-mortem was striking sympathetic chords. The harsh realities of being dismantled by Denmark had subsided amidst talk of unfair travel schedules, dubious red cards, over-achievement, and the perspective provided by another summer of dining at Europe’s top table.

Wales U20s are back in action on Thursday at Cardiff Arms Park, when they take on France in the Six Nations. Coach Ioan Cunningham has made eight changes from the side that lost to Ireland, including drafting in scrum-half Ethan Lloyd. The Cardiff player told Tom Prosser why he’s eager to make a big impression on his home patch. Ethan Lloyd wants to put pressure on Tomos Williams and Lloyd Williams at Cardiff Blues – but for the moment he’s happy to try and turn the screw on France in the U20 Six Nations. The Wales U20 scrum-half is already making waves at Cardiff Arms Park where there are high hopes he can follow the same route as Tomos Williams from Treorchy to full senior caps.

Welsh Athletics has launched a search to replace former Olympian Matt Elias who has announced he is leaving his post in charge of developing the nation’s sprinting talent. A statement by the sport’s governing body said Elias, who won a clutch of medals for Wales and Great Britain at the Commonwealth Games and European Athletics Championships, is leaving his post to “pursue other opportunities within the sport”. Although Elias will continue to support Wales’ sprints programme for the rest of the summer, Welsh Athletics has immediately launched a recruitment process for a new national talent development coordinator for sprints, hurdles and relays.

Geraint Thomas has vowed to carry on fighting insisting it is still all to play for at the Tour de France despite losing time to his rivals on the first race against the clock. Riding the 27km time trial with his right shoulder still heavily strapped after dislocating it on stage three on Monday, 2018 Tour champ Thomas kne

By Paul Jones Kiran Carlson and David Harrison will both step up for Glamorgan’s Royal London Cup campaign as Carlson is appointed captain and Harrison named as head coach. With club captain Chris Cooke and vice-captain David Lloyd both drafted in The Hundred, 23-year-old Carlson will lead the team in the 50-over competition, while Harrison will take over the reins from Matt Maynard when he joins Welsh Fire’s coaching set up. Director of cricket, Mark Wallace believes both will gain valuable experience from this opportunity.

By Rob Carbon Michael Flynn may have been linked with the vacant manager’s job at Swindon Town, but he is wasting no time in making preparations for Newport County as they look to go one better and secure promotion out of League Two next season. The Exiles are scheduled to play five pre-season friendlies against EFL and Non-League opposition before the new season gets underway, with County’s campaign set to kick-off with a Sky Bet League Two first-round match on Saturday 7th August. All five fixtures will be played in line with the Government’s guidelines due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Two of Wales’ brightest young sprinters have been selected to represent Great Britain at next month’s European Under-23 Championships in Estonia. Jeremiah Azu and Joe Brier are part of a 54-strong team travelling to Tallinn for the championships which start on July 8.

Geraint Thomas thankfully come through stage four of the Tour de France unscathed as he gets ready for the first big individual test of the race. The 2018 champ finished safely in the pack on Tuesday – just 24 hours after his Yellow Jersey hopes looked in tatters after a heavy crash.

Tom Rogers declared himself “over the moon” after learning he will win his first senior Wales cap against Canada at Principality Stadium on Saturday. Scarlets wing Rogers, 22, is one of five players who will make their Test debuts this weekend and he is joined in the starting line-up by Dragons lock Ben Carter. Wales head coach Wayne Pivac also has fresh faces Gareth Thomas, Taine Basham and Ben Thomas among his replacements for the Canada game.

More than 300 golfers of all ages and abilities helped to make the first ever Wales Golf Festival a huge success and a blueprint for the future. The three day event at Parc Golf Club near Newport included players from as young as seven through to senior level, beginners, players with a disability and a PING Welsh Junior Tour event.

Welsh 1500m star Jake Heyward is Tokyo bound after being named in GB’s team for the Olympic Games. The Cardiff runner – now based at the Oregon Elite Track Club in the USA – finished third in the trials in Manchester last Saturday.