Steve Cooper has been adamant that Swansea City are not about to throw in the towel – but they do need to deal with what others are throwing at them. Despite the huge 10-point gap that now separates the Swans from the automatic promotion places, their head coach has insisted they will continue to try and chase down second-place Watford. But Cooper is equally clear that if they don’t improve their weakness in dealing with long throws, then even a play-off place may prove beyond them.

Sarah Taylor has been confirmed as another recruit for Welsh Fire this summer – meaning the new Cardiff-based outfit will boast two of the biggest names in women’s cricket as Taylor combines forces with Australian Meg Lanning. For Taylor, it’s a return to the game that looked unlikely a year ago, as she told Alex Bywater. Sarah Taylor never planned on being a role model. The England star – who will make a sensational return to action in Cardiff this summer – never planned on being the first woman to coach in men’s professional cricket.

Mick McCarthy admitted Cardiff City’s 5-0 thrashing by Sheffield Wednesday was the worst display of his reign as manager. The Bluebirds defeat left them eight points off the play-offs with just six games left this season.

Four successive defeats, 448 minutes without a goal, and now a precarious looking four point gap between Swansea and seventh placed Bournemouth. But after the latest last gasp setback at home to Preston North End – a 1-0 defeat that always felt like an accident waiting to happen – head coach Steve Cooper insisted he’s not about to hide away from the realities of the situation. Cooper has not given up on automatic promotion, but a 10 point gap to Watford look unbridgeable, even with a game in hand.

Welsh regional rugby reached a desperate low point at the weekend, gaining the one thing that’s always hard to stomach – English sympathy. As all four regions exited in Europe in varying degrees of disarray, it was left to Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson to try and raise some Welsh morale. After the Scarlets had followed the Ospreys, Dragons and Cardiff Blues in losing at the re-jigged last 16 stages of both European tournaments, Sanderson tried to put a positive spin on a bleak picture.

Laura McAllister will launch her FIFA manifesto this week – basing her campaign on four key strategies as she seeks to become one of the most powerful women in global football. The former Wales international, who captained her country, is pledging to protect smaller nations, maintain competitive balance, further develop the women’s game, and work to end online abuse if she is elected onto the FIFA council this month. McAllister – who is bidding to unseat incumbent Evelina Christillin of Italy – has been working hard in recent weeks in rounds of virtual campaigning across Europe.

Welshman Jonathan Phillips led Sheffield Steelers to victory in their opening Elite League series ice hockey match. Cardiff-born Phillips, who started his playing days as a teenager with Devils, is Sheffield’s captain and he scored their first goal in a 3-2 win against Nottingham Panthers at the Motorpoint Arena. ‘Captain ‘Jonno’ is now a veteran aged 38-years-old, but he remains a fast, fit and crucial part of the Steelers team.

They say the stats don’t lie, so new Wales Women’s head coach Warren Abrahams isn’t going to enjoy reading them after his side’s opening Six Nations defeat to France in Vannes. How about these for starters: 53 points and eight tries conceded, 36 missed tackles, four scrums lost and 14 penalties conceded. Ouch! Then, you have to consider seven bad passes and eight handling errors in the 53-0 thrashing.

The Scarlets are hoping a new partnership with the New Zealand Rugby Union can help push them into Europe’s rugby elite. The deal is set to involve player exchanges that enable young Welsh talent to sample the most demanding domestic rugby in the world.   When then head coach Brad Mooar left the Scarlets to take up a dream coaching role with the All Blacks last year, just a few months into a three-year deal, it was seen as a significant blow by many.

Osian Perrin smashed the Welsh 5K under-20 record on a historic night of racing in Lancashire on Saturday. The Menai Track and Field athlete clocked a time of 14.02 at the Podium 5K in Barrowfield, where he set his previous best of 14:30 in August last year.

Dai Young has admitted Cardiff Blues have only themselves to blame for the defeat that ended hopes of a quarter-final place in Europe. The Blues’ director of rugby has told his players they need to learn from crucial errors – including missed tackles – after they collapsed late on to lose their European Challenge Cup tie at London Irish. Despite being down to 14 men, Irish came from 32-20 down to win 41-35 and leave the Blues with nothing left to play in this season apart from the new Rainbow Cup.

Steve Cooper has told his Swansea City players they were “nowhere near good enough” after suffering a loss that may have ended their hopes of automatic promotion. The Swans gave a shapeless, lifeless and error-strewn display as they slumped to a 1-0 defeat at struggling Birmingham City. It was a third successive defeat – the first time that has occurred since Cooper became head coach – a goalless period that has seen the club lose touch with second-place Watford as the Championship seasons enters its business end.

Danny Stewart was delighted when Cardiff Devils forward Sam Duggan was still available deep into the EIHL Elite series draft pick. Snapping up ‘Duggie’ for Coventry Blaze gave Canadian Stewart a lot of satisfaction and he said: “It was exciting to get Sam on board.

Australian-born Anthony Limbrick has been appointed as Head Coach of The New Saints following weeks of speculation surrounding the vacancy. The announcement was made immediately after The New Saints 4-1 win over Caenarfon Town in which Limbrick watched from the stand. Limbrick’s last role in football was working as assistant manager at Grimsby Town but […]

Mick McCarthy says how Cardiff City overcome the disappointment of the home defeat by Nottingham Forest will decide if they win their play-offs fight. The Bluebirds job of making the top six is a lot harder after the 1-0 home defeat to a stubborn Forest side, with James Garner’s first half goal  enough for the visitors to claim all three points.

Welshman Matthew Myers is number one for Sheffield Steelers coach Aaron Fox in the build-up to 2021 Elite Series. Cardiff Devils are not competing in the one-off competition, although they will be back for the 2021-22 Elite League season starting later this year.

The Dragons host Northampton in the European Challenge Cup on Saturday evening, looking for a fourth victory in five games as well as a place in the tournament quarter-finals. That surge has produced confident vibes at Rodney Parade, as skipper Harrison Keddie tells Graham Thomas. Harrison Keddie is planning to bring Dan Biggar back down to earth with a bump when the Wales outside-half makes a return to Wales on Saturday night Just a week after feeling the high of securing the Six Nations title, Biggar is set to make his return to Northampton colours when they face the Dragons in an intriguing European Challenge Cup last 16 tie.

The Cardiff Devils have invited their fanbase to have their say on who should be included into the club’s ‘Best All-Time’ team. The team launched an online vote this week through their official website to mark what would have been their 35th anniversary season. A three-man panel made up of former player turned club official […]

The winning junior driver in this year’s Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh National Rally Championship will win a prize that every under 25-year old aspiring youngster wants to have – a test in a state-of-the-art R5 spec rally car.

Welsh sporting governing bodies have reacted with “disappointment and frustration” at the government’s latest “illogical” plans for lifting Covid-19 restrictions. Welsh Athletics, Welsh Cricket, Swim Wales, Welsh Gymnastics and the Welsh Sports Association are five of the organisations calling on First Minister Mark Drakeford to reconsider the timetable for restarting adult sporting activities, which he announced on Thursday. They are unhappy that organised outdoor sports cannot begin until May 3 at the earliest – a week after outdoor hospitality at venues such as pubs are scheduled to re-open.