The Cymru Premier could be thrown into chaos today if The New Saints are successful in challenging the Football Association of Wales over their method of ending the season. The FAW used an unweighted points-per-game method to determine final placings when they opted to end the campaign early back in May due to the coronavirus pandemic. That decision – which handed Connah’s Quay Nomads the title – is being challenged by The New Saints in the High Court. It’s expected that the judgement of the court will be delivered remotely today.

Neil Harris insists there will be no lengthy inquests into Cardiff City’s first defeat since lockdown – just a determination to recover their ground quickly in the race for the Championship play-offs. The Bluebirds’ surprise 3-2 surrender at home to Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday night – after they led 1-0 and 2-1 – has opened the door to both Derby County and Swansea City in the fight for sixth place. But Harris is refusing to give it much of a backward glance after believing Adam Armstrong’s spectacular 45-yard winner was worthy of settling any game.

A new fund of up to £4m has been launched by Sport Wales to help grassroots sports clubs and community organisations get back on their feet. The new ‘Be Active Wales Fund’ will provide a major source of support to protect community clubs and organisations that have been badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic and help them prepare to re-start activities safely. The grant funding has been made possible thanks to Welsh Government and repurposed money from the National Lottery, which continues to be one of Welsh sport’s biggest supporters.

The highest profile woman in Welsh rugby could soon be leaving after only seven months in her role. Amanda Blanc – the independent chair of Welsh rugby’s Professional Rugby Board – is likely to step down after only being appointed in December. Blanc has been made chief executive of insurance giants Aviva – parachuted into the top position in the company after former chief executive Maurice Tulloch left “for family health reasons”. He also retired from his position on the Aviva plc Board and his successor took over the reins immediately.

Neil Harris insists worldly-wise wisdom can guide Cardiff City past Blackburn Rovers tonight and move them one step nearer towards clinching their place in the Championship play-offs. The Bluebirds manager believes the experience of players like Sean Morrison, Joe Ralls, Junior Hoilett and Sol Bamba – who all won promotion with the club two years ago – can provide the foundation for another successful mission in reaching the Premier League again. Cardiff welcome Rovers, holding a three-point lead over Derby County in seventh and a four point advantage over Swansea City with just five games left.

As the Cardiff Devils continue their search for a new head coach to replace Andrew Lord, managing director Todd Kelman has admitted he has a big job on his hands. The most successful coach in Devils’ history after seven years in charge – who left to join Greenville Swamp Rabbits in South Carolina – is casting a long shadow across the ice, says Matthew Burgess. Sometimes in sport, people pass through teams as part of their journey to great things. It’s been two weeks since his tearful departure was announced, but Andrew Lord passing through the Cardiff Devils feels quite like one of those times.

Details of the newly formed West Wales Premier League have been confirmed as part of the ongoing restructure of the Welsh domestic football system. The new league will sit in the fourth tier of the Welsh system, bridging local football leagues at Tier 5 level and the newly-created Tier 3 leagues, which are yet to be officially confirmed. The West Wales Premier League originally sought to include participants from the Carmarthenshire League, Swansea League, Neath League and Pembrokeshire League, but with no entries forthcoming from the Pembrokeshire League, the inaugural West Wales Premier League will operate with 12 clubs.

Aled Brew’s time at Bath may have run out, but the former Wales wing insists he’s not ready to hang up his boots just yet. Brew may be 34 next month, but he tells Peter Jackson he wants two more years – wherever that might take him. It was never meant to be Aled Brew’s last match for Bath, a cruelly brief appearance fully four months before the season’s scheduled close. Leicester at home in late January brought the Welshman’s road at the Rec to a sudden dead-end. When injury put him out of action within the opening quarter, nobody watching his early exit imagined they wouldn’t be seeing him again.

Steve Cooper says Rhian Brewster is loving life at Swansea City and believes his goals can help fuel a surge into the play-offs. Brewster scored the opener in the Swans’ 2-1 win at home to Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday to make it three goals in four matches for the Liverpool loanee, plus the shot that forced a goalkeeper’s own goal at Millwall. The young striker has looked hungry and purposeful since the season resumed and although he went off with a shoulder injury before the end, it is not considered serious and he should be fit to play at Birmingham City on Wednesday.

Jake Bidwell still believes Swansea City can launch a late surge into the play-offs to give their fans something to bask in after a miserable summer. The Swans defender insists today’s (Sun) home game with Sheffield Wednesday can prove a launch pad to repeat their early season form in which they won five and drew one of their first half dozen matches. That, says Bidwell, would lift the mood after figures showed Wales has suffered the highest rise in business collapses in the UK since March.

Super-sub Danny Ward earned Cardiff City an invaluable 1-0 SkyBet Championship victory in the Severnside derby against Bristol City at Ashton Gate to underline why manager Neil Harris wants to keep the striker at the club. Ward – who is out of contract when this season ends – scored the crucial only goal of the game to keep the Bluebirds in pole position to stay in sixth place and make the promotion play-offs. Manager Neil Harris is showing a remarkable ability to make the most of substitutions with Ward scoring with a left foot shot six minutes after being sent on for Callum Paterson. 

Former Wales U20 captain Tommy Reffell has revealed he was prepared to take a 25 per cent pay cut because he believes Leicester Tigers will one day lead him to greater riches. Reffell – who upped sticks from the family home in Pencoed to join the Tigers six years ago when he was still only 15 – agreed to have his wages slashed along with the majority of the rest of the squad. The measures were imposed by the English club in order to ease the financial burden placed on all sporting clubs due to the coronavirus crisis.

By Terry Phillips Dean Keates has launched a major overhaul of his Wrexham squad for 2020-21 with 11 players released by the Vanarama National League club. Another five players have left the Racecourse ground after their loan spells ended. The Dragons have seven players under contract through next season, while Keates is preparing to open […]

Having delved into the 70s, 80s, 90, and early 2000s, the rugby re-runs come right up to date this evening when Wales v Australia at last year’s World Cup in Japan is re-shown by S4C in the company of Wales pair Ken Owens and Rhys Patchell. The players join opera star Sir Bryn Terfel and Radio One’s Steffan Powell to mull over Wales’ tense victory on S4C’s Dyddiau Da. Watch the programme at 9.00pm on Friday 3 July, or on demand at S4C Clic. English subtitles available.

American pace ace Evan Mosey is heading back to South Wales for the 2020-21 Cardiff Devils ice hockey season. Mosey joins captain Joey Martin and Joey Haddad in confirming they will play for Devils next season. He is rated the ‘fastest skater in Elite League’ by Devils managing director Todd Kelman, who admits he was surprised by the speed of Mosey’s return following a knee ligament injury last season.

Matthew Jones was a Premier League teenager with the world at his feet. He packed a lot into six years, but a career-ending back injury brought desperation, depression, uncertainty, but finally fulfilment through coaching. Newly appointed in charge of Wales U18s, he tells Owen Morgan about growing up, growing wise, and a growing reputation. Matthew Jones was being touted as a future Welsh football captain from the time he first ran on a field. The exciting Llanelli prospect had skippered his country at every age group up to senior level.

A small group of Welsh athletes have put their Olympic and Paralympic dreams well and truly back on track following months of improvised training routines. A selection of elite throwers and sprinters took part in a controlled outdoor session at Cardiff Metropolitan University’s outdoor track on Tuesday as the sport takes the first tentative steps back to normality. Sprinters like Welsh 100m champion Sam Gordon and multiple Paralympic and world champion thrower Aled Davies, were amongst those taking part after the list of athletes and new coronavirus safety protocols were signed off by Sport Wales and the Welsh Government.

The Welsh Rugby Union hope to stop the flow of top women players to England by creating two super clubs in Wales. In recent weeks, what was once a trickle of players over the border has become a pipeline with Jasmine Joyce – Wales’ most recognisable star – returning from the Sevens circuit to join Bristol Bears. Back row forward Alisha Butchers also signed for Bristol where she and Joyce will play alongside Test captain and No.8 Siwan Lillicrap, flanker Manon Johnes, prop Caryl Thomas, scrum-half Keira Bevan, fly-half Elinor Snowsill and full-back Lauren Smyth.

The Guinness Pro14 is gearing up for a return on August 22 when fixtures are due to resume for the first time March. The Scarlets will host the Cardiff Blues and the Ospreys will face the Dragons but only the Scarlets have a chance of making the play-offs and then it appears unrealistic. Contrast them to Leinster – unbeaten after 13 rounds of the Pro14 and unbeaten in Europe. If this season ever finishes, then Peter Jackson says Leinster will be history-makers, setting a standard other can only marvel at. Had the season run its natural course, one team might well by now have succeeded where every other failed. Not Liverpool, Barcelona, Juventus, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain but Dublin United RFC, alias Leinster.

Athletics in Wales is slowly coming back to life. There are no races or competitions, but at least some elite athletes are doing more than just running in the park. The man responsible for the return – and the sport – is James Williams. Owen Morgan asked him about the track that lies ahead. It’s probably fair to say the past six months have been interesting for new Welsh Athletics chief executive officer James Williams. The former Welsh international probably wished he’d had a background in hurdling rather than middle distance given the number of challenging obstacles he has been forced to negotiate.