Dylan Davies, the 2018 Pirelli Welsh Forest Rally Champion, will contest this year’s series in a newly acquired Škoda Fabia R5. The Llanon driver is synonymous with driving Subaru Imprezas, and won the Welsh title in a class B13 example. Preparing and running his fleet of rental rally cars for customers prevented Davies from contesting more than three rallies himself last year, although he and his Caernarfon-based co-driver Llion Williams did finish second on the Wales Rally GB National Rally.

Wales have been warned Italy are determined to continue their incredible rise through the women’s game when they come to Cardiff this weekend. The Six Nations clash at Cardiff Arms Park represents a tough start for Wales coach Chris Horsman and his team, despite the return to the squad of renowned pair Jasmine Joyce and Hannah Jones. The Italians’ stunning 31-12 bonus point victory over France on the final day of last year’s championship launched them into the top two, marking their best-ever finish.

Glamorgan’s players are in full fitness mode ahead of the start of the new cricket season in less than three months. But with so much recent focus on mental health in sport, head coach Matthew Maynard tells Graham Thomas why recent moves by the Professional Cricketers Association have never been more vital. Matthew Maynard believes cricket has moved a long way towards a better understanding about mental health among players. The former England batsman is preparing for his first season in charge of Glamorgan, having recently been confirmed as the county’s permanent head coach after his caretaker spell last year.

Wales have been given an added incentive close to the eve of their Six Nations title defence – securing their status among the top seeds at the 2023 World Cup. World Rugby and the France 2023 Organising Committee have confirmed that the Rugby World Cup 2023 Pool Draw will take place in Paris after the November 2020 international window. The tournament will feature 20 teams, of which 12 are automatically qualified owing to a top-three ranking in their respective Rugby World Cup 2019 pools: champions South Africa, England, Wales, New Zealand, Japan, France, Australia, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Argentina and Fiji.

Neil Harris has told Sol Bamba he is going nowhere and hailed the influence of Lee Tomlin after Cardiff City revived their promotion challenge by beating Championship leaders West Brom. An exquisite free-kick by Tomlin earned the Bluebirds a 2-1 victory at the Cardiff City Stadium, where Bamba was among the unused substitutes hours after suggesting in a TV interview that he may look to go out on loan with three days left of the transfer window. Harris has admitted he was taken aback by Bamba’s suggestion on Sky Sports News but insisted he intends to keep the veteran defender – who missed the first three months of the season through injury – at the club.

Stephen Jones believes Wales have some “good options” in midfield ahead of Saturday’s Six Nations opener against Italy. Wales have lost Scarlets star Jonathan Davies from their entire Six Nations campaign after he suffered a knee injury during the World Cup. That leaves wing George North and uncapped Saracens back Nick Tompkins among options available to new head coach Wayne Pivac.

Four sports photographers are braving the raw winds of a Welsh winter to raise funds and awareness for the spina bifida charity Shine and its work across the country. The campaign – #GetShorty2 – means the fearless foursome are baring their legs to the elements while snapping away at rugby matches throughout the coldest months of the year. Photographers, Neil Roberts (Ebbw Vale RFC and Jesters Rugby) and Simon Latham (Newport RFC and Knights Rugby) have been joined by Dan Minto (Carmarthen Quins) and Alan Skeates (RGC1404) in wearing shorts to each of the Welsh Rugby Union Indigo Group Premiership games they are covering.

Nicola Lancaster is hopeful her Ysgol Nantgwyn team can repeat their triumph of two years ago when they compete at the upcoming Rhondda Cynon Taff Schools Netball Championship. The tournament – which is being held at the House of Sport in Cardiff on February 13th and is sponsored by Devonalds Solicitors – will bring together some of the best young netballing talent in Wales. PE teacher Nicola guided her school to victory in 2018 when they beat Pontypridd High School in the final. Her team that year included Wales Under 17 squad member Ashleigh Bourne, but the challenge promises to be even tougher this time around.

Exciting new plans to establish a long-term “conveyor belt” of talented Welsh athletes have been outlined by the new man at the head of the sport’s governing body in Wales. James Williams took over as interim chief executive of Welsh Athletics at the turn of the year after his predecessor, Matt Newman, left to concentrate on his role with Run 4 Wales. In a wide-ranging interview with Dai Sport, Williams outlined Welsh Athletics’ newly launched seven-year strategy to ensure the long-term health and success of the sport in Wales.

As Wales gear up for their Six Nations opener on Saturday, Peter Jackson of The Rugby Paper pays tribute to the last player in the tournament to reach scoring perfection – James Hook, who will retire from rugby at the end of the season. James Hook did something a long time ago which no British or Irish player has done in the Six Nations since. He went through the card, ticking all four boxes in the scoring book: try, conversion, penalty, drop goal.

Neil Harris has ordered his Cardiff City side to be more ruthless as they bid to undermine West Bromwich Albion’s promotion bid tonight – and ignite their own. The Bluebirds host the Baggies, with Harris insisting his team must make more of their opportunities than they did in their 1-1 draw at Reading last weekend in the FA Cup. West Brom find themselves in the peculiar position of being top of the Championship, but are without a win in their last six league games.

As the Australian tennis Open heads towards its final rounds in the men’s and women’s tournaments, Owen Morgan recalls an infamous match in the USA from the Seventies that now has echoes through sport in Wales. The 1970s saw the Battle of the Sexes between women’s tennis superstar Billie Jean King and former men’s number one Bobby Riggs. The match was arranged to see whether a top women’s player could beat a top men’s player, although Riggs by then was in his mid-fifties.

JJ delight – Dragons ‘Just Jubilant’. Goals from James Jennings and JJ Hooper led Wrexham to a 2-0 away victory against title-chasing Harrogate. Manager Dean Keates and his team inflicted damage on Harrogate hopes of earn promotion from Vanarama National League football and can be delighted with their performance. “To a man the players were […]

Cardiff Devils 4, Nottingham Panthers 2 Cardiff Devils are the Pride of Wales – and their relentless chase for iced hockey trophies goes on. They marked Elite League Pride weekend with special game shirts plus back-to-back victories and club managing director Todd Kelman said: “Devils are proud to support this initiative for the third year […]

Amy Boulden will return to the Ladies European Tour in 2020 after winning Qualifying School at La Manga Club in Spain by three strokes from Magdalena Simmermacher and Alison Muirhead. Welsh golfer Boulden – the 2014 LET Rookie of the Year – closed the final stage with a round of five-under-par 68 on the South Course for a 90-hole total of 351, 10-under-par. The 26-year-old from Llandudno, whose career best finish in six years on tour was second in the 2014 Lacoste Ladies Open de France, had set a personal target of 12-under-par for the marathon examination, but was happy with her score, especially after a week of changeable and challenging weather conditions.

Sam Ricketts has followed the lead of Michael Flynn in leaving a big Welsh imprint on this season’s FA Cup. A year after Flynn’s Newport County dumped Leicester City and Middlesbrough out of the competition, former Wales defender Ricketts – now Shrewsbury Town manager – masterminded an astonishing comeback against Liverpool in the fourth round. Trailing 2-0 to the Premier League’s runaway leaders, Ricketts pulled off a masterstroke substitution that produced two goals for Jason Cummings.

Gosport Borough 2, Merthyr Town 2 Scottish striker Matthew Paterson rocked Merthyr Town with an injury time goal for Gosport Borough at Privett Park. The Martyrs were leading 2-1, thanks to goals by Lee Lucas and Owain Jones, when Dunfermline-born Paterson struck to snatch victory away from the Welsh club. Rudy Plummer put Gosport ahead […]

He may not have won the Monte Carlo Rally, but Elfyn Evans has most certainly proved that he is a serious contender for this year’s FIA World Rally Championship title by finishing third on the series opener. Making his first appearance for the Toyota Gazoo Racing team, the Dolgellau ace started today’s final leg with a 4.9 second lead over team-mate Sébastien Ogier. The fact that Evans was beating the six time world champion, who had won the last six Monte Carlo rallies, in the same car, on the Frenchman’s home turf, was sensational. But both were overtaken by Thierry Neuville (Hyundai), who took the final day by storm and shot from third to first after the first loop of two stages, and extended that to a 12.6 second winning margin.

Fife Flyers 2, Cardiff Devils 5 Andrew Lord’s ‘hard-nosed’ Cardiff Devils powered to a crucial Elite League victory against Fife Flyers in Scotland after producing an outstanding third period performance. Devils led 2-0 going into the second and were rocked by a two-goal Flyers recovery before easing to victory.  “I loved then first,” said coach […]

Cardiff City (u-18) 5, Colchester United (u-18) 4 Terrific ‘Taz’ clinched victory for the Bluebirds’ under-18 team to victory in a nine-goal thriller at Cardiff Sports Campus. Ntazana Mayembe fired the winner after 81 minutes after the visitors had stunned Cardiff City by scoring four goals in 13 first half minutes – three of those […]