Ellis Jenkins believes Warren Gatland’s World Cup selection has become a lot more complicated thanks to the impact he and others made in North and South America. The co-captain for the three-Test trip that brought a victory over South Africa and back-to-back successes against Argentina was one of a number of players to make their mark. Now, as the tour party arrive home, the Cardiff Blues flanker is confident his youthful squad has delivered on their mission to improve strength in depth as the countdown to the tournament in Japan approaches the 12-month mark.

Welsh cyclist Stevie Williams has finished fifth in the Under-23 version of one of the grand cycling tours – the Giro d’Italia. Williams, from Capel Dewi in Ceredigion, who had already won the prestigious Ronde de I’Isard stage race in France this season, enjoyed an eventful 10 days during the tour of Italy.

Having not competed since the middle of last year, Cameron Davies has re-launched his rallying career overseas – and has swapped the British Rally Championship for the Peugeot Rally Cup Iberica. The series consists of six rallies in Spain and Portugal, and the 23-year old driver from Llandovery proved on the opening round that he has title winning potential, despite having been out of a rally car for 10 months. Add a few more new things into the mix, like new co-driver Max Freeman and having his car run on-event by PT Racing, instead of his usual team of family and close friends, and his Peugeot Cup debut was nothing short of sensational. After the first three stages of the new series, Davies led the Peugeot Rally Cup on the recent Rally of Portugal – with another fastest stage time extending that advantage to 26 seconds after SS4. In the overall standings, he had climbed up to 38th position and his comparative times would have placed him only 20 seconds off fifth in the Junior World Rally Championship category.

It is becoming a bit of a nerve-wracking experience watching Aberdare’s Stuart Manley play on the European Challenge Tour this summer. The 39-year-old Welshman has made his fans sweat for the past few weekends by reaching a play-off for successive titles. He missed out at the KPMG Trophy in Belgium, but came through to win only his second title at the Hauts de France Golf Open at the Saint-Omer Golf Club at the weekend. Manley took a share of the clubhouse lead with two birdies on his final four holes to card a closing-round, three under par 68. At the time it left him on the six under par mark, two shots behind then leader Tom Murray.

Kody Davies extended his unbeaten run as a professional to five fights as he comfortably beat Eric Mokonzo over four rounds on Fight Night at York Hall. The 23-year-old super middleweight from Pontllanfraith put Mokonzo down with a brutal punch in the second round and was always in command of the contest as he added to his growing reputation in the pro ranks with a 40-37 points win.

Warren Gatland believes Wales and England are at opposite ends of the rugby spectrum as both nations head towards next year’s World Cup. The Wales coach could not help himself from comparing his team’s exploits on tour with the struggles of the old enemy, who suffered a sixth straight defeat when they lost the second Test and the series against South Africa at the weekend. While Red Rose head coach Eddie Jones comes under increasing pressure and scrutiny, all is rosy in the Welsh garden after they sealed a first series victory in Argentina since 1999 and jumped above England in the world rankings.

Two of Wales’ most promising young athletes have guaranteed their places in the Great Britain team for the IAAF World Junior Championships in Finland next month. Jake Heyward and James Tomlinson both won gold at the England Athletics U-20 and U-23 Championships in Bedford on Sunday, where the Under-20 events doubled up as World Championship trials. Wins in their respective events, added to the fact they have both achieved the qualifying standards, mean they will be on the plane to Tampere when the full team is announced later this month.

Dani Rowe battled though the pain barrier in North Wales to claim her best finish with third overall at the Women’s Tour. The Cardiff-based rider admitted she was suffering on the final stage from Dolgellau to Colwyn Bay after her crash on Saturday.

Second in the NatWest Six Nations, unbeaten on tour for the second successive summer, and now third in the World Rugby rankings – things are certainly starting to look up for Wales and Warren Gatland as his reign as head coach enter its final, critical phase. Having passed 100 matches in charge of the Welsh team during the Six Nations, Gatland will notch his 150th Test as an international head coach in the opening game of the autumn series against Scotland. That will also be his chance to see if he can finally put one over on the Aussies, who are in the same World Cup pool in Japan next year. Given that he went on tour without 2017 British & Irish Lions Sam Warburton, Alun Wyn Jones, Taulupe Faletau, Leigh Halfpenny, Ken Owens, Dan Biggar, Rhys Webb, Jonathan Davies and Justin Tipuric, and also had to leave out injured players like Aaron Shingler, Jake Ball and Scott Baldwin, he was able to work with a number of less experienced players who now have one eye on selection for next year’s World Cup.

Welsh Athletics will this month launch a hunt for a new Head of Coaching and Performance after Scott Simpson announced his departure from the top role. Having overseen the preparations for two Commonwealth Games, in Glasgow in 2014 and Gold Coast earlier this year, Simpson is moving to a new job as National Performance Institute Senior Coach (Pole Vault) with British Athletics.

The cream of Wales’ young athletic talent enjoyed an excellent first day at the England Athletics Under-23 and Under-20 Championships at Bedford on Saturday. The meeting also doubles up as the trials for the World Under-20 Championships in Tampere, Finland, next month. There was drama in the under-20 men’s 3000m which was eventually won by Cardiff’s James Vincent in 9:11.9. 

Warren Gatland may have passed the 10-year milestone with Wales but his greatest accomplishment might yet be further down the road. Gatland’s sense of optimism and pride was obvious following his team’s series-clinching 30-12 victory over Argentina in Sante Fe on Saturday night. It was a victory that delivered a first aggregate triumph on tour in South America since 1999 and it lifted Wales into third in the world rankings, with England now one of the rivals who have slipped behind. Yet neither of those achievements – the series win or the high ranking – was foremost on Gatland’s mind when he left the UK a month ago, or now.

Cory Hill is king of the castle after two Test wins out of two on tour, but he expects to have to pull the drawbridge up when it gets “nice and hostile” against Argentina on Saturday night. The Wales captain is expecting hostility – and lots of it – at the Estadio Brigadier Lopez in Sante Fe, which has a moat running around the pitch perimeter.

A six week wait between fixtures will come to an end for the South Wales Warriors this weekend when they travel to Worcester.  The Warriors were impressive in scoring seven touchdowns in a 50-0 home victory over the Jurassic Coast Raptors in their last game, back in May, and will be aiming to put the Worcestershire Black Knights to the Sword on Sunday (2.30pm).  The Knights, however, will also be in a confident mood after their 50 – 6 home victory over the Cornish Sharks last Sunday.  

Newtown have made secured the services of experienced midfielder Damien Allen, who joins the club from rivals Aberystwyth Town. Allen, 31, becomes Newtown’s first new summer signing. Allen joined Aberystwyth last January after ending a seven-year association with Bangor City, having started his career at Stockport County before moving to Royal Antwerp. Hughes believes Allen’s […]

The Cardiff Devils have announced Josh Batch will be returning to the team for an eighth season as the club continue to assemble their roster for the forthcoming season. Chelmsford-born Batch, who has played for the Devils as both a defenceman and as a forward scored 6 goals and 9 assists last season, including 2 […]

Around 150 sailors gathered for the Magenta Project in Cardiff Bay, held during the Volvo Ocean Race which inspired the scheme to get more women and girls in sailing. Supported by RYA Cymru Wales, the Magenta Project ties in perfectly with the All Afloat and Only Girls Afloat schemes which are also aimed at getting women, girls and people from non-sailing communities into the sport for life.

Warren Gatland has revealed has young Wales tourists are enjoying the pain they are causing the Pumas. The Wales coach sends his inexperienced team out for the second Test against Argentina on Saturday with the relish of a coach who has seen his players respond eagerly to the physical task required of them. Just as in 1999 – when Wales last won a series in South America – Wales were the ones dishing out the punishments in a ferocious but disciplined first Test 23-10 victory.

Devils managing director Todd Kelman talks exclusively to Dai-Sport’s Matthew Burgess about player recruitment, the Champions Hockey League and Jamie Elson. The Cardiff Devils may have just seven of their roster officially signed on for next season, but managing director Todd Kelman does not look like a man in the grip of panic. On the […]

Around 80 reto rally cars will take part in a parade in Llandudno, ahead of the final stage of this year’s Dayinsure Wales Rally GB (4-7 October). The British round of the FIA World Rally Championship closes with a pioneering closed road stage around the Great Orme and through the streets of Llandudno – and before the stars of the WRC appear in their modern rally cars, historic cars will drive through the stage. The parade will take place on Sunday 7 October, but a very special Rally Legends display will be open to the public throughout the rally weekend. “It’s going to be a milestone weekend in British motor sport history and the presence of all these wonderful cars from yesteryear will be an integral part of an exciting rally festival in Llandudno,” says Ben Taylor, Managing Director of Wales Rally GB.