Europe is often a Welsh-free zone at this time of the rugby season. Not this year, with the Scarlets and Cardiff Blues appearing in high-profile semi-finals. Robin Davey finds reasons why both should go through to their respective finals. We are reaching the business end of the season and it’s great to see Welsh rugby still has deals to clinch. Two of the regions will be battling it out on Saturday in their efforts to reach the final of a European competition.

Usman Khawaja can transform himself from “classical” five-day Test batsman to aggressive T20 master blaster, according to Glamorgan chief executive Hugh Morris. The county’s decision to sign Australian Khawaja for their T20 Vitality Blast campaign has raised eyebrows as he is better known as a longer form specialist, who has played in 33 Tests but only 18 one-day internationals and nine T20 internationals. Khawaja has played in the Australian T20 Big Bash competition and averaged 32 but he is better known for the longer, more patient innings, such as the 171 he made against England in the fifth Test in Sydney in January.

Caernarfon Town clinched their second Huws Gray Alliance title in three seasons with a 5-0 romp at bottom club Llandudno Junction. They led by two goals at the break thanks to a Darren Thomas double, while Jamie Breese made it three two minutes into the second half. Gareth Evans and Chris Williams completed the scoring. […]

Welshman Ben Davies flew out with the Great Britain ice hockey team to the World Championships and said: “It’s great to be back.” Cardiff-Born former Devils forward Davies, who now plays for Elite League Guildford Flames, is in the 23-strong national team heading to Budapest. Davies says the GB camp is upbeat as they prepare […]

Damian Hudd is all set to add to his already impressive collection of silverware from his time at Ebbw Vale as Brymawr target two trophies in the next 12 days. The Division 1 East side face four games in that time that could secure them a league and cup double to crown their greatest season of all-time. Already confirmed as finalists in the WRU Plate Final at the Principality Stadium on Sunday, 29 April, last weekend’s 42-14 home win over Pontypool United, who had beaten them in the Ben Francis Cup final last season, moved them 14 points clear on Brecon at the top of Division 1 East after their nearest rivals were beaten 40-37 at Nelson.

Former Swansea City manager Kenny Jackett believes he has a future Wales star on his hands in Dion Donohue. Jackett – now in charge at promotion-chasing League One club Portsmouth – believes Anglesey-born Donohue, 24, will soon be ready for full international honours. Raised in the village of Bodedern, Donohue, signed for Pompey from Chesterfield at the start of the season and has impressed in his debut campaign, making 32 appearances so far, mainly at left back.

Robert Croft insists Glamorgan’s new overseas star Shaun Marsh will slog away any attempts to send him verbal bouncers over the Australian ball-tampering scandal. Marsh arrives in Cardiff this week to begin his second stint with Glamorgan, fresh from the most contentious cricket tour for years – the Aussies’ ill-fated trip to South Arica which ended with three players banned for up to a year by their own governing body. Marsh played no part in the incident which saw captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner and batsman Cameron Bancroft – the three players behind the use of sandpaper to rough up the ball during the Test series against South Africa – suspended from international and domestic cricket.

The Commonwealth Games athletes are returning home and for Wales they can reflect on a record-breaking tally of 36 medals, including 10 golds. But everyone has their favourites. Dai Sport writers reflect on theirs By Graham Thomas Gilbert Miles – bronze medal in the Mixed B2/B3 Pairs Bowls You don’t have to be young to thrive in competitive sport. You don’t have to be ultra fit, either, or even be able to see.

Rhys Patchell has promised the Scarlets will play without fear when they face the might of Leinster in Dublin on Saturday. The Wales outside-half insists the region’s best chance of upsetting the odds is to stay bold as they seek to make the European Champions Cup final in Bilbao next month. Patchell was an instrumental part of the tactical approach that brushed aside both Bath and Toulon earlier in the campaign and paid handsome dividends this time last year when both Leinster and Munster were overwhelmed in Ireland by the verve and adventure of the men in red.

Two goals in eight second-half minutes saw Swansea City Ladies come from behind to beat their Cardiff counterparts 2-1 in the FAW Women’s Welsh Cup final. A nerveless penalty by Jodie Passmore and a long-range effort from Katy Horsford overturned Alana Murphy’s strike for Cardiff to bring Swansea their third Welsh Cup success in the tournament’s 26-year history.

A press conference planned to take place in Llandudno tomorrow morning, in which the route of this year’s Wales Rally GB (5‐7 October) was going to be unveiled, has been postponed amid confusion over the event’s innovative final Power Stage plans. We understand the final Power Stage was to include the Great Orme and part of Llandudno town centre. The organisers were hoping that a large crowd would come to Llandudno for what would have been a spectacular final stage and podium ceremony. However, rules state that the Power Stage should ‘be representative of the rally’ – and whilst Wales Rally GB is a gravel forest event, the Great Orme / Llandudno stage would be all-Tarmac.

Welsh drivers are expected to feature highly on this weekend’s Corbeau Seats Rally Tendring & Clacton, with three of the top four seeded drivers making the journey from Wales to Essex for the first ever event to take place on closed public roads in England. Heading the 118-car field will be the experienced Melvyn Evans. The Lampeter driver won the recent Tour of Epynt and once again drives his powerful four-wheel drive Subaru Impreza WRC S12. He’ll be followed at number two by Abergavenney’s Damian Cole, partnered in his Get Connected Ford Fiesta WRC by Wrexham’s Jamie Edwards. And at number four will be Ruthin’s Hugh Hunter, in his rapid Fiesta WRC. Melvyn Evans’ son Meirion Evans starts at number six in his Fiesta R5. A total of 23 Welsh competitors will be flying the flag at the front, middle and towards the back of the field. They include Simon Mansell (Kilgetty) and Gareth Wilcox (Haverfordwest) in their Escort Mk3 (number 43), Ian Davies (Llandysul) and Ryland James (Carmarthen) in their BMW M3 (number 44), Berion Richards and Russell Davies (both Bridgend) in their Escort RS1800 (number 45) and a pair of Nissan Micras driven by Matthew Jackson (North Wales) and Claire Williams (Ammanford) and Kalvin Green (Treochy) and Osian Owen (Rhyl) – who are seeded at number 81 and 98 respectively.

Cardiff Met must bid for a Twickenham re-run with a different ending next season after losing their BUCS Super Rugby Championship final to Hartpury College. Despite a dramatic fightback from 20-3 down to lead 24-20, the Archers eventually lost 27-24.

The Ayew family are determined to steer Swansea City clear of relegation. Ghana international Jordan and his brother Andre were cheered on by nine other family members as they combined to rescue a priceless point for the Swans in the 1-1 draw against Everton on Saturday. The Ghanaians were starting together for only the third time since Andre rejoined the club from West Ham and their influence is obvious.

There were an amazing 51 tries for fans to savour in the Principality Premiership as the battle for the title got even hotter. The game between Bargoed and Ebbw Vale was abandoned after a spectator collapsed in the crowd during the half-time interval. Referee Dewi Phillips decided to end the game after consulting with the […]

The Commonwealth Games are over and Wales did well. . . very well. . . . better than ever before. But Rob Cole says that when the politicians have taken their bows for the performances of the athletes, they need to deliver and fund a new sports strategy fit for the future. It wasn’t so long ago that the work of Sport Wales – the governing body for Welsh sport – was being trashed by the politicians, ridiculed, and looked set to be ripped up by their new poodle of a chairman. In short, Welsh sport was in turmoil.

A dominant performance by Matt Edwards saw the Pwllheli driver take outright victory on the Rallynuts Stages Rally in his Swift Rally Team Ford Fiesta R5 – and with it maximum points in the Pirelli MSA Welsh Forest Rally Championship. But it’s Llanon’s Dylan Davies and his Caernarfon-based co-driver Llion Williams who now lead the series after three of the nine rounds, after another consistent performance in their Subaru Impreza. Held over 45 miles of classic rallying stages in the Cefn, Crychan, Gwibedog and Radnor forests, Edwards took an early – just as he’d done on the opening round of the series. But whilst he had crashed out of the season opening Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally, he and co-driver Darren Garrod would not make the same mistake again, recording fastest time on all seven stages to lead all the way to the Royal Welsh Showground finish ramp.

Somerset Wyverns 6, South Wales Warriors 8  The South Wales Warriors have won their first game in two years – but were almost denied at the death by a spirited Somerset Wyverns.  The Warriors have been installed by some as favourites to take the British American Football Association Division Two West title after relegation from the Division One last year but came up against a stubborn Somerset side making their league debut. 

Mathematically, the Exiles could still qualify for the play-offs because they have five matches left, but that is a remote prospect. Flynn says he has identified the players he wants to keep, those who are in the ‘maybe’ category and the new signings he is keen to bring in. “It’s clear we need strikers,” said […]

Max Kilman, Maidenhead United’s 20-year-old defender, kept Wrexham’s play-off hopes alive when he scored for Maidenhead four minutes into injury time. London-Born Kilman struck with the winner against Wrexham rivals Dover Athletic – and that kept the Dragons in seventh place and still in the play-off places. Wrexham have two matches left and must win […]