One of the jewels in Cardiff’s sporting crown will attract athletes from across the globe to the capital on Saturday. Some of the world’s finest runners, including the man dubbed “Europe’s fastest teenager” will compete in the annual Cardiff Cross Challenge at Llandaff Fields on the outskirts of the city centre.

Ioan Cunningham has left his position as Wales Women’s head coach by mutual agreement. Cunningham’s departure after three years at the helm follows a recent turbulent spell in the Welsh women’s game that saw the Welsh Rugby Union’s handling of now completed contract negotiations fiercely criticised.

Wales coach Warren Gatland has named uncapped Scarlets wing Blair Murray in his team for Sunday’s Autumn Nations Series opener against Fiji. New Zealand-born Murray steps into the Test match arena after just six games for the Scarlets.

Craig Harrison has urged his New Saints side not to get too down-hearted after they suffered a 2-1 defeat at Shamrock Rovers in their latest Europa Conference League tie. TNS had led 1-0 but the Irish side came from behind to beat the Cymru Premier champions at Tallaght Stadium.

Majority owners Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan are moving to sell their controlling stake in Swansea City. Fellow shareholders Andy Coleman, Brett Cravatt, Nigel Morris, and businessman Jason Cohen are set to take over ownership.

Former Welsh rugby writer Steve Bale, one of the most respected and well-travelled sports reporters of the past four decades, has died at the age of 72 after losing a battle with illness. A classically trained journalist, he progressed from the newsroom at the Neath Guardian in his home town to work for the Swansea Evening Post, South Wales Argus, Western Mail, The Independent, The Sunday Express, Daily Express and finally the Sunday Times.

Wales start their Autumn Nations Series campaign this weekend, but Sunday’s match against Fiji is unlikely to be the critical one. Granted, Warren Gatland’s team have not won for over a year and have slipped beneath the Fijians in the world rankings – to 11th, one place lower than the South Seas Islanders. But things change quickly in rugby and the Fiji that were hammered 57-17 last week by Scotland did not bear much resemblance to the hard-edged team that reached the quarter-finals of last year’s World Cup before they were narrowly beaten by England.

Cardiff City’s bubble has burst and interim manager Omer Riza has admitted it did not deserve to float beyond Luton. The Bluebirds lost 1-0 at Kenilworth Road, popping a seven-game unbeaten run and inflicting a second defeat on Riza in his eight-game spell in charge. Whether the result affects his chances of being given the permanent manager’s job remains to be seen, but a slip back down to 21st place in the table – above the bottom three on goal difference – cannot have helped his cause. 

For a cyclist who enjoys spending his down time away from the bike watching movies, the past year has read like a film script for Stevie Williams.

Luke Williams believes Swansea City have turned a corner and “become a team with an identity” as they moved to within two points of the Championship play-off places. The Swans head coach was in upbeat mood after watching his team secure back-to-back victories following a gritty, but deserved, 1-0 win at home to fifth-placed Watford.

Chepstow Racecourse hosts its annual Military Raceday at the track on Wednesday as part of an action-packed eight-race Jumps card. Racing gets underway at 12.20pm with a conditional jockeys’ handicap chase before the card comes to a close at 4.05pm as ten runners take on the class five bumper contest.

Wales manager Craig Bellamy has likened “streetwise” Harry Wilson to South American trio Carlos Tevez, Javier Mascherano and Luis Suarez. Former striker Bellamy played alongside all three players – with Tevez at Manchester City and Mascherano and Suarez in two different spells at Liverpool – during his colourful career at the top level.

Welsh jump jockey Alan Johns has won a top award after becoming the new face and voice of horse racing. Johns, who rides for the Tim Vaughan stable in the Vale of Glamorgan, has won the Jockeys Education and Training Scheme (JETS) Progress Award in recognition of his burgeoning media career.

Wales have welcomed back Daniel James and Rubin Colwill for their final Nations League games against Turkiye and Iceland. James has yet to play for new boss Craig Bellamy after suffering a hamstring injury in August.

Will Rowlands insists the bell has rung and “school time is over” for Warren Gatland’s Wales squad. The 33-year-old Racing 92 giant is back in the Welsh fold after taking a summer off and missing the three Test defeats against the Springboks and Wallabies (twice) that took the current international losing streak up to nine.

Harry Wilson has earned huge praise from Fulham manager Marco Silva after the Wales star proved his club’s inspirational matchwinner against Brentford. Wilson – who will be named in the Wales squad on Tuesday morning for the upcoming Nations League matches – claimed a superb second-half added time brace to earn a 2-1 victory over Brentford.

Newport head coach Tyron Morris has questioned the Welsh Rugby Union’s decision to shut down Super Rygbi Cymru for most of November. Morris’s Black and Ambers currently sit third in the new semi-professional structure, behind leaders Cardiff and Ebbw Vale.

Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson has admitted his team have to “take it on the chin” after they were dumped out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle. Harrogate pulled off the biggest upset of the opening round on Sunday as the Sky Bet League Two side beat League One high-flyers Wrexham 1-0 to reach the second round.

Omer Riza has revealed he held “constructive talks” with Cardiff City’s board as he edges closer to his ambition of being given the manager’s job on a permanent basis. Cardiff scored two late goals to snatch a dramatic 2-1 win at home against promotion-chasing Norwich City at the weekend.

Filo Tiatia will be given a chance to prove he should be the man to step up and take permanent charge at the Dragons. The former All Blacks forward, who joined the Dragons as defence coach this summer, will now call the shots as interim head coach after their decision to part company with Dai Flanagan.