Leigh Halfpenny will bring 17 years of wisdom and leadership to Harlequins next season, according to their coach, Danny Wilson. The former Wales and Lions full-back – now 35 – has joined the London club ahead of the new season, along with former Wales prop Wyn Jones.

Ruby Evans came agonisingly close to becoming the youngest Welsh Olympic medalist in history. The 17-year-old Cardiff gymnast played a pivotal role as Great Britain defied expectations in the women’s team gymnastics final in Paris to finish fourth, just outside the medals.

Cardiff City manager Erol Bulut reckons he’s signed an all-rounder who can deliver the vital ingredient for the club next season – goals. Bulut revealed his excitement after the Bluebirds secured the signing of Ivory Coast striker Wilfried Kanga on a season-long loan.

Matt Richards had hardly had his latest, second, gold medal hung around his neck before Wales’ greatest swimmer in history was talking about a third. Richards, James Guy, Tom Dean and Duncan Scott retained their men’s 4×200 metres freestyle relay title to give Team GB their first Olympic gold of the Paris Games in the pool.

Wales international Isobel Kelly won her second major event of the season by adding the Welsh Girls title to the UNDERRATED championship she claimed earlier in the season. The Welsh Boys title was won by Oswestry’s Isaac Jones, in the events held at Wenvoe Castle Golf Club near Cardiff, beating Thomas Richardson who was his roommate this month when playing together for Wales at the European Boys Team Championships.

Their Champions League dreams may be hanging by a thread after a 5-0 hammering in Budapest, but Welsh champions The New Saints still believe there is plenty to play for in their second qualifying round, second leg clash with Ferencvaros at Park Hall on Tuesday night (7.00pm kick-off). The Hungarian champions of the past six years proved too strong on the night and in front of a near capacity 23,700 crowd at the Groupama Arena last week they gave their new head coach Pascal Jansen plenty to smile about.

The Flat season continues apace at Ffos Las this week with a six-race card on offer on Tuesday evening. Racing gets underway at 6.05pm with an 11-runner handicap in class six before rounding off at 8.40pm with another class six handicap, this time over the one mile and six furlong distance.

Matt Richards was as graceful in accepting a silver medal as he was thunderous through the water as he became the first Welsh athlete to win a medal at the Paris Olympic Games. Richards – widely recognised as the top prospect for Welsh gold – fell agonisingly short of that goal as he finished second in the final of the men’s 200m freestyle.

The former Llanelli, Wales and British & Irish Lions utility back Peter Morgan, who went on to become chair of Pembrokeshire County Council, has died at the age of 65 after battling a brain tumor. A multi-talented player, he won the first of his four Welsh caps as a replacement centre against Scotland in Cardiff in 1980 at the age of 21. He started at outside-half against Ireland two weeks later.

Ruby Evans was watched by Tom Cruise as Britain’s women’s gymnasts kicked off their campaign to become Paris Olympic box office hits. And the Cardiff teenage sensation admits she saw the funny side of Hollywood royalty seeing her fall ‘flat on her face.’

In a match dominated by the ball, the Oval Invincibles made it two from two, beating the Welsh Fire by 10 runs in an exciting encounter in Cardiff. Although they only posted 113 for 9, the Invincibles’ stellar bowling unit tore through the Fire, with the hosts never looking like chasing down the modest total.

Anna Hursey believes she can take valuable experience from her Olympic Games debut, despite losing her first round match in Paris. The 18-year-old Team Wales Commonwealth Games bronze medalist, ranked world number 103, put up a brave fight before losing in five games against world No 28 Manika Batra of India.

Rosie Eccles admitted she was “really, really shocked” after her Olympic dream was ended at the first hurdle following a hugely controversial points decision defeat. The Team Wales Commonwealth champion of 2022 appeared to have done enough to comfortably overcome the challenge of Poland’s Aneta Rygielska in the women’s 66kg boxing. But the Great Britain fighter suffered a split-decision loss that left most spectators in the arena in Paris stunned at the outcome.

Josh Tarling has already switched focus to the men’s road race after suffering Olympic heartbreak in Paris in the time trial. The young Welsh star showed his ability to move on quickly to his next challenge even though he had been devastated by missing out on a medal due to a puncture at the start of Saturday’s race. Tarling missed the bronze medal by just 2.16 seconds, with the puncture causing him to lose crucial time and momentum after a bike change.

Anna Hursey intends to add to the teenage triumphs of 2024 when she makes her Olympic Games debut in Paris on Sunday. The 18-year-old will become the first Welsh athlete to compete in table tennis at an Olympics, although making history is nothing new to the veteran of two Commonwealth Games.

Josh Tarling will be gunning for Olympic gold in Saturday’s road time trial, and plans to reward himself with a McDonald’s if he pulls it off. The 20-year-old Tarling is the fresh-faced emerging star who is being tipped by many to pip the likes of world champion Remco Evenepoel, Filippo Ganna and Wout Van Aert to win on the streets of Paris this weekend.

Welsh coaching guru Osian Roberts is spending his summer watching the seeds he has planted across Europe come into full bloom. It might have been a very different few months for Roberts had he not decided to withdraw himself early on from the race to succeed Rob Page as Wales manager.

If you were to pick two players from the past 20 years who have done more than anyone to personify and showcase Welsh rugby to the wider world, then Shane Williams might be one. The other would probably be Jasmine Joyce.

Welsh Rugby Union chairman Richard Collier-Keywood insists Warren Gatland has his “full support”. The head coach is under significant pressure following a run of nine consecutive international defeats, including all five matches at the 2024 Six Nations.

Rosie Eccles will join Lauren Price, Muhammad Ali, Floyd Mayweather and Lennox Lewis as boxers who have appeared at the Olympics, with a new generation of fighters eager to follow in their footsteps in Paris. Eccles, 28, has finally made it to the Games after overcoming illness and injuries that scuppered her bid to be alongside fellow Welsh fighter Price in Tokyo three years ago.