Cardiff Rugby and Scarlets look set to play their first away games against the new South African franchises in the new United Rugby Championship in Italy. With South Africa still appearing on the ‘red list’ of countries during the Covid pandemic, if the two regions went there to play they would be subject to 10 days in managed quarantine on their return. That would mean they would be unable to fulfil their first round fixtures in the Heineken Champions Cup, which take place on the weekend of 10/11/12 December.

By Steffan Thomas Last March Ethan Lewis found himself surplus to requirements at Cardiff Rugby with his future as a professional rugby player in doubt.  But fortune favours the brave and after a successful loan spell at Saracens the 27-year-old hooker finds himself as a key cog in the English club’s shot at redemption. Having starred for Wales at under 20s level the Treorchy product didn’t get the opportunities he deserved in the Welsh capital, but he is relishing his second opportunity at Saracens. 

Shane Lewis-Hughes has admitted he is almost back to square one when it comes to convincing Wayne Pivac he is the back rower for Wales. Lewis-Hughes, 23, was plucked from relative regional rugby obscurity to make his international debut against Scotland in the rearranged Guinness Six Nations game in October last year. The Cardifff Rugby forward went on to feature in the Autumn Nations Cup against Ireland and England, impressing head coach Pivac and the Wales management not only with his talent, but also his incredible dedication.

Trystan Bevan has become the first “insider” to back the radical plan to limit substitutions in rugby. Bevan – who is high performance co-ordinator at Cardiff Rugby – believes there must be a curb on the number of replacements allowed on the field to make the sport less dangerous. Four-time Lions head coach Sir Ian McGeechan was part of a group of former coaches and players to sign an open letter this week calling on World Rugby to change its rules.

By Tom Prosser Dai Young is determined to lead Cardiff Rugby into a successful but sustainable new era which includes a rebrand off the field and a focus of long-term success on the field. After making well over 100 appearances for the club as a player and a previous eight year stint as director of rugby, there are very few people around who would be in a better position to lead the Blue and Blacks into a new chapter than Young.

By Tom Prosser Matthew Screech insists it was a dream come true to finally win his first Wales cap at the Principality Stadium yesterday. The giant second-row has been consistently excellent for the Dragons over the past few seasons with his all action displays catching the eye of Wayne Pivac.

Dwayne Peel has revealed how the opportunity to coach the Scarlets was too good to turn down and insists he is confident he can get the west Walians firing again. The former Wales scrum-half was recently appointed head coach of the Scarlets, having originally signed a contract to become backs coach at the Cardiff Blues. Peel’s decision to renege on his contract in the Welsh capital was met with outrage in some quarters, but he insists the opportunity to coach his home club was a chance he had to grab with both hands.

Cardiff Blues ended their era as regional originals with Dai Young admitting to the same feeling their fans have often suffered in the past 18 years – frustration. Their last match of the season was also their final one under the identifiable banner as the Blues, a name they have worn with varying degrees of comfort since 2013. From next season, the Blues will be no more and the team in the capital will be rebranded as Cardiff Rugby – name that is as much a wistful look back to the past as it is a bold stride into the future.

Cardiff Blues head coach Dai Young has named a strong team for their final match of the season against Zebre on Saturday – with a hint at the wealth of options he has at his disposal for the future. The Blues’ final match in the Rainbow Cup sees Tomos Williams on the bench after the Wales scrum-half put pen to paper on a new contract, but fellow current internationals Willis Halaholo, Jarrod Evans Cory Hill and James Botham are all set to start. Young is still without many of their star performers – most notably, seasoned internationals, Josh Navidi, Ellis Jenkins and Hallam Amos.

Josh Turnbull has revealed he turned down what would have been a lucrative deal to move to English club rugby in favour of trying to win more caps with Wales. The offer to join a side Turnbull refuses to name came when the 33-year-old forward swapped home region Scarlets for current side Cardiff Blues seven years ago. Turnbull doesn’t regret the decision and he is hopeful his stunning domestic form this season for Cardiff will earn him selection with Wales this summer.

Cardiff Blues have become embroiled in a row over their ambition to retain a strong link with Welsh Premiership side, Cardiff RFC. The Blues are turning back the clock this summer by ditching their appendage and re-branding themselves as simply, Cardiff Rugby. In a further attempt to emphasise their historical roots, they also plan to refer to the current club side as the “Rags” – indicating they want to run them as their official reserve side.

Wales centre Willis Halaholo has found himself at the centre of yet another racism storm. Halaholo, who helped Wayne Pivac’s side win the 2021 Six Nations, qualified for Wales on residency after three years with Cardiff Blues. When he was first selected by his adopted country in November 2019, the Auckland-born centre was targeted for criticism on social media from bigots who believed a Welsh-born player should have been picked instead – even though he had fulfilled all the requirements.