Cardiff and Scarlets have both welcomed back a host of international players for their United Rugby Championship derby clash at the Arms Park on Boxing Day. Both sides have endured a rough time over the past month having to isolate both in South Africa, and back in the United Kingdom. Cardiff won the hearts and minds of supporters across the globe with their heroic performances against Toulouse, and Harlequins, respectively in Europe over the past few weeks with a team made up of academy and semi-professional players. But the Scarlets have not played a game since beating Benetton in October, and are raring to go. Lloyd Williams and Rhys Priestland will start at half-back for Cardiff, with Ben Thomas partnering Rey Lee-Lo in midfield.

By Rob Carbon The United Rugby Championship could be thrown into disarray if the tournament organisers can’t provide guarantees on a safe, secure and speedy passage home for the four teams they now expect to relive their recent traumatic travel experiences to and from South Africa. The four teams who found themselves stranded in Cape […]

By Steffan Thomas The versatility tag has been a hindrance for many players, but Seb Davies believes it can help him add to his 13 Wales caps. Davies began his career as a second row but has developed into a utility forward who is now able to play blindside flanker, and No 8. Many versatile […]

Cardiff and the Scarlets are facing a massive joint hotel bill of £250,000 as well as major disruption to their European campaigns if they are forced to self-isolate in hotel quarantine for 10 days following their troubled trip to South Africa. The Scarlets have made it back as far as Belfast – via Durban, Cape Town and Dublin – but their whole party is now in a UK government-approved isolation hotel as they await further news. Cardiff, however, are still in South Africa, with two of their group having tested positive for Covid-19 at the weekend, with one of those cases suspected to be the Omicron variant that sparked travel restrictions on flights from South Africa to the UK.

By Paul Jones Gareth Baber is looking forward to being back in Cardiff this weekend, even if his aim is to make it a jolting Sunday afternoon for most in his home town. Baber will return as coach of Fiji with an aim to spring a surprise by making it three defeats in successive autumn […]

By Tom Prosser Taulupe Faletau says he is “looking forward” to returning to Welsh regional rugby after agreeing to join Cardiff Rugby from Bath. The 30-year-old will remain at Bath for the rest of the season and will then return to Wales after completing a five-year stint across the border. Faletau has been a dominant force at number eight since bursting onto the international scene in 2011.

By Alex Bywater Cardiff Rugby and Wales full-back Hallam Amos caused a shock last week when he announced he was retiring from professional rugby at the end of the season aged just 27. Amos has been studying to become a doctor alongside his career at the highest end of the sport but will call it quits on his on-the-field career come the summer. Amos won 25 caps for Wales scoring six tries and he featured in two Rugby World Cups in 2015 and 2019 after making his debut against Uruguay in Cardiff in the first of those two tournaments.

By Steffan Thomas Willis Halaholo is desperate to represent Wales at the 2023 Rugby World Cup and believes Cardiff’s no excuse culture can help him achieve his goals. After excelling at regional level for the past four seasons Halaholo finally made his Wales debut in February’s Six Nations win against Scotland and having played an […]

By Rob Carbon Newly appointed Cardiff Rugby captain Josh Turnbull is set to realising a teenage ambition of playing in one of the world’s most exciting rugby tournaments when he leads his side into the United Rugby Championship. The Wales back-row man believes the expanded, 16-team competition, which will include the top South African franchises […]

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.