It was probably fitting that the first team drawn out of the hat for the 30th anniversary Investec Champions Cup tournament next season was that of the reigning champions Stade Toulousain – who won the first title in Cardiff in 1996. The French giants will be hot favourites once again to add to their six titles, the first of which was secured at the old National Ground, Cardiff Arms Park when they beat Cardiff after extra-time.

Ryan Woodman returns to captain Wales in their opening match at the U20 World Championship against New Zealand on Saturday. Having missed the Six Nations through injury, the Dragons back row star has been selected by coach Richard Whiffin, to lead a side with two uncapped players named on the bench, Cardiff centre Steffan Emanuel and Scarlets scrum half Lucca Setaro.

Wales are willing to appoint a non-Welshman as manager for the first time in 25 years. The Football Association of Wales has detailed the criteria required to succeed Rob Page after ending his three-and-a-half-year reign last week and invited “expressions of interest” from potential candidates.

Toby Booth says his Ospreys will be taking on the best team in the URC when they face Munster at Limerick’s Thomond Park in Friday’s opening quarter-final. Booth’s side defied the odds to secure the final spot in the play-offs with a 33-29 bonus point victory over Cardiff on Judgement Day, after a succession of other results had gone their way over the weekend.

It’s Judgement Day for the Ospreys in more ways than one on Saturday and the equation is simple, yet also complicated. Their own objective is clear. To have any chance of making the URC play-offs, they have to secure a bonus point victory against Cardiff at the Cardiff City Stadium in the second game of the double-header.

Filo Tiatia has been backed as the man to finally plug the leaky Dragons’ defence next season. The former Ospreys ‘Galactico’ is returning to Wales as the defence coach at Dragons RFC.

We are now midway through the BKT URC campaign, with all 16 teams having played the first nine of their 18 regular season matches. So as the league returns this weekend with Round 10, how have the Welsh sides fared so far?

Shane Williams says the Scarlets will want to produce a big performance for their discontented fans in the west Wales Boxing Day derby – but he’s predicting an Ospreys victory. The Scarlets went down to a 23-7 defeat at home to Black Lion of Georgia in the EPCR Challenge Cup last weekend, leaving them with just two wins from their nine matches in all competitions this season.

Ask Aaron Wainwright what he does when he isn’t playing rugby and his answer points to a man with an unstinting passion for the game. “I coach down at my local club,” replies the Dragons RFC and Wales back row star.

Wales’ World Cup scrum-halves Gareth Davies and Tomos Williams will go head-to-head in a mouth-watering individual battle at the Arms Park on Saturday when Cardiff host the Scarlets. They are likely to be the frontrunners once again for the No 9 jersey in the Six Nations, so it will be fascinating to see who comes out on top in this derby clash.

It’s been a very eventful year in the life of Cai Evans as his rugby dreams have come true. The young utility back was a bolter selection in Wales’ World Cup training squad and then went on to make a surprise start against South Africa in August, winning his first cap, figuring once more versus the Barbarians earlier this month.

The Dragons have confirmed that former head coach Paul Turner will be returning to the region in a consultancy capacity to work alongside Dai Flanagan and his coaching team. Turner – who previously worked at the club between 2005 and 2011 – is joining the ‘Men of Gwent’ on a part-time basis.