Former Wales defence and forwards coach Leigh Jones has been appointed as the new rugby performance director for the Scarlets. In this role, Jones will once again collaborate with head coach Dwayne Peel. Their professional relationship dates back to when Jones was part of the Wales coaching team under Graham Henry, who awarded Peel his first cap in 2001.

Australia veteran Kurtley Beale has been ruled out of the Test series against Wales with a ruptured Achilles that needs surgery, in a massive blow to the returning playmaker. The 35-year-old, back in the Wallabies squad for the first time in three years, hobbled off during a low-level domestic fixture at the weekend with scans confirming the serious injury.

Former Newport hero and ex-Fiji head coach Simon Raiwalui, who led the team at last year’s World Cup, has been hired by the New South Wales Waratahs to the newly created position of director of performance. The ‘Tahs finished bottom of the Super Rugby table this season, which led to the departure of coach Darren Coleman.

Warren Gatland has been told he needs to start winning but has been backed to stay in his job by the Welsh Rugby Union. Gatland’s Six Nations flops face Australia next week in the first of two summer Tests that could prove critical to his survival chances. The New Zealander is on the ropes after seven straight defeats and that will become nine – equaling his worse sequence in 26 years of coaching – if Wales lose both games to the Wallabies.

Wales coach Ioan Cunningham believes his team deserved their double reward after “keeping their foot on the throat of Spain.” Cunningham watched as Carys Cox helped herself to a hat-trick of tries as Wales comfortably qualified for the Rugby World Cup in England next year and ensured they will be heading to Cape Town to compete in Tier 2 of the WXV tournament later in the year. That good news that came out of a hard-fought 52-20 win over Spain at Cardiff Arms Park.

Wales entertain Spain at Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday with two tournaments at stake. Following regional qualifying, the identity of the 18 teams that will compete in the second edition of the fledgling WXV competition this September and October is already known.

Top five in the world . . . that’s the ambitious target the Welsh Rugby Union have set for the men’s and women’s teams in their shiny new strategic plan. Warren Gatland’s team – on the back of seven successive defeats – are currently 10th in the world rankings, while Ioan Cunningham’s side are eighth.

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.

A headline strategy for the entirety of Welsh rugby – long on ambition, but short on detail – has been unveiled by the Welsh Rugby Union with stark warnings about the financial obstacles that must be overcome. The Union have outlined five key targets for the next five years: ensuring the men’s and women’s national teams consistently rank in the top five globally, having the regions contend in play-offs, increasing the number of active participants, achieving financial sustainability at all levels, and enhancing the percentage of the Welsh public with a positive view of Welsh rugby.

You don’t have to tell Carys Phillips how difficult Saturday’s opponents Spain are going to be for Wales when the two teams clash at Cardiff Arms Park (kick-off 2.00pm) in a massive WXV play-off match. The Harlequins and Wales hooker was captain the last time the two teams met in a friendly at Madrid University in 2019. It ended with a crushing 22-5 victory for the home side.

Ellis Bevan has become the latest Welsh scrum-half to have been produced by Cardiff Met, following in the footsteps of some of the very best No 9s in the business. Where Clive Rowlands, Gareth Edwards, Clive Shell, Brynmor Williams and Gareth Cooper went before him, three of them going on to become British & Irish Lions, Cardiff scrum-half Bevan took his first tentative steps on the international stage in Wales’ defeat to South Africa at Twickenham.

Former rugby league star Regan Grace has been named in Wales’ 34-strong squad to tour Australia. Grace, who has only played two senior games of union for his club Bath, recently linked up with Wales’ training group after Ospreys wing Keelan Giles suffered a groin injury and was ruled out of the three-match trip. Grace, who scored 89 tries for St Helens during a league career that saw him feature in three Grand Final-winning teams, is under contract with Bath until the end of next season.

Wales’ under pressure coach Warren Gatland could offer a tour spot to Australia to former rugby league star Regan Grace, despite the wing having played only two senior games of union. Grace was called into Wales’ training following Keelan Giles’ injury, and the Bath player immediately impressed, with Wales assistant coach Jonathan Humphreys describing him as an “X-factor” player.

Coach Tom Brindle hailed his players as Wales women created history by qualifying for their first Rugby League World Cup 2026.

Aaron Wainwright believes that Wales’ Twickenham appointment with South Africa is an important staging post on the road to the 2027 World Cup. Wales’ resources have been severely tested for Saturday’s encounter with several players either unavailable because the game falls outside World Rugby’s summer Test window so England-based players cannot be considered, injured or rested.

Taine Plumtree will be bidding for a family London double this weekend – but it will require a massive upset by Wales for him to achieve it. Last month, Plumtree’s father, John, coached the Sharks to a memorable 36-22 triumph against Gloucester in the Challenge Cup final at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Regan Grace has been described as an “X-factor” player following his shock call-up to Wales’ summer training squad. Former rugby league star Grace, who has only played two senior games of union, could now travel to Australia for a tour highlighted by Tests against the Wallabies on July 6 and 13.

Mike Phillips admits his time as a racehorse owner was “disastrous” but that will not prevent the former Wales and Lions rugby hero from helping Ffos Las Racecourse celebrate their 15th birthday this weekend. Phillips will deliver the wisdom and wit derived from a 12-year, 94-cap career with Wales – plus five more with the Lions – when he performs in a Q and A session at the course on Sunday.

If patience is a virtue, then Warren Gatland must think Wales supporters are the most virtuous people in the world. How else do we explain the head coach’s continual reference to building a team ready for the next World Cup?

Wales winger Jasmine Joyce is set to become the first British rugby player to appear at three Olympic Games after being included in Team GB’s sevens squad for Paris 2024. Joyce, 28, who helped Britain finish fourth at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, and Scotland centre Lisa Thomson are the only non-English players selected in a 14-strong squad.