Wales coach Tom Brindle is confident his team can get past Ireland and either Italy or the Netherlands to make it to their first Women’s Rugby League World Cup. The European qualifiers draw for the 2026 tournament has been completed and sees Ireland and Wales placed together in a group.

Warren Gatland is not only backing Exeter Chiefs lock Dafydd Jenkins to be up to the task of captaining Wales in the Guinness Six Nations, but also to develop into a major player for his country in the build-up to the next World Cup. The 21-year-old Jenkins was named as Wales captain in succession to injury victims Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake, who co-captained Wales at the World Cup in the first half of the season.

Gloucester coach George Skivington believes that star wing Louis Rees-Zammit’s move to American football is not a “reflection on rugby”. Rees-Zammit has rocked the rugby world by quitting a sport which brought him 32 Wales caps and a starring role for the British and Irish Lions on their 2021 tour of South Africa.

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso – the Cardiff-born wing who snubbed Wales – has been included in the England squad for the Six Nations. The 21-year-old Exeter wing is part of England coach Steve Borthwick’s group for the tournament which will be captained by Jamie George.

Warren Gatland admits he has “no idea” if Louis Rees-Zammit will play rugby union again following his switch to American football. While Wales prepare for a Guinness Six Nations opener against Scotland, Rees-Zammit will be concentrating on the NFL’s International Player Pathway in the hope of forging a gridiron career.

Louis Rees-Zammit has been made a 100-1 long shot to score a touchdown for an NFL team before next year’s Superbowl. Rees-Zammit stunned the rugby world when the Wales and Gloucester wing announced he was leaving rugby union for a crack at American football.

Wales coach Warren Gatland has named Dafydd Jenkins as his new captain and five uncapped players in his squad for the Guinness Six Nations Championship. The squad announcement, though, was overshadowed by Wales wing Louis Rees-Zammit being released by Gloucester to pursue his dream of a career in the NFL. Cardiff quartet Cameron Winnett, Evan Lloyd, Alex Mann and Mackenzie Martin, plus Bath prop Archie Griffin, have all been included among a 34-strong group, with Wales kicking off their campaign against Scotland on February 3.

Wales wing Louis Rees-Zammit has been sensationally released by his club Gloucester with immediate effect so he can “pursue his dream” of a career in American football. The Premiership club made the stunning announcement as Wales head coach Warren Gatland prepared to unveil his squad for the Guinness Six Nations Championship. Gloucester said: “Gloucester Rugby have agreed to release winger Louis Rees-Zammit with immediate effect to enable the 22-year-old to pursue his dream of playing in the National Football League.

As we wait for the Welsh Six Nations squad to be announced for the 2024 campaign there are a few interesting selections for Warren Gatland’s coaching team to consider. The general considerations that the coaches will take into account are player form and performance, injuries, balancing experience and youth, versatility, set piece strength, leadership qualities, previous international experience and cultural fit to a Gatland squad.

Adam Beard is favourite to be named Wales’ Six Nations captain on Tuesday lunchtime when coach Warren Gatland reveals his squad for the tournament. Injuries and a new skipper look set to take centre stage when Gatland names his group for the tournament.

Warren Gatland will receive reports on his long list of injured players on Monday before he finalises selection decisions for the Wales Six Nations squad. The head coach is due to announce his group for the tournament on Tuesday lunchtime, but has a raft of players he would like to pick currently unfit.

Former Cardiff coach Danny Wilson was polite and complimentary about his old club but stressed his current Harlequins team can “strangle” any game after Wales’ only representatives in Europe’s top tournament were throttled on their own patch. The Investec Champions Cup tie at the Arms Park could be significant for more than just the 54-15 scoreline and the eight tries scored by Quins. It could well mark the last match in the tournament played in Wales for some time.

Willis Halaholo has five daughters, aged 15, nine, six, four and ten months respectively. So what’s life like at home for the Cardiff Rugby centre and his wife?

Ospreys head coach Toby Booth praised his players for wising up and winning a place in the last 16 of the European Challenge Cup. Full-back Iestyn Hopkins’ two tries helped the Ospreys to a 25-3 win over Perpignan to book a place in the knockout stages of the tournament.

Theo Cabango is hoping his New Year’s wish comes true and he won’t have any more problems with his shoulders. The 21-year-old Cardiff flyer has had bad luck in his first few seasons in senior rugby and been forced to have surgery on both shoulders.

He’s the Dragons highest try-scorer in Europe and only seven off Aled Brew’s regional record of 43, but Ashton Hewitt won’t be able to add to his tally of 36 tries in 125 games this season. Instead, the fleet-footed wing will have to wait for up to nine months before resuming his quest to become the first player at his region to score 50 tries.

The first Six Nations after a World Cup often sees a changing of the guard, with new faces emerging as a fresh four-year cycle begins. This season’s tournament is likely to be another example of that, following the retirement of a number of seasoned campaigners and the rise of a host of talented youngsters who have shone in the BKT URC over the past few months.

Andy Farrell is expected to be named British and Irish Lions head coach for the 2025 tour to Australia on Thursday – in succession to Warren Gatland. A month after agreeing a contract to remain in charge of Ireland until the end of the 2027 World Cup, Farrell is set to be confirmed as Gatland’s successor in the Lions role at a lunchtime press conference in central London.

England prop Joe Marler has been ruled out of Harlequins’ Investec Champions Cup clash against Cardiff as his arm injury continues to be assessed. It comes amid front-row concerns for England head coach Steve Borthwick ahead of the Guinness Six Nations.

Cardiff have admitted they were unable to compete with the deal Tomos Williams has signed to move from the Arms Park to Gloucester. The Wales scrum-half will move over the border at the end of the season, the latest in a long line of departures of Wales’ top talent from the domestic game.