Cardiff coach Matt Sherratt made few apologies for the lack of drama as his team won a 17th successive derby clash against the desperate Dragons. The BKT United Rugby Championship clash between the rivals went the way of all the others in the last nine years, but Sherratt admitted the 16-9 win at Rodney Parade will not live long in the memory.

Jamie Roberts has spoken of his pride after being selected for a new role in Welsh rugby – one of three Independent Non-Executive Directors on the 12-strong WRU Board. Another playing legend, Terry Cobner, is set to take over from fellow Seventies star Gerald Davies as the WRU’s 51st president after next month’s AGM.

Ioan Cunningam has admitted Wales Women are “hurting” after a record 70-7 defeat to New Zealand which former international Alecs Donovan said will have “embarrassed” the players. Cunningham’s team have won plenty of plaudits for their progress over the past couple of seasons, yet they are bottom of their group in the new WXV1 tournament Down Under with one game left to play, against Australia. They were over-run by a New Zealand team who were on a different level as the Black Ferns ran in 12 tries, with just one in reply from Abbie Fleming.

You have to go back to 2 January, 2021 for the last time Zebre won an away match in the BKT United Rugby Championship and last weekend’s opening round defeat to Ulster was their 20th defeat in a row. But Ospreys head coach Toby Booth, who has spent the past week studying the Italian side, knows his team will be in for a battle at the Swansea.Com Stadium in Round 2.

Dwayne Peel insists there is no need to press the panic button as his Scarlets head into another testing United Rugby Championship assignment out in South Africa. Peel’s team conceded nine tries as they went down to a thumping 63-21 defeat at the hands of the Vodacom Bulls at Pretoria’s Loftus Versfeld last Sunday.

Ellis Jenkins admits there are times when he wonders what might have been. But he is also grateful to still be playing the game he loves, after fearing his career was over at one stage. We caught up with the Cardiff Rugby flanker for an in-depth chat as he prepared for Sunday’s BKT United Rugby Championship derby against the Dragons RFC at Rodney Parade.

Dennis Gethin, the former secretary and president of the Welsh Rugby Union, has died at the age of 79. Born in Seven Sisters, he enjoyed a hugely successful career in both rugby and the law. He was the 11th and last secretary of the WRU – the role became CEO in 2002 – and the 40th President of the union, serving between 2007-19.

Leigh Halfpenny has been described as the best defensive full-back in the world by Warren Gatland after the Wales star announced his retirement from Test rugby. Gatland – who took Halfpenny to the World Cup 15 years after first capping him as a teenager – paid a glowing tribute to the 34-year-old who has said he will leave the international game after Wales’ match against the Barbarians on November 4 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. Wales head coach Gatland said: “Leigh has had a fantastic career for Wales, firstly on the wing and then at 15 where he has been brilliant – probably the best defensive full-back in the world and a tremendous goal kicker.

Nigel Walker has insisted the planned global rugby calendar and new tournaments are the result of consultation between players and officials. World Rugby has approved plans to set up a new international league competition for Wales players and those of other nations as part of a radical shake-up of the global calendar.

If the four Welsh regions need reminding of the need to get their Wales World Cup players back in action as soon as possible, it was provided by Glasgow Warriors at the weekend. Glasgow coach Franco Smith spoke of his pride in the Scotland World Cup stars who helped secure a 43-25 victory over Leinster on the opening weekend of the URC season.

Keiron Assiratti will never forget April Fools’ Day in 2023 – it was the day his career suddenly took off. Up until then both he and his fellow prop Corey Domachowski had doubts hanging over their ability, their playing futures and their livelihoods.

Dwayne Peel admitted the Scarlets got what they deserved from their United Rugby Championship opener in South Africa – precisely nothing. The Scarlets coach watched his team get trampled over by the Bulls as they lost 63-21 in South Africa to complete a conspicuous weekend whitewash of four defeats for the Welsh regions.

Toby Booth has admitted his Ospreys team were “a rabbit in the headlights” at Connacht where they lost their United Rugby Championship opener. Booth conceded the visitors gave themselves far too much to do to recover, even though they ran in three second half tries to at least secure a bonus-point against last season’s URC semi-finalists in Galway before losing 34-26. The Ospreys produced a stirring second-half fightback came after they trailed 27-5 at the break, but it still wasn’t enough to stop the home side’s new head coach, Pete Wilkins, marking his competitive debut with a win.

Cardiff coach Matt Sherratt admitted his team got what they deserved after they lost at home to Benetton in their United Rugby Championship opener. The Italians won 23-22 at the Arms Park after they snatched victory following a straight red card given to Cardiff prop Ciaran Parker for a reckless high tackle. The visitors had trailed 19-3 after 32 minutes but went up a gear in the second half to snatch the spoils in the final minute of the match.

With Wales having been mauled by the Pumas at the World Cup, it’s been a week for licking wounds in Welsh rugby. This weekend, though, seven days on after losing to Argentina in the quarter-finals, there is a chance for the domestic game to shows its claws have sharpened when the United Rugby Championship season begins.

The United Rugby Championship (URC) returns this weekend with the four Welsh regions all looking to bed in new recruits and plenty of internal promotions. There will be some familiar faces, but plenty of unknowns, too. To help you on your way, here’s our guide to who’s who and where did what’shisname go?

Shane Williams believes the Scarlets will be the strongest performing Welsh team in the BKT United Rugby Championship this season. The former Wales wing also feels there will be an opportunity for a number of talented youngsters to break through across the four regions.

Wales coach Warren Gatland has named a squad of 23 to take on former captain Alun Wyn Jones and the Barbarians in Cardiff on Nov. 4, with 16 retained players from their Rugby World Cup campaign in France. Gatland, though, will be without a significant number of his leading players through injury and the inability to call on those contracted to clubs in England, France and Japan as the fixture falls outside of the international window.

Hannah Jones will captain Wales and win her 50th cap against Canada in the inaugural WXV1 clash at Sky Stadium, Wellington, on Saturday. Jones was called into the Wales senior squad at the age of 15 and made her full Test debut at 16 in the 39-3 win against Scotland back in 2015.

Warren Gatland is to remain as Wales head coach and lead them to the 2027 World Cup – his fifth in charge. Gatland placed his future in the hands of the Welsh Rugby Union following his side’s World Cup quarter-final defeat to Argentina on Saturday.