By Simon Thomas For much-travelled Irishman JJ Hanrahan, the Dragons is proving to be a real home from home. The 30-year-old utility back came on board from French club Clermont Auvergne over the summer and has helped the Welsh side make an encouraging start to their BKT United Rugby Championship campaign. He was used to […]

There has been even more nostalgia than usual in Welsh rugby this year. The national team’s largely disappointing performances sent many minds (including thise of the Wesh Rugby Union) back to the era of Warren Gatland, a golden era to many, but not always viewed as one at the time. The passing of Phil Bennett in June gave us all a chance to see clips of those wonderful Wales, Llanelli and Lions teams he was a part of, as well as, of course, his role in ‘that try’ for the Barbarians.

Players at Wales’ four regions are being “detrimentally impacted” by the financial uncertainty surrounding their futures, the Welsh Rugby Players Association (WRPA) have claimed. A failure to reach an agreement between the professional sides and the Welsh Rugby Union about their funding for the coming years has led to a freeze in contract talks. “The ongoing delay however is having a detrimental effect on the wellbeing of players and potentially the performances across the regions,” the WRPA said.

Huw Taylor believes the Dragons will pull off one of their greatest ever victories if they can storm the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday lunchtime. The England-born flanker will be part of a Dragons outfit who will bid to topple the URC champions in Port Elizabeth in a match that is live on S4C. The Welsh region gave a good account of themselves in a 33-25 defeat to the Lions last week in the first of their three matches in South Africa.

By David Williams Morgan Morris is fast emerging as a talisman for the Ospreys out in South Africa and his ball carrying ability will be much in demand against a wounded Sharks side in Durban. While the Ospreys were picking up a try bonus-point in their 43-26 defeat to the Bulls in Pretoria in Round […]

Former Wales forward Alix Popham believes rugby is still not dealing with the problem of head injuries – and fears a generation of young players are going to ignore the sport. Popham, who won 33 caps between 2003 and 2008 and played in two World Cups, was diagnosed two years ago with probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy at the age of just 40. He says the rugby authorities are “not learning” from the ongoing experience of players and studies linking rugby to brain injury.

Siwan Lillicrap has announced her retirement from international rugby. The 51-times-capped back five player has been Wales Women squad captain since November 2019 and played a major role in the transition to professionalism last year. She was one of the first 12 players to receive a full-time contract but has opted to leave Test rugby.

Ieuan Evans has vowed to modernise the Welsh Rugby Union, but without neglecting the community game after being appointed chair of the WRU. The decorated former Wales and British & Irish Lions wing, who also chairs the Lions Board, takes over from Rob Butcher who served two-years at the helm but stood down after the WRU’s recent 2022 Annual General Meeting. Evans follows inaugural chair Vernon Pugh QC, Glanmor Griffiths, David Pickering, Gareth Davies and Butcher to become the WRU’s sixth chair since 1993.

Warren Gatland will demand a cool £500,000 for nine months work to rescue Wales in the run-in to next year’s World Cup. Gatland is the man the Welsh Rugby Union want to turn to should they decide to replace Wayne Pivac. Gatland’s successor has won just three out of 12 matches this year and watched his team undermine his survival chances when they surrendered a 21-point lead to lose 39-34 at home to Australia on Saturday.

By Graham Thomas Jac Morgan has been tipped as a future contender for the role of Wales captain by former Wales coach Mike Ruddock. Morgan has been one of the few shafts of light in a dark autumn for coach Wayne Pivac, whose team end their November catalogue against Australia on Saturday. Ospreys flanker Morgan, […]

By Graham Thomas Wayne Pivac is a former copper, so he knows the law. And the law is this: There is only one thing that protects a national rugby or football coach through the tough times – results. A coach can be the shrewdest man-manager, he can schmooze the media, or play a clever political […]

By David Williams Winning your first cap for Wales is always a great moment but for Josh Macleod it was extra special. The 26-year-old has overcome numerous injury setbacks to finally achieve his dream of playing for Wales. Back in 2021 the Scarlets openside was selected to start for Wales against Scotland at Murrayfield but […]

By David Williams Neil Jenkins insists Wales are desperate to right the wrongs of their Georgia defeat against Australia on Saturday. Wales will be hoping to end their Autumn Nations Series on a high against a dangerous Wallabies outfit at the Principality Stadium but will have to significantly improve. And Wales skills coach Jenkins is […]

It’s not up to me, guv. That was the gist of Wayne Pivac’s reaction to arguably the most embarrassing defeat in the history of Welsh international rugby. Four months ago, the Wales national coach was being hailed for achieving something no predecessor had even managed – a Test victory over the Springboks in South Africa.

Taulupe Faletau has never been short of belief in Wales – so he reckons this could be a big month for the rugby and football teams. Asked how he thinks Robert Page’s men might do at the World Cup in Qatar, the Wales No.8 says: “Well, hopefully, they’ll bring it back! “You have to have a bit of belief along the way. They left from the Vale (Resort) and we were around so we gave them a little wave to show our support.”

By David Williams Owen Watkin says Wales will have to front up physically against Georgia if they are to unleash their potent back-division this Saturday. Wales’ pack were impressive during last weekend’s hard-fought 20-13 victory over Argentina where they enjoyed 58 percent of territory against the abrasive Latin Americans. Georgia will pose a similar challenge […]

By Paul Jones Wayne Pivac has urged his Wales side to back up last weekend’s victory over Argentina with another strong performance against Georgia this Saturday. Wales have had some tough test matches against Georgia in recent years, and Pivac is expecting another tough encounter.  “We’ve looked at them very closely and I think they are […]

By David Williams Josh Macleod will make his Wales debut against Georgia on Saturday – as a No.8 – as one of six changes made by coach Wayne Pivac that includes the return of wing Josh Adams. The Scarlets forward, who is normally a flanker, has been selected at No. 8. with Jac Morgan, who […]

Louis Rees-Zammit insists the hard edge Wales showed against Argentina has to be there for every Test they play. The Gloucester player thrived at full-back at the weekend as he came through his positional switch from wing thanks to lessons on a laptop with Leigh Halfpenny. Rees-Zammit admitted the heat was on Wales, but the hard sweat of a 20-13 victory over the Pumas has to be only the start.

Justin Tipuric has admitted Wales were rightly trashed after their thrashing by the All Blacks and it fuelled their defiant victory over Argentina. The Wales captain gave an honest assessment of the criticism he and his squad received after the defeat to New Zealand – in which they leaked eight tries – and revealed how the players used it as motivation to overcome a dangerous Pumas team, 20-13. “We knew last week we’d have a lot of stick and rightly so, but this just shows the character in the team to bounce back,” said Tipuric.