By Lucy Rees Following the announcement in November last year, the WRU has named the nine women on the brand new retainer contracts for the next 12 months. The announcement follows the 12 full-time contracts given out last week, and the WRU are yet to name up to six more players on retainer contracts. Given […]

By Paul Jones Head coach Wayne Pivac believes that the “wealth of experience” Dan Biggar has will be a key ingredient when he captains Wales in this season’s Guinness Six Nations championship. The Wales boss has appointed Northampton fly-half Biggar to lead his country’s title defence, taking over from an injured Alun Wyn Jones. Jones, […]

By David Williams Dan Biggar has been named as Wales captain for this season’s Guinness Six Nations Championship. The Northampton and Lions star takes over from the injured Alun Wyn Jones, who is among a number of high-profile absentees. Other players not part of the squad due to injuries are Jones’ fellow British and Irish […]

By Paul Jones   Dwayne Peel has admitted there has to be some soul-searching among his Scarlets players after their latest European hammering. The region were thrashed 45-10 by Bordeaux-Begles at the Stade Chaban-Delmas in the third round of the Heineken Champions Cup. It rounded off a bleak weekend for the four Welsh teams in […]

The fans are back in Welsh sport – sort of. A host of smaller football and rugby clubs were able to welcome up to 500 supporters through their gates this weekend and it’s doors fully open everywhere next weekend. It meant some strange comparisons on Saturday, as Owen Morgan discovered when he went to watch Bonymaen RFC. Strange sporting anomalies have become the norm across the globe over the past two years due to Covid regulations. Grand Slam tennis champions deported, fanless FA Cup finals, and an Olympic Games stadium where the only noise was the pounding of the sprinters’ running shoes.

Dai Young has refused to be down-hearted by what appears to be the end of Cardiff’s hopes of making progress to the knockout stages of the Heineken Champions Cup. The head coach has chosen, instead, to look on the bright side of his team’s 36-33 defeat to Harlequins – even though victory was offered up to the English champions in the closing seconds. A mistake by Wales wing Josh Adams, who gave away a penalty when he tried to run the ball from deep with the scores tied at 33-33, was punished by the mercurial Marcus Smith, who had earlier scored a scintillating try to bring his team level.

Sam Davies reckons he has never felt fresher in January and aims to prove it when the Dragons resume their season on Saturday after a month-long break. After four weeks of inactivity, the Newport region finally get back on the rugby field when they travel to Treviso to take on Benetton in the European Challenge Cup. For their playmaker and No.10, it’s an opportunity to show the benefits of a mid-season break and a chance for his team to end a six-match losing sequence, in a must-win clash that is live on S4C.

Rhys Carre admits he is cut from different cloth to Joe Marler – but aims to make sure it is simple Cardiff blue and black that catches the eye on Friday night. England prop Marler is one of rugby’s most colourful and ubiquitous characters. Even when he is not wearing the multi-coloured strip of Harlequins, the bearded, one-time Mohican-haired No.1 tends to attract plenty of attention. Carre, on the other hand, confesses he is a bit more low key. But the Wales international will settle for a a successful job done quietly when Cardiff host Quins at the Arms Park in a match that is live on S4C.

By Steffan Thomas   Nigel Ashley-Jones has worked with some of the best coaches in world rugby from Eddie Jones to Steve Diamond, but he believes Scarlets boss Dwayne Peel could be just as good. Ashley-Jones’ appointment as the Scarlets’ head of physical performance went under the radar somewhat when it was announced last summer. […]

Full-time contracts have been awarded to a dozen of Wales’ leading female players by the Welsh Rugby Union for the first time. Alisha Butchers, Natalia John, Siwan Lillicrap, Carys Phillips, Gwenllian Pyrs, Donna Rose and Keira Bevan, Hannah Jones, Jasmine Joyce, Ffion Lewis, Lisa Neumann, Elinor Snowsill, are the first full-time athletes. The 12-month deals, a first for the women’s game in Wales, came into force this week with players and management based at the National Centre of Excellence.

The Scarlets’ capture of former All Black Vaea Fifita is yet to be confirmed by Wasps head coach Lee Blackett. The significant transfer coup for the New Zealand second row has been secured for next season by the Welsh region, who have been looking for a high quality lock since the departure of Jake Ball. But Blackett has remained tight-lipped about Fifita’s future and claimed: “There’s a lot of rumours out there.

By Steffan Thomas Nick Tompkins insists Wales will see the benefit of his move back to Saracens as he targets his ultimate dream of playing at a Rugby World Cup. The 26-year-old made a fast start to test rugby after being a shock selection for Wayne Pivac’s 2020 Six Nation squad having previously represented England […]

By Graham Thomas Every time Elvis Taione enters the building at the Ospreys training ground, the greeting is always the same. “The boys here, they never say ‘Good Morning’ to me,” reveals the Tongan international hooker. “They just go, ‘Uh-huh-huh!’ and I have to go ‘Uh-huh-huh’ back! “It’s kind of become the routine. But I […]

By Paul Jones Liam Williams says he is excited by what is to come in the next chapter of his career after agreeing a switch to Cardiff for the 2022/23 United Rugby Championship season. The Wales and British & Irish Lions international full-back, who can also operate on the wing, has been signed from Welsh […]

By David Williams Wales should move their Six Nations matches to England, rather than play in front of empty stadia. That’s the view of Exeter Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter, who has backed the views of Welsh players Josh Adams and Louis Rees-Zammit who are both in favour of going over the Severn Bridge. […]

The Welsh Rugby Union remain committed to playing their Six Nations matches in Cardiff and are hoping there is a “domino effect” of relaxed restrictions. Although the WRU have looked at contingency plans to move their matches into England – rather than play them behind closed doors – their priority is to convince the Welsh Government that their three matches can be safely hosted at the Principality Stadium. At present, restrictions imposed by Mark Drakeford’s government mean the three games against Scotland, France and Italy have to take place without fans due to fears over rising Covid rates.

By David Williams Dan Biggar is concerned by the negative impact playing behind closed doors could have on the success of Wales’ Six Nations title defence. The champions’ first home game takes place against Scotland on February 12 but, under Covid restrictions imposed by the Welsh Government, only 50 spectators are permitted to view outdoor […]

Ceri Jones believes he is coaching the most committed rugby players in Wales as RGC prepare for the long New Year trip to Llanelli. The former Dragons coach, who began his stint at the Colwyn Bay-based club in early September, says he has been re-energised by the scale of the Indigo Premiership club’s ambition for the area. RGC 1404 – who face Llanelli at Parc y Scarlets on Monday in a match that is live on S4C – clock up more miles than anyone else in their league and their nine-hour round trip is a  fortnightly ritual.

The American novelist Barbara Kingsolver wrote: “Memory is a complicated thing – a relative to truth, but not its twin.” So, how do you remember recent years of Welsh rugby? Aside from the record books and statistics, what are your memories? And how do they stack up to the truth? In his new documentary, “Slammed”, director Craig Withycombe has attempted to re-tell the events of one of the most tumultuous decades for the national sport – the 10-year period stretched, and lovingly stitched together, between 1998 and 2008.

Dwayne Peel praised his Scarlets players’ resolve after they came from behind to snatch derby day victory over the Ospreys. A late Johnny McNicholl try secured the Scarlets a bonus point 22-19 victory over their arch-rivals in an entertaining encounter in Llanelli. A brace from McNicholl along with tries from Gareth Davies, and Steff Evans got the hosts over the line at Parc y Scarlets. Dan Jones also kicked two points.