Category: Rugby

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‘Little bits of magic create tries’ – England’s Tommy Freeman on wing wizardry, epilepsy and not always being the best player growing up

Card tricks are not the only sleight of hand the Northampton flyer will hope to show as Saturday’s opening Six Nations contest against Ireland looms

When the moment is right Tommy Freeman still loves performing the magic card tricks he first learned at school in Suffolk. It is always fun finding fresh “victims” and on the Eurostar back from an away game in Paris this month it was the turn of Northampton’s young scrum‑half Archie McParland to be left open-mouthed by his teammate’s sleight of hand.

Now you see it, now you don’t. Coincidentally that happens to be Freeman’s super-strength on a rugby field as well. His club coach, Sam Vesty, long ago spotted him as the type of player who makes most impact when he backs his instincts. A keen hockey player in his youth, Freeman possesses the spatial awareness to pop up in places his opponents are not anticipating.

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Never say die Drovers’ stage magnificent SRC Cup fightback

Llandovery overturned a 21-point deficit in the second half to earn a stunning comeback triumph over Cardiff in their Super Rygbi Cymru Cup Pool A opener at Church Bank. Right wing Llian Morgan ran in a hat-trick with left wing Ilan Phillips, No 8 Nathan Hart and a penalty try also on the scoresheet for […]

The post Never say die Drovers’ stage magnificent SRC Cup fightback appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

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RGC win 13 try, 96 points SRC Cup thriller against Aberavon

RGC director of rugby Josh Leach praised his side after they opened their SRC Cup campaign in style by coming from behind to defeat Aberavon 54-42 in a thrilling Pool A clash at Parc Eirias. Flanker Dan Owen, hooker Rhodri King and full-back Dion Jones all bagged braces, with scrum-half Dan Roderick and replacement Jessie […]

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Twenty-five years on from Italy’s big entrance, the Six Nations’ pizazz never fades

In February 2000, the newcomers surprised Scotland and a quarter-century of highlights remind us of the tournament’s enduring power

It is more than 140 years since England beat Wales in the very first match of the old Home Nations championship, 2-0 at St Helen’s in Swansea in 1883, and there is an old man in the back bar of the Kings Head who will tell you that the English winger’s foot was in touch when he scored the winner.

Even the modern-day championship’s getting on. The Six Nations is 25 this year. The tournament brought in Italy and they marked the occasion by beating Scotland 34-20 in their first game. Diego Domínguez, their little wizard of a fly-half, kicked three drop goals and 29 points in total, and Scotland have not had a relaxed flight out to Rome since.

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Freddie Steward backs decision to introduce 20-minute red cards in Six Nations

  • Full-back says new rule gives fans value for money
  • Steward studies Australian Rules Football for technique

Freddie Steward has praised the Six Nations’ decision to introduce 20-minute red cards in this season’s championship, hailing it as “good for the game”. The England full-back was shown a red card against Ireland in Dublin two years ago which was subsequently rescinded and he believes the game’s increasingly fine margins makes the new initiative a fairer solution.

Under the new approach, England would now be able to replace Steward with another player after 20 minutes rather than having to play the rest of the match at a numerical disadvantage. “The bunker stuff is really good,” insisted Steward. “It has such a significant impact on Test matches, as you saw in that game. It needs to be the right decision because it shapes campaigns for teams. You can lose games on a decision. It really kills you. I am glad they have taken strides to get it right.”

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Jones impressed with Edwards ‘brilliant mentality’

Ospreys head coach Mark Jones has given Dan Edwards’ selection in Warren Gatland’s Guinness Six Nations squad a big thumbs up. The 21-year-old Ospreys outside half had been due to train with Wales during the Autumn Nations Series but injury prevented him from doing that. Since then he has bossed the Ospreys side and led […]

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Gritty Gwalia Lightning climb to second spot

Gwalia Lightning’s 27-29 victory against Edinburgh has seen them move up a spot to second place on the Celtic Challenge table after a nail-biting fifth round clash at Hive Stadium this afternoon. Wales centre Kerin Lake made her debut for Gwalia Lightning against Edinburgh with the lead swapping numerous times during a closely fought contest. […]

The post Gritty Gwalia Lightning climb to second spot appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

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Wales’ Dafydd Jenkins: ‘It’s about getting a bit of pride back in the badge’

Lock on a daunting Six Nations, handling injury, why Welsh players should play in the Premiership and family pressure

The Six Nations is no place for the weak or the meek. Particularly not on a frantic Friday evening in Paris when Wales, last year’s wooden spoonists, have to enter the bubbling cauldron of the Stade de France. The pumped-up hosts will be scenting dragon’s blood and the task awaiting the visiting pack will be formidable in anybody’s language.

Cometh the hour, cometh the hard men. It is the reason why Dafydd Jenkins, the lock who became the youngest captain in Six Nations history last season, believes age matters less than attitude. “There’s pressure but if you can’t handle that you shouldn’t be there,” murmurs the 22-year-old. When the going gets tough, Jenkins is the type of player who relishes the battle even more.

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Sparrow ready to fly in SRC Cup for Llandovery

Tiaan Sparrow’s rugby rehabilitation will take another step forward when he plays for Llandovery in the Super Rygbi Cymru Cup competition. The teenager is named among the replacements for the Drovers for their Round 1 clash at home against Cardiff. The league campaign has been halted while so many of the players turn out for […]

The post Sparrow ready to fly in SRC Cup for Llandovery appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

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Ollie Lawrence: ‘If you don’t dream big, you’re never going to get anywhere’

The centre on why England believe they can beat Ireland in their Six Nations opener and how his apology to fans over Alex Mitchell incident backfired

“That’s a good question,” Ollie Lawrence says as he ponders the reasons why England have lost five of their previous six Tests, even though they were in a position to turn each of those defeats into a precious victory. “I think if I had the answer to that then … ”

The Bath and England centre pauses, lost in thought, and then laughs when I suggest that if he could reel off an immediate answer he would be on his way to becoming Test rugby’s next head coach. “Exactly. I think the main thing for us is seeing off games. We’ve been in the lead, or in a position to win after 60 minutes, in all of those games. So it’s making sure we play the game fully from now on. We’ve hopefully learned our lessons and, going into this Six Nations campaign, we can push on and put things to bed when we’re in the lead.”

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Lake and Grady latest to commit future to Welsh pro clubs

Dewi Lake and Mason Grady may be missing from the Wales squad for the 2025 Guinness Six Nations but they have both committed their long-term futures to their professional clubs by signing new contracts. Lake has followed fellow international Jac Morgan in re-signing for the Ospreys, while Grady has put pen to paper on a […]

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Six Nations is the shining light of rugby and so much this year is hard to predict | Ugo Monye

From Ireland’s shot at history to Italy’s raised expectations, the 2025 championship has all the ingredients to rival past classics

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Six Nations and what strikes me on the eve of the tournament is how much of a reassuring presence on the calendar the championship has become. The World Cup is a wonderful tournament but there is debate over how many teams should feature, the Champions Cup has been tinkered with in terms of format and the Premiership has undergone changes, whether it be the number of teams or the absence of promotion and relegation. Against that backdrop, having a tournament as consistently familiar as the Six Nations is special.

Whether you’re a supporter, an administrator, a player or a broadcaster, we all believe that the Six Nations is the shining light of rugby. It is the one tournament where there is a unified belief that it is still the greatest competition. In the coming weeks we’ll have 10s of millions of viewers watching our sport, it is our moment in the spotlight.

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Lake all set for Gwalia Lightning debut against Edinburgh

Gwalia Lightning have named the side to face Edinburgh in Celtic Challenge Round 5 at the Hive Stadium, Edinburgh, on Sunday, January 26th (KO:11:30am). The Welsh side hit the road to the Scottish capital determined to build on their remarkable comeback win against Glasgow Warriors in Round 4. The Lightning scored a try with the […]

The post Lake all set for Gwalia Lightning debut against Edinburgh appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.