Rugby Union News
The Welsh Rugby Union will complete a rare distinction of providing a full house of officials when defending U20 Six Nations champions England host France in Bath in the second round of the championship. Ben Breakspear will be the man in the middle at the Recreation Ground with fellow countrymen Ben Connor and Mike English […]
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Newport condemned arch-rivals Cardiff to their first home defeat of the season as they enhanced their position in Super Rygbi Cymru with as 27-20 win at the Arms Park. The five precious points came thanks to stubborn defensive effort in the final 10 minutes as the Blue & Blacks threw the kitchen sink at the […]
The post Jac Lloyd guides Newport to SRC derby win in Cardiff appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
Female athlete power on social media became ever more strident in 2024 – but the backlash also damaged careers and wellbeing
Lina Nielsen remembers the moment she had the idea. She was sitting around the Olympic Village in Paris with her sprinting teammates – and she was bored. “I said to Yemi Mary John: ‘I’m gonna make this TikTok’,” Nielsen recalls. She took herself to her bedroom, got out the flip phone each athlete had been given and typed into an Excel spreadsheet: “Where you at? Holla at me.”
Her five-second spoof of Kelly Rowland’s music-video texting fail took hardly longer than that to make. It also got 8m views. “It’s funny that the videos that do that best are the ones you don’t put any effort in,” says Nielsen with a laugh. She is still trying to make sense of the fact that her TikTok channel was the most popular of any British athlete at the Games, beating even the knit-tastic Tom Daley in second place. At the end of the Olympic fortnight her channels had been viewed by more than the Australian and German teams combined.
Continue reading...Gwalia Lighting won the opening Welsh derby of the Celtic Challenge league campaign over a young Brython Thunder side 42-22 in the first of two festive Welsh derbies at Ystrad Mynach this afternoon. A crowd of more than 500 turned up for a traditional and typically physical and bruising Welsh derby in the new home […]
The post Gwalia Lightning claim bragging rights in opening derby clash appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
First, a simple stat: Bristol notched a 10th consecutive away win in the Premiership. A record for the league. Impressive. Second, another: they scored the most points any team have ever registered against Leicester at Welford Road, as much as any have ever scored against the Tigers anywhere in the Premiership. Impressive again, and this time beginning to hint at what went on here.
But, really, numbers are inadequate. In an extraordinary era of attacking rugby in the Premiership, Bristol must be ranked the most outrageous of them all. They should be listed as a national treasure. Rugby when played like this becomes an art, an entertainment that does not require any grounding in the sport to enjoy.
Continue reading...It’s not often that a coach is the centre of attention in a Welsh derby match, but all eyes will be on Mark Jones as he takes charge of the Ospreys for the first time following the midweek departure of Toby Booth. Everyone knew the former Wales wing would be taking over the reins at […]
The post Jones ready for the step-up at Ospreys appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
It’s not often that a coach is the centre of attention in a Welsh derby match, but all eyes will be on Mark Jones as he takes charge of the Ospreys for the first time following the midweek departure of Toby Booth. Everyone knew the former Wales wing would be taking over the reins at […]
The post appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
The young backs who have been lighting up Super Rygbi Cymru this season have dominated the headlines – Steff Emanuel, Tom Bowen, Huw Anderson and Tom Florence – but last weekend a forward got in on the act. Newport second row Nick Thomas made his Dragons debut off the bench in their EPCR Challenge […]
The post SRC derby weekends add extra spice to Christmas appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
Scotland U20 hung on to a first half lead to win 45-43 against a resurgent Wales U20 this afternoon at the Riverside Stand at Hive Stadium. Captain Johnny Ventisei and Ollie McKenna scored two tries as Scotland raced out to a 38-10 scoreline at half time, but Wales bravely reeled them in with five second […]
The post Heartbreak for Wales U20s after second half revival appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
Gwalia Lightning and Brython Thunder have named their teams for the opening fixture and the first Welsh derby of the festive period for the Celtic Challenge clash at Ystrad Mynach on Saturday, December 21st (2.30pm) The sides selected are full of proven Welsh international talent and the rising stars and potential Welsh internationals of the […]
The post Gwalia Ligthning and Brython Thunder name team for festive derby appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
Wales full-back Cam Winnett has signed a contract extension at Cardiff Rugby ahead of the 2025 Guinness Six Nations. The 21-year-old penned a long-term contract at the beginning of the year but has now extended his commitment. His news follows on extensions for fellow homegrown teammates Liam Belcher and Ben Thomas. “I’m so happy to […]
The post Winnett signs on for more at the Arms Park appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
Warren Gatland has been challenged to lead Wales to success in the 2025 Guinness Six Nations, after CEO Abi Tierney’s review into national squad performances under his second tenure in charge to date was completed. Tierney presented findings of a meticulous and far-reaching review into the high-performance element of the senior men’s game in Wales […]
The post Gatland’s New Year challenge appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
Nigel Walker has resigned from his position as Executive Director of Rugby for the Welsh Rugby Union, with immediate effect. Huw Bevan, who is currently interim performance director, and community director, Geraint John, will assume Walker’s executive duties in the short term with a new Director of Rugby to be recruited in the New Year. […]
The post Walker stands down appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
Momentum may be with the Scarlets, but Dwayne Peel knows his side can take absolutely nothing for granted when they head to the Swansea.Com for the Christmas cracker derby against Ospreys. The two teams come into the game having suffered very different fortunes this season. The Scarlets are one point off the play-off places in […]
The post Peel ready to pounce on wounded Ospreys in west Wales derby appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
Jotham Russell switched from Tweed Heads Seagulls to the Pats’ practice squad and dreams of making the grade
By Gavin Willacy for No Helmets Required
Desperate to find breakthrough international stars, NFL talent scouts seem to have found two avenues well worth pursuing. Of the athletes in the league’s International Player Pathway (IPP) in 2024 and 2025, the latter group was announced last week, around half were rugby players of both codes from Australia or athletes with Nigerian heritage. In Jotham Russell, the NFL have both.
A year ago, Russell was pursuing his rugby league career at Tweed Heads Seagulls in Queensland’s Hastings Deering Colts competition. Identified as a potential NFL player, by January he was at trials for the IPP program at the IMG Academy in Florida. The Australian with Nigerian heritage survived the Rookie Camp in May and pre-season to sign for New England Patriots’ practice squad, watching an NFL game from the sidelines for the first time when the Pats lost to Jacksonville at Wembley in October. It has been a bewildering whirlwind.
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