Rugby Union News
Gwalia Lightning return home to Wales in Round 6 of the Celtic Challenge looking to do the double over Edinburgh at Ystrad Mynach, on Saturday, February 1st (KO:2pm). The Welsh side sit second in the league table after last weekend’s impressive 29-27 win on the road against the same opponents in the Scottish capital. Welsh […]
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Brython Thunder hit the road again for Round 6 of Celtic Challenge when they travel to Belfast to face Clovers at the Kingspan Stadium on Saturday, February 1st (KO: Midday). The Welsh side is still looking for their first win of this league campaign and face a Clovers side with three wins and mid-table in […]
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Twenty-five years on from the first Six Nations, Murrayfield hosts battle between two teams who have come a long way in a quarter of a century
And so we head back to where it all began. The Six Nations is a quarter of a century old. Wednesday will mark 25 years since its opening fixture on 5 February 2000, but of more visceral significance will be Saturday afternoon’s encounter at Murrayfield between Scotland and Italy, a rerun of that first match, bathed in sunshine, when Italy, the new arrivals, announced themselves to the old championship with a shattering 34-20 win over the champions.
Those not yet in middle age may balk at the phrase “champions Scotland”. But it is true. They were quite often champions back then. In 1999 they won the last Five Nations, outplaying the rest in what must still rank as the greatest championship of them all. England squeaked past them at Twickenham in round two, but Scotland had run rings round them all match, just as they would all-comers that year. When England fell to the most dramatic defeat of them all on the final Sunday, against Wales at Wembley, Scotland were crowned worthy champions, having thrashed France in Paris, no less, the day before.
Continue reading...Wales travel to Japan this July as a two-Test match series against the Brave Blossoms is confirmed. First up Wales head to Kitakyushu where the first Test takes place on 5 July at Mikuni World Stadium. Following that the squad heads to Kobe for the second Test on July 12 at Noevir Stadium which, like […]
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Continue reading...The Wallabies have locked in what looms as a spicy encounter with former coach Eddie Jones and Japan in Tokyo in October, if he’s still in charge.
Wales may be playing away from home against France in the opening round of the 2025 Guinness Six Nations, but for lock Will Rowlands the match at Stade de France will kick-off in the city where he currently lives. Rowlands is playing club rugby at Racing 92 in the Top 14 these days and believes […]
The post Where there’s a Will there’s a way! appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
Abi Tierney has announced a new, streamlined, executive team structure at the Welsh Rugby Union, as she kicks-off her second year as CEO. The new executive leadership team consists of five roles, where previously there were up to nine individuals, and will include a new Chief Growth Officer, a Chief Operating Officer, the Chief People […]
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The Ireland lock Joe McCarthy will miss Saturday’s Six Nations opener against England due to injury. The interim head coach, Simon Easterby, has moved Tadhg Beirne into the second row to replace McCarthy, with Ryan Baird given a rare international start after being named at blindside flanker.
The Leinster fly-half Sam Prendergast is again preferred to Munster’s Jack Crowley, having worn the No 10 jersey for his country’s final two autumn fixtures, victories over Fiji and Australia.
Continue reading...Head coach Richard Whiffin has confirmed his Wales U20 Men’s matchday squad to face France in their opening fixture of the 2025 U20 Six Nations. Wales head to northwest France to tackle the home side on Saturday at Stade de la Rabine in Vannes in the opening round of the championship. (KO 8.10pm, S4C) […]
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The Scarlets ran in another eight tries to add to their seven in the opening game against Cardiff Rugby as they swamped the Dragons at Ystrad Mynach to make it two from two in the defence of their Regional Academies U18 crown. Llandovery College centre Gryff Watkins took his tournament tally to four as he […]
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The tournament looks ferociously competitive and, with attacking verve back in fashion, it promises to be a vintage year
Every now and again it is useful to be reminded of rugby union’s place in the grand scheme of things. “So, what’s next for you?” a non‑sporty friend asked the other day. He must have spotted my raised eyebrow. “Oh, yes, um, it’s the Six Nations, isn’t it?” Even on Planet Zog, inhabited by people who think a cauliflower ear is a tasty veggie option, they have heard of the annual rugby equivalent of Glastonbury.
And, traditionally, that has been the sport’s saving grace. Millions with limited interest in club rugby gather to cheer on the lands of their fathers, grandmothers and wolfhounds. The technical intricacies matter less than pouring a Guinness 0.0 – seemingly the pint du jour – and announcing to no one in particular that England are coming in nicely under the radar.
Continue reading...Before the likes of David Watkins, Barry John, Phil Bennett, Jonathan Davies, Neil Jenkins, Stephen Jones and Dan Biggar made the No 10 jersey so iconic with their world class performances, Welsh outside halves used to wear No 6. And the last man to wear the No 6 on his back was Bryan Richards in […]
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Sydney’s Accor Stadium has been confirmed as venue for the 2027 Rugby World Cup final.
The eyes of the rugby world will again fall on Sydney after it was chosen to host the 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup final, 24 years after the Wallabies’ heartbreaking defeat to England at the city’s Olympic Stadium.
Accor Stadium at Homebush, with a capacity of 82,000, will again host the decider as well as the semi-finals, the third-place playoff and two quarter-finals at the 11th edition of the global showpiece, which will take place in Australia for the first time since 2003.
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