Clover snap Gwalia Lightning’s winning run

Gwalia Lightning’s unbeaten run came to an end in Round 3 of the Celtic Challenge against a formidable Clover side at a cold Kingspan Stadium in Belfast this afternoon. The Irish side’s pack and impressive defence proved too much for the Welsh side as they went down to their first defeat of the this season’s […]

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Newport hoping to hit back in SRC at Church Bank

Newport head back to the ground where they were beaten in last season’s Indigo Premiership final hoping not to suffer a similar fate in the Super Rygbi Cymru. Llandovery ended up as cup and Premiership winners last season and have added a shiny new all-weather playing surface to their Church Bank home since the Black […]

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Premiership rugby is now for the masses not the purists – enjoy it while it lasts | Michael Aylwin

A rerun of last season’s final is a strong start to the year but the domestic game will soon be on hold for the Six Nations

There was a time when the first weekend of the new year meant immersion in what we kindly describe as rugby for the purists. The dark days between Christmas and spring are not easy for anyone, but they are largely responsible for giving rugby a bad name in this part of the world. Ten-man rugby, like asceticism, was pretty much invented for January.

And yet it is a concept that these days feels totally alien to the Premiership. An icy blast this weekend may yet precipitate a sudden tightening of coats, but such sobriety would represent quite the about-turn of current trends.

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Manchester United, Ryder Cup and Lions tour: 12 sport storylines for 2025

Everton’s new stadium, Women’s Rugby World Cup and potentially close Ashes series – new year has much to offer

Next season one narrative will surely dominate F1 when Lewis Hamilton dons his new scarlet race suit and climbs into a Ferrari for the first competitive session at the opening race in Australia. His move from Mercedes after 12 seasons and six titles was a huge shock and this new start could not be more gripping. How will he fare in a new team at the age of 40, a new culture at Maranello, a team that has a history of making and breaking drivers? Better still the prospect of him ending Ferrari’s drivers’ title drought that now stretches back to 2007 and in so doing claiming a record-breaking eighth world championship across three different teams. Or will it be a testing and turbulent opening year, far from his comfort zone? One way or another Hamilton and Ferrari will be impossible to ignore and it’s mouth-watering stuff. Giles Richards

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Arise Sir Gerald! Davies knighted in New Year’s Honours as Phillips gets MBE

The former Welsh Rugby Union president Gerald Davies has been knighted in the New Year’s Honours list for services to rugby union and voluntary and charitable service in Wales. He becomes only the third Welsh rugby international to be honoured in this way following in the footsteps of Sir David William Evans in 1925 and […]

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Ravens get back to winning ways in north Wales

Bridgend head coach Scott Baldwin praised “class act” Luke Price after he orchestrated a stunning six-point, 38-19 win for the Ravens at RGC. Former Ospreys man Price, who was an early replacement for Ben Burnell, who was forced off with a hamstring injury, pulled the strings at outside half for the visitors – while adding […]

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Steelmen take their revenge to say top of SRC

Ebbw Vale avenged their Gwent derby defeat at Pontypool with a thoroughly convincing 34-3 win in the return clash at Eugene Cross Park. Tries from No 8 Ryan Jenkins, skipper Joe Franchi, right wing Harry Rees-Weldon and replacement Ieuan Morris, along with a penalty try, helped secure the maximum six points for Ebbw. Outside half […]

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Arise Sir Gerald! Davies knighted in New Year’s Honours as Phillips gets MBE

The former Welsh Rugby Union president Gerald Davies has been knighted in the New Year’s Honours list for services to rugby union and voluntary and charitable service in Wales. He becomes only the third Welsh rugby international to be honoured in this way following in the footsteps of Sir David William Evans in 1925 and […]

The post Arise Sir Gerald! Davies knighted in New Year’s Honours as Phillips gets MBE appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

Wales captain Dewi Lake a major doubt for Six Nations after biceps surgery

  • Hooker expected to be unavailable for up to 12 weeks
  • Coach Warren Gatland left with a selection dilemma

Dewi Lake is in danger of missing the Six Nations after having biceps surgery.

The Wales captain suffered the injury in training with Ospreys before Christmas and on Monday the region’s head coach, Mark Jones, was able to give a more accurate prognosis. He revealed the 25‑year‑old hooker could be out for as long as 12 weeks, which would rule him out of the entire Six Nations.

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Lightning strike to storm to top of Celtic Challenge table

Gwalia Lightning did the double over Brython Thunder in the second Welsh derby over the festive period in a tense and tight affair at Parc y Scarlets on Saturday afternoon with a 10-0 victory. Wales prop Maisie Davies and fly half Carys Hughes scored all visitors points against their Welsh rivals in Llanelli. Davies scored […]

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Northampton round off memorable 2024 with nine-try rout of Newcastle

  • Northampton 61-0 Newcastle
  • Davison and Pearson excel for champions

Trevor Davison scored two tries against his former club as Northampton returned to form with the thumping victory, running in nine tries in what was their final match of a memorable 2024.

The Saints had lost their last three league games, leaving them eighth and desperately needing to start picking up wins in order to make up ground on the teams above them. This was just the response the champions required as they look to retain the title they won back in June.

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