Rugby Union News
Head coach Richard Whiffin has confirmed his Wales U20 men’s matchday squad to face England in the final round of the 2025 U20 Six Nations at Cardiff Arms Park this Friday. (KO 7.30pm, S4C). Whiffin has made four changes to the starting line-up, two enforced due to suspensions, in a side looking to deny England […]
The post Wales U20 name side to face England appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
The Ireland prop Andrew Porter insisted “I haven’t done anything wrong” as he hit back at France’s head coach Fabien Galthié amid the fallout over Antoine Dupont’s season-ending knee injury.
Les Bleus’ captain – widely regarded as the world’s best player – faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament during his country’s 42-27 Six Nations win in Dublin. France were furious with the incident which caused the injury, with Galthié branding it “reprehensible” as he announced his intention to refer Porter and his Ireland teammate Tadhg Beirne to the citing commissioner for possible retrospective punishment.
Continue reading...England are braced for a “hostile” welcome on and off the field in Cardiff when they head across the Severn Bridge for the final Six Nations instalment this weekend. The lock Ollie Chessum has not forgotten some of the abuse directed at England’s players by Welsh fans two years ago and he suggests it will “rev up” the visitors for the game at the Principality Stadium on Saturday.
Chessum, who was named player of the match after his side’s seven‑try win against Italy on Sunday, says England are determined to finish their campaign on a high note and are fully prepared for the “special” reception they receive before Six Nations games in Cardiff, most recently in 2023.
Continue reading...
Matt Sherratt hailed Wales ‘brave effort’ in picking up two points from their 35-29 defeat to Scotland at Murrayfield. His side were trailing by 27 points seven minutes into the second half having conceded five tries, but they hit back to outscore their hosts three tries to one in the final 40, notching a bonus-point […]
The post Sherratt hails Wales’ ‘brave effort’ appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
Nobody would have predicted Cardiff going to Llandovery and scoring a magnificent seven tries in a 52-19 win to take them back to the top of the Super Rygbi Cyrmu table – not even their own top brass! Cardiff Rugby academy manager Gruff Rees was the first to admit he never expected to see a […]
The post Cardiff move back to the top of SRC table with stunning win appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
Pontypool head coach Tom Hancock was the first to admit that his heart was in his mouth when Aberavon scored their sixth try in a helter-skelter Super Rygbi Cymru game to take a 39-38 lead with only six minutes left on the clock. Even the die-hard Pooler fans thought that was that as a hush […]
The post Lucky 13th try of helter-skelter SRC game wins it for Pontypool appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
Oscar Jégou’s fine Dublin performance brings into focus the potential impact of forwards who can play anywhere
The Six Nations title is still theoretically on the line entering the final weekend. But, let’s be honest, if France display the same power against Scotland as they did against Ireland in Dublin there is only one probable outcome. Even minus the unfortunate Antoine Dupont, now facing a long lay-off because of damaged knee ligaments, France have frightening reserves of strength and depth.
How good, for example, was the young back-row forward Oscar Jégou after he arrived off the bench to replace the centre Pierre-Louis Barassi? The 21-year-old from La Rochelle did not simply make a try-scoring impact; he made every specialist centre in the competition shift uneasily in their seats. Why bother with a subtle, ball-playing 12 or 13 when you have a 6ft 3in Superman who makes old-school positional orthodoxies redundant?
This is an extract taken from our weekly rugby union email, the Breakdown. To sign up, just visit this page and follow the instructions.
Continue reading...
Scarlets wing Tom Rogers and Cardiff Rugby wing Josh Adams have been released from the Wales senior men’s squad. Rogers sustained a fractured thumb against Scotland at the weekend that requires surgery, while Adams is released due to a hamstring injury in training that requires a period of rehabilitation that will be undertaken at his […]
The post Wales senior men’s squad update appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
Listen to Fin Smith wax lyrical about the Wales head coach Matt Sherratt, the influence he had during their days together at Worcester and the debt of gratitude he feels is obvious. Accordingly, Smith sent Sherratt a message of congratulations when he was handed the Welsh reins on a temporary basis after Warren Gatland’s departure. “I texted him saying all the best,” said Smith, “and he said: ‘Eff off, I’ll see you in a few weeks.’”
Sherratt’s reply was entirely in jest – “it was nice to know he’s not changed since he got the big job” – and Smith is only too aware of the threat Wales pose to England’s outside chance of clinching the Six Nations title in Cardiff on Saturday. Defeat by Scotland was a 16th in a row but Sherratt has Wales playing a far more eye-catching brand of rugby. In what is due to be his final match in charge they would love nothing more than to end their miserable losing run against England.
Continue reading...
Dewi Lake wants Wales to give interim head coach Matt Sherratt the perfect send-off with a win over England at a passion-packed Principality Stadium on Saturday. “Matt has been excellent and it would be great to send him out on a high note for the work that he’s put in over the past four weeks, […]
The post Lake looking for perfect send-off appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
Brython Thunder clinched an impressive third win of the campaign against Glasgow Warriors in Round 10 of the Celtic Challenge at Parc y Scarlets on Sunday afternoon. The young Welsh side crossed for six tries with wing Eleanor Hing, centre Hannah Bluck, Hannah Lane, who grabbed a brace of tries, centre Gabby Healan and lock […]
The post Brython Thunder finish with flourish appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
After three years of post-Covid meandering and New Zealand domination, Super Rugby has sprung back into life in 2025 with signs that the southern hemisphere provincial championship is once again a genuine competition.
After a torrent of tries and entertaining but close games over the first three rounds of Super Rugby Pacific, round four marked a real sea-change with three of the four New Zealand teams in action beaten.
Continue reading...Antoine Dupont, France’s talismanic captain and the player widely considered to be the best on the planet, has said that he ruptured cruciate ligaments in his right knee during his team’s win against Ireland in the Six Nations on Saturday.
“The heart hurts even more than the knee when you have to leave your friends before the last step,” Dupont posted on Sunday on Instagram. “I am proud of what we accomplished yesterday and with all my strength with you, you will do it. Rupture of the cruciate ligaments. This is the beginning of a new challenge, I’ll see you in a few months on the field.”
Continue reading...Ollie Sleightholme scored twice as England got a bonus-point victory to boost their slim hopes of snatching the Six Nations title
They’ve gone 60 metres in a flash! After Varney was isolated and spilled in contact, England were up the field in no time. First Daly with a strong counter down the left. Then Freeman down the right wing after another break. Then it was about continuity and Willis steamed onto a short pass. He was short of the line but reached out a meaty arm to dot down. Smith with the extras and England are up and running.
2 min: England go short with the kick-off but Italy are wise to it. A bit of kick tennis ends with an English line-out back in their own half. A decent strike off the back of it makes yards with Lawrence busting over the gainline, but the Italians swarm and win a penalty on the ground. They’ll have the line-out in English territory.
Continue reading...Matt Sherratt hailed Wales ‘brave effort’ in picking up two points from their 35-29 defeat to Scotland at Murrayfield. His side were trailing by 27 points seven minutes into the second half having conceded five tries, but they hit back to outscore their hosts three tries to one in the final 40, notching a bonus-point […]
The post Sherrat hails Wales’ ‘brave effort’ appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.