1 month ago
The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has hit back at claims the women's programme is a financial drain on the men's game.
WRU women's rugby director Nadine Griffiths said allegations she had read on social media that a region is to be cut because of investment in the women's game were "embarrassing".
And she added the women's game had in fact made money for the governing body.
The Union has had a professional women's programme since the start of 2022 and there are now more than 40 contracted players.
But plans to axe one of the four men's professional regions - most likely Scarlets or Ospreys - has stirred hostility.
#union #nadine #griffiths #scarlets
WRU women's rugby director Nadine Griffiths said allegations she had read on social media that a region is to be cut because of investment in the women's game were "embarrassing".
And she added the women's game had in fact made money for the governing body.
The Union has had a professional women's programme since the start of 2022 and there are now more than 40 contracted players.
But plans to axe one of the four men's professional regions - most likely Scarlets or Ospreys - has stirred hostility.
#union #nadine #griffiths #scarlets
1 month ago
Scarlets have released summer signing Chris Apoua after the forward ruptured an Achilles in training.
The 34-year-old tight-head prop signed for the Llanelli-based club in August from Super Rugby side Moana Pasifika.
But the veteran, who has played provincial rugby in New Zealand with Northland and Southland, suffered a serious injury soon after linking up with Nigel Davies' squad and will miss the entire 2026-27 season.
"The club can confirm that Chris will be returning to New Zealand and we wish him well with his recovery," read a Scarlets statement.
Director of rugby Davies will now ***** s the market in a bid to add to his front-row options for the upcoming United Rugby Championship (URC) campaign.
#club
The 34-year-old tight-head prop signed for the Llanelli-based club in August from Super Rugby side Moana Pasifika.
But the veteran, who has played provincial rugby in New Zealand with Northland and Southland, suffered a serious injury soon after linking up with Nigel Davies' squad and will miss the entire 2026-27 season.
"The club can confirm that Chris will be returning to New Zealand and we wish him well with his recovery," read a Scarlets statement.
Director of rugby Davies will now ***** s the market in a bid to add to his front-row options for the upcoming United Rugby Championship (URC) campaign.
#club
2 months ago
Wales centre Eddie James has signed a new contract with Scarlets.
After making his international debut in 2024, James became a Wales regular in the 2025-26 season under head coach Steve Tandy and now has 11 caps to his name.
The 24-year-old still had a year to run on his existing contract but has committed early to his home region.
"Growing up in the region and supporting the Scarlets as a youngster, the club means a huge amount to me," said James.
"It's home - and so it was an easy decision to extend my contract and I am delighted to be staying on at Parc y Scarlets."
#wales #home #tandy
After making his international debut in 2024, James became a Wales regular in the 2025-26 season under head coach Steve Tandy and now has 11 caps to his name.
The 24-year-old still had a year to run on his existing contract but has committed early to his home region.
"Growing up in the region and supporting the Scarlets as a youngster, the club means a huge amount to me," said James.
"It's home - and so it was an easy decision to extend my contract and I am delighted to be staying on at Parc y Scarlets."
#wales #home #tandy
2 months ago
Former Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones is poised to return to the Ospreys as a director.
The 40-year-old is set to be announced as a board member by the Swansea-based club next week.
Jones made his Ospreys debut in 2005, a year after he broke through with Swansea RFC, and helped the club to three ****** les and an Anglo-Welsh Cup triumph.
The former lock is to return at a turbulent time as the club fights for survival under Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) plans to cut to three professional men's sides.
WRU-owned Cardiff and privately-backed Dragons are poised to get licences, which will effectively pit Ospreys against Llanelli-based Scarlets for a solitary spot in the west.
#swansea #poised
The 40-year-old is set to be announced as a board member by the Swansea-based club next week.
Jones made his Ospreys debut in 2005, a year after he broke through with Swansea RFC, and helped the club to three ****** les and an Anglo-Welsh Cup triumph.
The former lock is to return at a turbulent time as the club fights for survival under Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) plans to cut to three professional men's sides.
WRU-owned Cardiff and privately-backed Dragons are poised to get licences, which will effectively pit Ospreys against Llanelli-based Scarlets for a solitary spot in the west.
#swansea #poised
2 months ago
Scarlets managing director Jon Daniels has called for greater transparency from the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) as their future hangs in the balance.
Welsh rugby's governing body has outlined its plans to cut the number of professional teams from four to three by 2028, with Cardiff and Dragons set to be given licences.
That announcement has plunged Scarlets and Ospreys into doubt, with the west licence either being awarded to the Llanelli-based side or the Swansea-based rivals.
Daniels dismissed the notion that a merger between the teams - which was close, but ultimately scrapped in 2019 - is a consideration at this stage.
"There is currently no merger proposal on the table, so no, that is not an active discussion," said Daniels.
#merger
Welsh rugby's governing body has outlined its plans to cut the number of professional teams from four to three by 2028, with Cardiff and Dragons set to be given licences.
That announcement has plunged Scarlets and Ospreys into doubt, with the west licence either being awarded to the Llanelli-based side or the Swansea-based rivals.
Daniels dismissed the notion that a merger between the teams - which was close, but ultimately scrapped in 2019 - is a consideration at this stage.
"There is currently no merger proposal on the table, so no, that is not an active discussion," said Daniels.
#merger
3 months ago
The Welsh Rugby Union has confirmed it will cut one of its four men's professional teams from the 2028-29 season, with Scarlets and Ospreys set to fight it out to survive.
The WRU says one of its teams will be based in the capital Cardiff, one in the west and the east.
It means one of the two regions in the west, Scarlets or Ospreys, will be defunct, with Cardiff and Dragons offered the respective capital and east licences.
"The WRU board has examined in detail a range of factors when determining the three future licence areas and has confirmed that only incumbent teams will be considered eligible for a licence," a WRU statement said.
The licensing framework and the licence award process will begin in December 2026 and conclude by the end of the 2026-27 season at the latest.
#scarlets #ospreys #confirmed
The WRU says one of its teams will be based in the capital Cardiff, one in the west and the east.
It means one of the two regions in the west, Scarlets or Ospreys, will be defunct, with Cardiff and Dragons offered the respective capital and east licences.
"The WRU board has examined in detail a range of factors when determining the three future licence areas and has confirmed that only incumbent teams will be considered eligible for a licence," a WRU statement said.
The licensing framework and the licence award process will begin in December 2026 and conclude by the end of the 2026-27 season at the latest.
#scarlets #ospreys #confirmed
3 months ago
OTTUMWA — You never know when an opportunity will arise.
Quinn Larsen, for example, took full advantage of an opportunity to produce a power surge like few Ottumwa hitters have experienced. Stepping up with the first game of an Iowa Alliance Conference south division doubleheader at Des Moines East on the line, Larsen connected on the first of five home runs in six trips to the plate including a game-winning home run against the Scarlets and a two-run home run in a 7-1 win over ninth-ranked (4A) Fort Dodge.
The power surge helped spur Ottumwa to six wins in seven games at a key point of the season. The run not only helped the Bulldogs reach 20 wins in a season for the sixth straight summer, but helped Ottumwa to secure at least one extra home game this season as the Bulldogs prepare to host Iowa City High in a Class 4A, Substate 8 first round contest on Friday.
"It's a really good way to look at it. Our doubleheader with Iowa City Liberty didn't have to be our last two home games of the season," Larsen said. "If we played our best baseball, we knew we could earn this opportunity."
While the results weren't always in Ottumwa's favor, the lessons learned from a competitive schedule that featured 12 games against teams that spent time in the Class 4A statewide rankings this season. Three straight conference wins over Des Moines Roosevelt and Des Moines North, in which the Bulldogs outscored the Roughriders and Polar Bears 43-11, helped Ottumwa secure its 15th winning season in 16 years despite opening with four straight losses to top-10 opponents West Des Moines Valley and Indianola.
Quinn Larsen, for example, took full advantage of an opportunity to produce a power surge like few Ottumwa hitters have experienced. Stepping up with the first game of an Iowa Alliance Conference south division doubleheader at Des Moines East on the line, Larsen connected on the first of five home runs in six trips to the plate including a game-winning home run against the Scarlets and a two-run home run in a 7-1 win over ninth-ranked (4A) Fort Dodge.
The power surge helped spur Ottumwa to six wins in seven games at a key point of the season. The run not only helped the Bulldogs reach 20 wins in a season for the sixth straight summer, but helped Ottumwa to secure at least one extra home game this season as the Bulldogs prepare to host Iowa City High in a Class 4A, Substate 8 first round contest on Friday.
"It's a really good way to look at it. Our doubleheader with Iowa City Liberty didn't have to be our last two home games of the season," Larsen said. "If we played our best baseball, we knew we could earn this opportunity."
While the results weren't always in Ottumwa's favor, the lessons learned from a competitive schedule that featured 12 games against teams that spent time in the Class 4A statewide rankings this season. Three straight conference wins over Des Moines Roosevelt and Des Moines North, in which the Bulldogs outscored the Roughriders and Polar Bears 43-11, helped Ottumwa secure its 15th winning season in 16 years despite opening with four straight losses to top-10 opponents West Des Moines Valley and Indianola.
4 months ago
The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has delayed revealing details of how they plan to reduce a professional side.
In April, the WRU confirmed that proposals to go down to three men's professional teams would not happen until 2028 after the deal with Ospreys owners Y11 Sport & Media to buy Cardiff from Welsh rugby's governing body fell through.
The WRU said it was pushing on with controversial plans to cut from four to three and that they would provide details of how it would be achieved by the end of June, with Scarlets, Ospreys, Dragons and WRU-owned Cardiff waiting for the proposals.
The governing body now says that will be done in the "coming weeks" as they focus on appointing a new chair to replace the outgoing Richard Collier-Keywood.
They say this recruitment process will be completed over the summer and the new chair will be in post before the next WRU annual general meeting (AGM) in November.
In April, the WRU confirmed that proposals to go down to three men's professional teams would not happen until 2028 after the deal with Ospreys owners Y11 Sport & Media to buy Cardiff from Welsh rugby's governing body fell through.
The WRU said it was pushing on with controversial plans to cut from four to three and that they would provide details of how it would be achieved by the end of June, with Scarlets, Ospreys, Dragons and WRU-owned Cardiff waiting for the proposals.
The governing body now says that will be done in the "coming weeks" as they focus on appointing a new chair to replace the outgoing Richard Collier-Keywood.
They say this recruitment process will be completed over the summer and the new chair will be in post before the next WRU annual general meeting (AGM) in November.
4 months ago
More turmoil in Welsh rugby has impacted the squad-shaping at Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets ahead of 2026-27.
This season has been played amid uncertainty due to the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) aiming to cut one of the four professional clubs.
The WRU still wants to press on with their proposal but the quartet will remain as they are until at least 2028.
That small amount of clarity has helped coaches retain talent and bring players in, although star names Jac Morgan, Dewi Lake and Aaron Wainwright are heading for new challenges.
BBC Sport Wales rounds up the moves that have been confirmed so far.
This season has been played amid uncertainty due to the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) aiming to cut one of the four professional clubs.
The WRU still wants to press on with their proposal but the quartet will remain as they are until at least 2028.
That small amount of clarity has helped coaches retain talent and bring players in, although star names Jac Morgan, Dewi Lake and Aaron Wainwright are heading for new challenges.
BBC Sport Wales rounds up the moves that have been confirmed so far.
4 months ago
Cardiff hooker Liam Belcher has been ruled out of Wales' summer matches because of a neck injury.
Belcher, 30, was one of four hookers in the original squad named by head coach Steve Tandy alongside Cardiff club-mate Evan Lloyd, Scarlets front rower Ryan Elias and captain Dewi Lake.
Wales say Belcher suffered the injury during Cardiff's United Rugby Championship (URC) quarter-final play-off defeat against Stormers at the end of May and he has failed to recover in time.
No replacement has been announced with Dragons duo Brodie Coghlan and Elliott Dee, who will line up for the Barbarians against Wales this weekend, as potential options.
Cardiff captain Belcher is the third player to pull out of the summer series following injuries to Bath back Louie Hennessey and tight-head prop Keiron ******* iratti.
Belcher, 30, was one of four hookers in the original squad named by head coach Steve Tandy alongside Cardiff club-mate Evan Lloyd, Scarlets front rower Ryan Elias and captain Dewi Lake.
Wales say Belcher suffered the injury during Cardiff's United Rugby Championship (URC) quarter-final play-off defeat against Stormers at the end of May and he has failed to recover in time.
No replacement has been announced with Dragons duo Brodie Coghlan and Elliott Dee, who will line up for the Barbarians against Wales this weekend, as potential options.
Cardiff captain Belcher is the third player to pull out of the summer series following injuries to Bath back Louie Hennessey and tight-head prop Keiron ******* iratti.
4 months ago
Scarlets have signed second row Alex Groves from DHL Stormers and Welsh-qualified full-back Isaac Murray-Macgregor from New Zealand.
Murray-Macgregor, 20, joins Scarlets from the Canterbury and Crusaders pathway.
Former England Under-20s Grand Slam-winner Groves, 25, featured for Scarlets earlier this season as loan cover during two United Rugby Championship (URC) games in South Africa - starting against Lions and coming off the bench against Sharks.
Groves has also played for Bristol Bears, Sale Sharks and Western Province, and at 6ft 9in will add power and bulk to the Scarlets' pack, as well as being a key presence at line-outs.
"I'm really excited to be joining the Scarlets permanently," Groves said.
Murray-Macgregor, 20, joins Scarlets from the Canterbury and Crusaders pathway.
Former England Under-20s Grand Slam-winner Groves, 25, featured for Scarlets earlier this season as loan cover during two United Rugby Championship (URC) games in South Africa - starting against Lions and coming off the bench against Sharks.
Groves has also played for Bristol Bears, Sale Sharks and Western Province, and at 6ft 9in will add power and bulk to the Scarlets' pack, as well as being a key presence at line-outs.
"I'm really excited to be joining the Scarlets permanently," Groves said.
