LATEST NEWS
Warren Gatland Bets The Lot On Red No.8
Warren Gatland is banking on Taulupe’s 100+ cap experience providing his young Welsh side with a real boost in confidence as they seek to beat Italy in Rome in Round 2 of the Guinness Six Nations championship. The 34-year-old Cardiff Rugby No 8 has returned from his latest injury misery to pick up his 105th cap at Stadio Olimpico at the weekend in a vital clash for both nations.
Forget The Super Bowl . . . and Remember Sardis Bowl Back In 1975
America, and viewers across the world, will gather for the Super Bowl on Sunday. Twm Owen looks back 50 years to when an American Football game was the biggest show in one Welsh town. You would expect the history of American football in Wales to start in the 1980s when William ‘the Refrigerator’ Perry of the Chicago Bears became a household name and amateurs from Cardiff to Swansea and Caernarfon to Prestatyn took to the gridiron.
Warren Gatland Looks To Taulupe Faletau To Lift Desperate Wales
Taulupe Faletau will play his first game for Wales since the 2023 Rugby World Cup after being named on Thursday in the starting line up for their vital Six Nations clash with Italy in Rome on Saturday. In a boost for beleaguered Wales coach Warren Gatland, Faletau's selection is one of two changes to the side that was heavily beaten in Paris last Friday in the opening game of this year’s tournament. Wales are on a run of 13 defeats and were they to extend that beyond this weekend, it would make Gatland’s position begin to look untenable as well as see the side slip below Georgia to 12th in the world rankings.
“Harmless” Wales Have Never Had So Few Sharp Teeth
There are some words in sport that can really hurt. One of them was uttered by a French rugby pundit last Friday night, moments after Wales had succumbed to a 43-0 defeat in their opening Six Nations match against France.
Darcey Harry In A Hurry As Women’s Open Looms
Welsh golfer Darcey Harry starts her professional career on the Ladies European Tour this week – with the AIG Women’s Open in Wales as her number one target for the season. The event will be at her home club, Royal Porthcawl, at the end of July, and will be the biggest female sporting event ever held in Wales with the world’s top stars descending on the South Wales coast for the first men’s or women’s Major held in Wales.
Italy v Wales . . . A Brief Modern History
The 2025 Guinness Six Nations championship is well underway and after a whitewash defeat in Paris last week, Wales will be looking to avoid another loss. Warren Gatland’s men are striving to put behind them what happened against France and aim to record their first win of the tournament – and first in 13 matches – against Italy in Rome.
Nelson Jardim Pays Tribute To Newport County Godsend Nick Townsend
Newport County head coach Nelson Jardim was a relieved man after his side took a vital step towards securing their League Two status. The County boss was content with a tense 2-1 victory over relegation-threatened Morecambe at Rodney Parade.
James Botham Tells Wales To Fire More Bullets As Rome Showdown Looms
James Botham has told his Wales teammates they must quickly put behind them the disaster of their opening night in Paris as they prepare for a crucial Six Nations encounter against Italy in Rome on Saturday. The Cardiff flanker has stressed the need to move forward after their 43-0 loss to France in Paris, which extended their losing streak to 13 matches dating back to the 2023 World Cup.
Swansea City Insist At Least Matt Grimes Gap Has Been Filled By Lewis O’Brien
Luke Williams insists new signing Lewis O’Brien can help fill the Matt Grimes-sized hole in Swansea City’s midfield. Swans head coach Williams had talked enthusiastically about bringing in a raft of players at the start of the January transfer window.
Will Alves Can Fill Missing Link, Says Cardiff City Boss Omer Riza
Omer Riza believes new loan signing Will Alves can fill a missing piece in his team’s armoury. The Bluebirds completed a busy transfer window by securing the loan signing of Leicester City forward Alves until the end of the season.
Emyr Phillips
Scarlets Hoping Black Lion Won’t Mean Another Dark Day
By Graham Thomas
It was the defeat that launched a thousand jokes.
Most of them, it has to be said, based around the same suggestion that Black Lion were a pub team, rather than the best club in Georgia.
This time last year, the Scarlets lost at home to the Georgian team whose... Read More
Scarlets Bid For Uplift After Season Of Struggle And Farewells
This time 20 years ago, the Scarlets were busy winning what was then the Celtic League and everything in their garden looked, well . . . scarlet. But 2024 appears very different to 2004 and the current side are reaching the end of their season 14th out of 16 teams... Read More
Matthew Rees . . . From Test Lion To Rookie Coach Chasing Another Cup Scalp
Former Wales captain Matthew Rees will lock horns with his old Scarlets rival Emyr Phillips in the Specsavers National Cup this weekend. Not so long ago, Rees was Wales’ first choice hooker and a Test Lion, while the player challenging him for a starting spot at his region was Phillips.... Read More
Pontypridd And Carmarthen Quins Speak Up For Club Rugby While World Cup Booms From Afar
The World Cup may be underway, and the regions are preparing for their own campaign, but grassroots club rugby somehow has to keep its voice heard, too. Kasey Rees went to Sardis Road to hear how Pontypridd and Carmarthen Quins are doing just that in the new Indigo Welsh Premiership.... Read More
Scarlets Hooker Emyr Phillips To Switch From Playing To Coaching
Scarlets and Wales hooker Emyr Phillips announced he will retire at the end of the season at the age of 31. It comes just a day after his teammate Tom Grabham, 26, also revealed he was finishing playing due to a knee injury. Phillips has also suffered more than his... Read More