Dai Sport

Warren Gatland has earned plenty of plaudits from within rugby for guiding Wales into the quarter-finals of the World Cup – but now they are coming from further afield. As Gatland’s squad put their feet up this weekend and watch other nations slug it out in France, he has received a long-range pat on the back from the darts world.

Alf Dinnie intends to create a fourth slice of Welsh hockey history on Saturday night. The Wales international was part of the Cardiff and Met team as they became the first Welsh men’s club to play in the English Premier Division two weeks ago.

Joe Ralls still remembers the tension surrounding the last time Cardiff City played Rotherham. Back in April the Bluebirds were battling against relegation and headed to The New York Stadium for a must win game against a fellow basement team.

Welsh jockey Alan Johns will saddle up for the Loch Ness Marathon on Sunday – less than 48 hours after he hopes to ride a monster winner at Worcester. Johns will catch a flight from Bristol – and a fast car – to the Scottish Highlands in order to raise funds for Latch, the Welsh children’s cancer charity.

Michael Duff has urged his Swansea City players to seize opportunity as the only way to respond to a devastating triple injury blow. The Swans head coach has thrown down the gauntlet to his whole squad after the loss of Josh Ginnelly, Joe Allen, and Nathan Wood.

Jaz Joyce will play her first match for Wales in almost a year when she returns to the team to face the USA in Colwyn Bay on Saturday. Wales’ most high profile female player missed the 2023 Six Nations, having opted instead for the Sevens circuit, but she has returned home and will start at full-back against the Americans at Parc Eirias.

Wales captain Aaron Ramsey is to seek specialist advice after suffering a knee injury in training which looks set to rule him out of their upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers. The 32-year-old said on Instagram he was "absolutely gutted" after suffering the injury only months after returning to lead his boyhood club Cardiff City, having started six of their eight Championship games and scored three goals.

Gareth Bale will boost the bid from the UK and Ireland to host Euro 2028 by joining the Welsh delegation in Geneva next month. Bale, the Wales men’s team’s most capped player and record goalscorer, retired from football in January after an illustrious career that saw him win five Champions League titles and three FIFA Club World Cups at Real Madrid.

Erol Bulut has confessed he threw any chance of progress in the Carabao Cup out of the window as he wanted to keep Cardiff City’s focus on the Championship road instead. Bulut’s Bluebirds were hammered 5-2 at Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday after the Turkish boss decided to change his entire line-up.

Jac Morgan has gone from part-time rugby player to full-time prospect as potential Lions captain in the course of four years. After his superb leadership of the Wales team so far at the Rugby World Cup in France, Morgan is the name on everyone’s lips.