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Prop Javan Sebastian has signed a new contract with the Scarlets. The 26-year-old tight-head has featured in every Guinness PRO14 match this season and also came off the bench to make his mark in the Heineken Champions Cup victory over Bath in December. Having come through the Scarlets academy system, Sebastian was capped by Wales at U18s level and has played for Carmarthen Quins in the Welsh Premiership.

Cardiff City captain Sean Morrison says new manager Mick McCarthy can provide the lift the team needs after a season of under-achievement so far. The Bluebirds skipper has been impressed by McCarthy and his assistant Terry Connor since they joined the club last week.

Mick McCarthy is relishing the prospect of taking charge of his first game as Cardiff City manager against his home town club Barnsley on Wednesday night. But after being impressed with the response of his players since succeeding Neil Harris, McCarthy knows the tri to Oakwell represents the real thing.

Former Wales and Swansea captain Ashley Williams has announced his retirement from football. The 36-year-old defender confirmed the news that his career, which saw him play across all levels of English football, has now come to an end. Williams made 86 international appearances which included captaining Wales to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 where they were beaten by the eventual winners of the competition, Portugal.

There may still be uncertainty over the Tokyo Olympics, but Welsh hopefuls are having to keep fingers crossed and compete for qualification where and when events allow. For Welsh table tennis No.1 Charlotte Carey that means heading to Portugal next month and a chance to ruffle some feathers, as she tells Graham Thomas. If Charlotte Carey can show the same determination in the Olympic qualifiers that she has demonstrated in flying around Europe in recent months, then higher ranked players could be in for a shock. The Welsh table tennis No.1 is preparing to try and earn a slot in Tokyo as part of the four-strong Great Britain squad competing at the qualification event in February.

Wales Under-20s head coach Gareth Williams has admitted his genuine concern the country’s next generation of promising talent could be lost forever due to the devastating impact of Covid-19. Williams’ side did complete their junior Six Nations campaign last year, but last summer’s World Rugby Under-20 Championship in Italy was abandoned. The 2021 Under-20 Six Nations has also been postponed until later this year because of the pandemic with a date for the tournament still yet to be decided.

Stephen Myler has been described as “fit as a butcher’s dog” and an extra coach on the field by the Ospreys chief who has just given the 36-year-old another year’s contract. Toby Booth has showered praise on the English outside-half, who has signed for a further season with the region even though he will be 37 this summer. Myler struck three conversions on Sunday as the Ospreys earned a 26-20 Guinness Pro 14 victory away at Connacht.

The four Welsh regions have welcomed the £13.5m grant being given to Welsh rugby from Welsh government – part of an overall package of £17.7m to some sports’ governing bodies. The cash is to help sports hit by the absence of fans during the current pandemic and is meant to ensure they can continue until next season. As one regional official put it, “this will ensure that when rugby wakes up next season, although they’ll be a massive collective hangover, at least we’ll still be here.”

Whether it be an ugly scrap or the “Swansea way” – club captain Matt Grimes doesn’t care right now. He’s just happy to keep on winning. Grimes scored twice in a game for the first time in his career, the first a stunning 25-yard strike before later converting from the penalty spot, as Swansea routed Nottingham Forest 5-1 to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday.

Elfyn Evans finished second on the season-opening WRC Monte Carlo Rally after opting not to risk it all on trying to overhaul Toyota team-mate Sebastien Ogier. The Dolgellau flier finished 32.6 seconds behind the Frenchman who claimed a record eighth victory on arguably the world's most famous rally.