Dai Sport

Owen Watkin is relishing his new found responsibility for club and country as he sets his sights on a major career milestone. The Ospreys centre started both Tests on Wales’ summer tour of Australia to take his tally of caps up to 41 as he took on a key role for Warren Gatland’s team.

Phil Parkinson has warned Birmingham City there is a long way to go after the Tom Brady-backed club won the battle of the League One headline-grabbers against Wrexham. Parkinson’s Dragons remain top of the table, but suffered their first defeat of the season at St. Andrew’s as they went down, 3-1 in the match billed as the “Hollywood derby.”

New faces Alaw Pyrs, Maisie Davies and Rosie Carr have all held their places in Ioan Cunningham’s Wales squad for the WXV2 tournament in South Africa. The trio made their senior debut appearances in the recent defeat to Scotland, but have stayed in a new-look squad to compete in South Africa at the end of September.

It’s a feature of Tongan rugby players that they all claim to be related to someone better known and Carwyn Tuipulotu was never going to buck that trend. The South Sea Islanders have been an integral part of the Welsh rugby scene for over 30 years and it appears they all belong to one huge extended family.

Luke Williams insists there are positive signs emerging for Swansea City after their second Championship victory of the season moved them up to just outside the top ten. The Swans head coach believes his team’s 1-0 home win over Norwich City was a significant result as it relied on the kind of virtues the side had lacked so far this season.

Cardiff City have offered no explanation for Erol Bulut’s no-show after his team’s defeat at Derby County. The Bluebirds boss swerved the media after his fourth defeat in five Championship matches left his team anchored to the bottom of the table following their worst start to a season in 35 years.

Steve Cooper has claimed he could have done more transfer business at Leicester City if the club’s successful appeal against a Premier League ruling had been announced earlier. Cooper - the only Welsh manager in the top flight - was drawn into the long-running dispute over an alleged spending rule breach when he took charge earlier this summer.

Golfers from across Wales picked up prizes as Wales Golf Finals Week, held at Holyhead Golf Club in North Wales, proved to be a celebration of the sport. “Finals Week is one of the most rewarding of the year, as players from different clubs and levels all come together for the culmination of a series of events,” explained Wales Golf competitions manager, Daniel Fullager.

Ollie Cooper went to the last World Cup, but his role was not one that grabbed too many headlines. The Swansea City midfielder was part of the Wales group that journeyed to Qatar almost two years ago, but his duties were as a back-up training partner, rather than an official member of the 26-man squad.

Newport Rugby Club have seen plenty of changes in Welsh rugby through their long and distinguished history, so it might be fitting that their 150th anniversary season brings a new direction. On Saturday, Newport host Bridgend on the first weekend of the inaugural Super Rygbi Cymru tournament.