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Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Abi Tierney has insisted there is still more to come for women’s rugby in Wales after the union issued new full-time professional contracts to 37 players. The move – which comes as Ioan Cunningham’s squad prepares to face Australia in the WXV2 tournament in South Africa this weekend – includes many extended two-year deals for the first time.

It’s been a while since opponents of Swansea City used to wake up on match day with a knot in their stomach. Luke Williams wants to bring those days back, but not in the way you probably imagine.

Omer Riza is promising “a fresh approach” with more fight, more energy and hopefully more goals from bottom of the table Cardiff City. Riza is the last man standing from Erol Bulut’s coaching team after Bluebirds owner Vincent Tan pulled the trigger on firing Bulut after last weekend’s 2-0 defeat to Leeds United.

For Rio Dyer, his moment of rugby renewal this summer came from watching a Frenchman connect with his nation. Dyer – who had an extremely busy 2023-24 season for Wales and his Dragons region – could have been forgiven for switching off completely from the sport after a 12-month stretch that went from last year’s World Cup build-up to this summer’s tour to Australia.

Tom Shanklin is backing the Scarlets to edge out Cardiff in Saturday’s big Welsh derby clash. Both teams made positive starts to the BKT URC season, with Cardiff recording a bonus point win over Zebre Parma and the Scarlets coming tantalisingly close to a landmark victory away to Benetton Rugby before ultimately drawing 20-20.

Steve Cooper is “even more committed” to succeed at Leicester City following negative fan chants during the penalty shoot-out victory at League Two Walsall in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night. The Foxes made 10 changes and had to rely on Wales goalkeeper Danny Ward saving spot-kicks from Taylor Allen, David Okagbue and Liam Gordon in the shoot-out to advance to the fourth round.

The North Wales pairing of Debbie Roberts and Heather Wathan produced a remarkable performance to win the 2024 Coronation Foursomes Grand Final in St Andrews. On a cold but still day at the home of golf, the pair from Barons Hill Golf Club triumphed in the popular championship for women and girls’ golfers across Great Britain and Ireland – by scoring 50 stableford points.

After some 12 years as a professional rugby player, Dan Thomas is finally about to experience his first Welsh regional derby. It will be all the more special for the new Cardiff flanker as it will take him down west towards his family roots and back to the club where it all began for him.

According to some business theories, there are three types of management crisis: responsive, proactive and recovery. There’s a fourth, though – Cardiff City. This is a state of permacrisis where the management is changed, the faces alter, the name plates in the car parking spaces are updated, but the crisis goes on

Ollie Griffiths, the 29-year-old Wales and Dragons flanker, is set for another period on the sidelines after his region revealed he is undergoing medical treatment for a tumour on his spine. The Dragons have said his condition “requires intervention” and he will be “unavailable for selection for the foreseeable future as he undergoes medical treatment”.