Dai Sport

Imagine if Gareth Bale - or Jess Fishlock, for that matter – had packed in football at the age of 20 as a full Wales international to take up another sport. Now, consider the reaction if they had not only become an Olympic champion, but also world champion by the time they were still in their 20s.

An outstanding piece of sportsmanship may have cost James Ashfield The Lytham Trophy, but still Welsh golfers showed they are in form to compete with the best in Europe.

Ioan Lloyd scored a fantastic victory on the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup in Ireland (4-5 May). The 21-year old from Llandysul was contesting the Killarney Rally of the Lakes, which was round three of the new series for young drivers in identical Rally4 cars, and claimed his second win of the year with a superb drive against fierce opposition.

Cardiff have moved quickly to replace the departing Rhys Carre by signing two new looseheads for next season. Six-times capped Irish international Ed Byrne, a veteran of 10 seasons at Leinster, will be heading to the Arms Park this summer along with 25-year-old Exeter Chiefs prop Danny Southworth.

Bolton’s Welsh striker Aaron Collins is 90 minutes away from playing in the Championship next season after his wonderful goal sent his club on their way to a Wembley play-off final. Collins - a former Wales U19 cap- secured his place in the League One play-off final despite Bolton being beaten by Barnsley at the Toughsheet Community Stadium as Ian Evatt’s side edged the visitors 5-4 on aggregate.

Filo Tiatia has been backed as the man to finally plug the leaky Dragons’ defence next season. The former Ospreys ‘Galactico’ is returning to Wales as the defence coach at Dragons RFC.

Dragons coach Dai Flanagan believes he has added another piece to the jigsaw of the region’s rebuild with the capture of Shane Lewis-Hughes from Cardiff. The former Wales back row forward will move to Rodney Parade ahead of the 2024/25 season.

Sam Northeast admits Glamorgan need to improve if they are to challenge for promotion this season after it needed another epic innings from the captain to save his team. In-form duo Northeast and Colin Ingram hit superb final-day rearguard centuries to help Glamorgan secure a Vitality County Championship draw against frustrated Yorkshire at Headingley.

Jak Jones believes he can build on his career-highlight run to the final of the World Snooker Championship. Jones’ dream of winning the tournament as a qualifier ended with an 18-14 defeat to Kyren Wilson at the Crucible on Sunday night, but not without plenty of drama after the Welsh player’s stirring fightback.

An assured debut in the European Gymnastics Championships from Ruby Evans could not quite inspire Great Britain to a successful defence of their title in Italy. The GB women’s senior team – of Welsh star Evans, Becky Downie, Alice Kinsella, Abigail Martin and Georgia-Mae Fenton – had to settle for silver behind the host nation in Rimini, Italy.