Dai Sport

No player has started more Test matches for Wales over the past 12 months than Gareth Thomas. He may not have the public profile of some of his team-mates, but the Ospreys prop has established himself as a real mainstay of the national side. Thomas has worn the No 1 jersey for 11 of Wales’ 13 Tests going back to September of last year, taking in the World Cup, the Six Nations and the summer tour of Australia.

Swansea City have parted company with sporting director Paul Watson after issuing a brief three-paragraph statement. Watson has left with immediate effect, little more than two months into the season and only five weeks after the close of the transfer window, over which he presided. The 38-year-old had been in the job for less than 18 months and had overseen three transfer windows, with mixed results when it came the success of the club’s recruitment.

Newport County manager Nelson Jardim insists he remains optimistic over his team’s progress this season despite a fourth defeat in six matches. County have dropped to 10th place in League Two after a 3-1 defeat at Bradford City that enabled the home club to leapfrog Jardim’s team in the table.

Ebbw Vale team manager Dan Haymond believes his club have struck a significant blow by inflicting back-to-back defeats on Llandovery. The Steelmen have played the pre-season favourites for the Super Rugby Cymru title twice in successive weeks and won both matches.

Craig Bellamy has warned his Wales captain Aaron Ramsey against taking up a player-coach role at Cardiff City. Ramsey was recently awarded his UEFA A Licence and has been linked with a Cardiff coaching job following the sacking of Erol Bulut and the interim appointment of Omer Riza.

Jodie Grinham and a host of other Welsh star of the Paris Parlympic Games have been honoured with a celebrations night, hosted by Disability Sport Wales. Grinham – who made headlines around the world when she became the first pregnant women to win a Paralympic medal – spoke of overcoming a difficult year before she won gold and bronze in para-archery this summer.

Wales take on Slovakia in a two-legged semi-final at the end of this month as they seek to qualify for Women’s Euro 2025. It would be the team’s first major tournament finals and the fulfilment of a cherished ambition for so many past players, as Alys Haynes reports. Wales may be on the threshold of history, but they have not forgotten their past.

Hannah Mills described Athena Pathway’s opening win at the PUIG Women’s America’s Cup as “an epic day.” Wales’ double Olympic sailing champion captained her British team to success as they kicked off the history-making event with a race win off the coast of Barcelona.

Omer Riza still insists he wants the Cardiff City job as his own despite the fact the club remain at the foot of the Championship. Current caretaker Riza appeared to have done his cause a power of good when the Bluebirds went 1-0 at Bristol City and appeared in sight of back-to-back victories.

Dragons head coach Dai Flanagan insists there are still reasons to be cheerful – even though his team lost part three of their season-opening trilogy. The Sharks did to the Dragons what they had done to the Ospreys in the opening round of the BKT United Rugby Championship by striking in the final play to win a pulsating game 33-30 at the weekend.