The latest rugby news from Wales and around the worldTierney and Collier-Keywood have been summoned to give evidence to the Welsh Affairs Committee(Image: Ben Evans/Huw Evans Agency)

These are your evening rugby headlines on Wednesday, January 7.

WRU chiefs summoned

Welsh Rugby Union bosses have been called in to answer questions from MPs as uncertainty continues to hang over the future of the professional game in Wales.

Chief executive Abi Tierney and chair Richard Collier-Keywood have been summoned to give evidence to the Welsh Affairs Committee later this month. The hearing, which will be held in Westminster on January 21, comes less than a fortnight before Wales get their Six Nations campaign under way away to England.

It will be chaired by Ruth Jones, MP for Newport West and Islwyn, with Tierney and Collier-Keywood set to be joined by supporter representatives from each of Wales’ four professional sides.

In October, the WRU announced plans to cut the number of Welsh regional sides from four to three, with the proposals seeing licences granted to one team in Cardiff, one in the west and one in the east.

The union initially hoped that consensus would be reached between the four teams on how to achieve this reduction before the end of 2025, but the uncertainty has continued into the new year with a WRU statement issued just before Christmas claiming “a few more weeks are needed”.

If an agreement cannot be reached in the next few weeks, a six-month tender process is set to open to determine which clubs survive and which don’t.

The ongoing uncertainty and dismay over the WRU’s plan means an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) is now on the cards, with strong indications enough clubs have now expressed a desire to trigger the process.

For the union to face an EGM, 10% of Wales’ 283 community clubs have to put in a request, with WalesOnline being told that this has now been met. Once the WRU board receives the request, it must call the EGM within 21 days, where the clubs will vote on three motions.

One of these motions is a vote of no confidence in WRU chair Richard Collier-Keywood and Professional Rugby Board chair Malcolm Wall, which needs a share of 50.1% of the votes to pass.

Ireland star makes bruising Wales prediction

Former Ireland international Alan Quinlan has predicted further Six Nations woes for Wales in 2026, admitting that he “doesn’t see results” going their way in the upcoming tournament.

Wales have picked up the wooden spoon for the last two years, having not won a single match in the competition in that time. Their last Six Nations victory came against Italy in 2023, while their most recent performance in the tournament saw them suffer a record home defeat at the hands of England last year.

With new head coach Steve Tandy preparing for his first Six Nations as boss, a win over Japan and an impressive performance in defeat to New Zealand over the autumn has given fans some hope that his side can at least get a win on the board this year.

But former Irish back rower Quinlan has predicted that the hurt will continue for Wales during another “difficult” campaign, adding that Tandy’s men “lack massive depth, quality and power” compared to their opponents.

“They won one game in the last 15 Six Nations matches,” he told BOYLE Sports, who offer the latest Six Nations odds. “It’s a really tough place. Cardiff and Ospreys might give them some hope, but they lack massive depth, quality and power. The structures and the whole system have been questioned.

“I’m not sure how they get out of it in the Six Nations,” Quinlan added. “The first game is at Twickenham. Then they’ve got France at home, Scotland at home, away to Ireland. I don’t see results for them.

“It was frightening what happened against South Africa – it was dangerous. It’s going to be another difficult Six Nations for them, unfortunately. If they can get all players available, they can possibly turn it around and be a dangerous team to play against. They need to dig in and hopefully bring some players through, but it will be difficult.”

Adding that “every neutral” would love to see Wales get back to winning ways, the Irishman continued: “Who knows, maybe a big result is around the corner, but you can have good players; to win these tournaments, you need world-class players. They have very few.”If they take the bad experiences and use them in a positive way, that is key. We’ve seen in the past where big defeats have a negative effect on young players.

“The hope is that these guys will learn from these experiences and see the minute details required to be top class at international level: having less time on the ball, your physicality around the carry, tackle technique, and decision making. All that gets exposed at the top level.”I would be optimistic that players getting exposed to those tough times can make them stronger and help them develop, because Wales do have some very good players,” he added. “But they have gone through a dreadful run and there are certain positions that need more depth.”

Wales U20s training squad named

Wales U20s head coach Richard Whiffin has selected a 45-man extended training squad ahead of his side facing Cardiff RFC in a pre-Six Nations contest.

The match, which will be played at Cardiff Arms Park on Friday, January 16, will give Whiffin’s players a final chance to put their hands up for selection for the U20s Six Nations, with the Wales boss confirming his final tournament squad the following week.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to get time in with the boys in preparation before we begin the Six Nations,” he said. “It’s an opportunity for us to connect with the players – it’s an opportunity for those guys to put their hands up before we whittle the squad down to 36/37 for the Six Nations.

“We’re incredibly grateful Cardiff have taken the fixture with us,” Whiffin added. “It’s a good time, two or three weeks out from the first game against England at Northampton to fine tune the things we’ve been doing in training.

“It’s a very good senior outfit in the RFC team and should be a real solid test for the boys leading into the Six Nations.”

Wales U20 extended training squad:

Forwards: George Tuckley (Dragons), George Leyland (Bristol), Dylan James (Ospreys), Hudson Nevin (Scarlets); Tom Howe (Cardiff Rugby), James Talamai (Dragons), Oscar Thomas (Bath), Keanu Evans (Scarlets); Jac Pritchard (Scarlets), Isaac Godfrey (Exeter), Yestyn Cook (Scarlets), Nathan Davies (Dragons); Will Evans (Scarlets), Luke Evans (Exeter Chiefs), Osian Williams (Bristol), Tom Cottle (Cardiff Rugby), Oscar Rees (Gloucester), Gabe Williams (Cardiff); Deian Gwynne (Gloucester), Osian Williams (Scarlets), Cerrig Smith (Dragons), Caio James (Gloucester), Sam Morgan (Ospreys), Joe Denman (Scarlets), Dom Kassuth (Scarlets), Evan Minto (Dragons), Alex Ridgway (Bath)

Backs: Sion Davies (Cardiff), Carter Pritchard (Dragons), Luca Woodyatt (Gloucester); Carwyn Leggatt-Jones (Scarlets), Lloyd Lucas (Cardiff Rugby), Steff Jac Jones (Scarlets); Steffan Emanuel (Cardiff Rugby), Luc Anfield (Bath University), Jack Hoskins (Ospreys), Osian Darwin-Lewis (Cardiff Rugby), Bailey Cutts (Cardiff Rugby); Tom Bowen (Cardiff Rugby), Evan Morris (Bristol), Dylan Scott (Cardiff Met), Joseff Jones (Cardiff Rugby), Rhys Cole (Dragons); Jack Woods (Bath Rugby), Rhys Cummings (Cardiff Rugby)

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