These are the stories making headlines on the morning of Saturday, April 11
Mike Phillips worked as a pundit for S4C
These are your headlines on the morning of Saturday, April 11
Scarlets close in on Leinster man
The Scarlets are closing in on the signing of Leinster hooker John McKee as a replacement for Springbok Marnus van der Merwe.
The Welsh region are close to securing the deal for the 26-year-old, who comes with strong URC pedigree and previously represented Ireland Under-20s.
Wales international Ryan Elias is the clear first choice at the club, while they also have Wales U20s pair Harry Thomas and Isaac Young on their books.
McKee’s game-time has been limited due to the presence of British & Irish Lions stars Dan Sheehan and Ronan Kelleher in the Leinster squad.
He is expected to be followed to Parc y Scarlets by Cardiff’s Corey Domachowski, who will be a replacement for Edinburgh-bound Alex Hepburn.
The Scarlets have re-signed star man Fletcher Anderson after interest from clubs across Europe, while Tom Rogers is departing for the Ospreys.
John McKee of Leinster Rugby (Image: Getty Images)
TV boss gets payout
Former S4C senior Llinos Griffin-Williams has settled her court claim against the broadcaster and its former chairman Rhodri Williams after she was sacked following an alleged incident at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Ms Griffin-Williams was dismissed from her role as chief content officer for “gross misconduct” by the former chairman in 2023 after allegations were made that she had been drunk and verbally abused former Wales scrum-half Mike Phillips while attending the Rugby World Cup in France in a work capacity.
She “categorically denied” she made the comments to Phillips, allegedly criticising his Welsh language skills while he had been working as a pundit for the broadcaster during the tournament. No complaint was ever made by Phillips.
Ms Griffin-Williams had previously been bullied by Mr Williams in an incident where he “completely lost his temper”. Her complaint against him was upheld.
She brought a £565,000 claim to the High Court against S4C and its former chairman Mr Williams. The parties have now reached a settlement.
A spokeswoman for Ms Griffin-Williams said: “The settlement includes compensation with which she is satisfied. S4C and Rhodri Williams have requested that the terms be kept confidential.”
You can read the full details here.
Parry signs on
Sam Parry has signed a new deal with the Ospreys
The Wales international has extended his stay in Swansea, having already made 183 appearances for the club.
The news is the second boost for the club, with the Tom Rogers’ signing from Scarlets confirmed earlier in the day.
The Ospreys are set to play their rugby at St Helen’s next season and Parry says wearing the black jersey fills him with pride.
Speaking on his new deal, Parry said: “I’m really happy to be staying with the Ospreys, this club means a lot to me. I have spent most of my career here and have played a lot of games in that time, each time I’ve run onto the pitch wearing the black jersey has been just as special as the last.
“We’ve got a good group here, with a mix of experience and exciting young talent and I’m looking forward to contributing in whatever way I can in making sure we reach our potential.”
Head coach, Mark Jones, said: “Sam personifies what it is to be an Osprey. To have someone like him in your squad is invaluable and his professionalism has always been unquestionable since I joined the club. You don’t make as many appearances for a club with such a rich history like the Ospreys without being a good human and Sam certainly qualifies as that.
“When you have a young core of players like we do, including two high potential hookers, it’s incredibly important to have players that not only lead by example in what they say, but in their actions on the pitch also. He is a quality player that offers so much to as a team, so we’re really happy to get this one over the line.”
Scotland skipper excited by new era
By Gavin McCafferty, Press Association
Scotland captain Rachel Malcolm is excited about the “new era” under Sione Fukofuka as they prepare for their Guinness Women’s Six Nations opener against Wales.
The new head coach has handed Glasgow back-row forward Emily Coubrough a debut in his starting line-up for the Principality Stadium clash, while Shona Campbell and Meryl Smith are making long-awaited international comebacks.
The uncapped Demi Swann, Holland Bogan and Rianna Darroch will also be on the bench in Cardiff.
Malcolm said on the Scottish Rugby YouTube channel: “I’m feeling hugely excited. It’s obviously always the most exciting time of the year for us, the Women’s Six Nations, and to have what is a pretty new-look squad under a new management team truly feels like the start of a new era.
“With the new faces coming in, they’ve come in in brilliant shape and look really promising in all aspects of the game, so I’m super excited for them to get their opportunity.
“As a captain, there’s a responsibility on my shoulders to get us all on the same page, both on and off the pitch, as quickly as we can, but I’m really fortunate that I’ve got a very strong group of leaders and a support system around me that have helped me in that.
“I’ve just been super impressed by the way everyone’s just kind of got with the Scotland way.
“We’ve had a huge amount of fun, even though it’s been pretty full-on, and I think that’s the way that we play our best, when we’ve got a smile on our face and we’re enjoying our time in camp. It’s cool to see that even with this new group, it still feels like the same old Scotland.”
Fukofuka has previously been assistant coach of his native Australia and head coach of the United States in the women’s game.
“Sione’s brilliant to work with,” Malcolm said. “He’s super professional and very well organised in terms of how he runs his day, but also how he runs his attack.
“I think for both myself and the group, we’ve enjoyed having his fresh eyes and fresh ideas come into the programme.
“It’s a challenge for us to take on board everything that he’s brought in, but it’s one that I think the girls have risen to super well and I think he’s pretty happy.
“We’re definitely not going to be the finished article by any means, but I think this tournament is all about how much we can learn and move forward game on game.”