The latest rugby news from Wales and around the worldWales head coach Steve Tandy will announce his squad for the autumn internationals next Tuesday(Image: Ben Birchall/PA Wire.)

Here are your rugby morning headlines for Wednesday, October 15.

Wales reveal squad announcement date

The Welsh Rugby Union have announced that Steve Tandy will name his first squad as Wales head coach next week. Tandy will name his first squad on Tuesday, October 21 ahead of his first campaign as Warren Gatland’s permanent replacement.

The WRU confirmed the date in a social media post, meaning there’s just one more weekend of action for potential call-ups to impress Wales’ new coaching ticket.

Tandy was confirmed as Wales’ new head coach back in July, with Danny Wilson and Matt Sherratt having since been confirmed as part of his coaching ticket.

Wales take on Argentina, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa this autumn – with their first match being on November 9.

NRL players threatened with 10-year ban over R360

The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) has taken a public stand against the proposed rebel rugby competition known as R360, warning that any player who signs or even negotiates with the league will be banned from the NRL for 10 years.

ARLC chairman Peter V’landys, who just weeks ago dismissed R360 as a “competition out of a Corn Flakes box”, has now confirmed that the governing body will take the toughest possible stance to protect rugby league’s integrity.

The decision followed a meeting of the ARLC on Wednesday, where officials agreed to impose heavy sanctions on both players and agents who enter talks with the new competition.

“Any NRL player who negotiates, signs, or enters into a Letter of Intent, Playing Contract, or any other form of agreement — whether verbal or written — with a football competition, league, or organisation not recognised by the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) as a national sporting federation, will be banned from participation in the NRL and any ARLC-sanctioned competitions for a period of ten (10) years,” the ARLC statement read.

Meanwhile, V’landys himself said: “The commission has a clear duty to act in the best interests of rugby league and its fans – and we will take all necessary steps to protect the future of the game.”

He accused R360 of attempting to “pirate our game for potential financial gain”, saying the breakaway competition would exploit rugby league’s success without investing in player development.

“They don’t invest in pathways or the development of players – they simply exploit the hard work of others,” V’landys said.

“If it all goes wrong, it’s the players who suffer most. Every stakeholder must be accountable to the standards our fans expect. We’ve listened to our clubs, and we’ve acted decisively.”

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that several high-profile NRL stars — including Payne Haas, Nathan Cleary, Zac Lomax, Reece Walsh and Ryan Papenhuyzen — have all been mentioned as potential targets for R360.

The 10-year ban threat is designed to crush any temptation for current players to switch codes or negotiate with the rebel league, which has reportedly approached a number of top-tier stars including some in Wales.

One Curry brother ruled out of autumn as other handed boost

England back-row Ben Curry will miss the upcoming autumn campaign after undergoing surgery on a hamstring injury.

However, twin brother Tom should be available – having not featured since the British and Irish Lions’ Test series against Australia earlier this year.

Ben Curry will face six weeks on the sidelines, with the back-row now able to focus on recovering for Sale’s Champions Cup fixtures and next year’s Six Nations.

“Ben has had the operation and he won’t be featuring for us because it is quite a big scar and they have moved the muscle apart and removed the suture (from the previous surgery) and now it is about the healing process which could be three or four or five or six weeks,” said Sale boss Alex Sanderson.

“I discussed it with Steve (Borthwick, England head coach) and it was hypothetical at that point and in the end Ben, quite rightly, said he couldn’t operate at the level he wanted. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.

“He couldn’t prep and train as he wanted and said he needed the operation and Steve said it was a decision we would back him and it was his call. It was really well handled.

“There was a physical restriction even on him getting out and doing something on Mondays, and then pulling himself out of sessions. I don’t think he could have operated at international level if he wasn’t able to deal with the loading that international rugby requires (without the operation).

“It wouldn’t have helped his England career because of the high level of competition in the back-row. Ben wasn’t happy after games because he wasn’t putting his best performance out there. It was something that was seemingly never ending and uncontrollable in terms of how he could structure his week.”

As for his twin brother Tom, the Lions star is taking part in training following an operation on his wrist – with his workload set to increase ahead of the November Tests.

“He will be available at some point during the autumn,” added Sanderson.

Lions star signs new deal

England and Lions scrum-half Alex Mitchell has signed a new ‘multi-year’ deal with Gallagher Prem side Northampton Saints.

The 28-year-old joins half-back partner Fin Smith in committing to the club.

“Northampton Saints has been my home for the last 10 seasons and there’s truly nowhere else I’d rather be playing my rugby,” said Mitchell.

“From joining the academy as a teenager to now, the support I receive at Saints has been crucial to all my success on the pitch, so I owe a lot to the club’s coaching staff past and present.

Mitchell has 23 England caps and made two Test appearances for the Lions this summer – being the only player to be named in all nine matchdays during the tour.

“Alex Mitchell is one of the best scrum-halves in the world, and to keep someone of his quality in our environment speaks volumes about the ambitions of this club,” said Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson.

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