The latest rugby news from Wales and around the world
Sam Davies says the Ospreys have been “thrown under the bus”(Image: 2024 Icon Sport)
These are your evening rugby headlines on Wednesday, January 28.
Exiled Wales star speaks out
Wales international Sam Davies is the latest former Ospreys star to throw his support behind a bid by ex-players to make the Welsh Rugby Union reconsider its decision to cut a region.
A passionate statement was shared on social media on Tuesday night, with the likes of Shane Williams, Ryan Jones, Richard Hibbard, Gavin Henson, James Hook and Ian Gough putting their name to the letter and former Wales skipper Alun Wyn Jones also joining the fight.
The statement – which you can read in full here – says that the WRU’s proposals puts both the future of professional rugby in the region and the redevelopment of the historic St Helen’s at risk, with the former players insisting that “real progress will only come through working together”.
It continued: “Change is needed, but it must be built through partnership, not imposed by one side alone. Cutting a team comes with no guarantee of future success.
“We believe it more likely to lead to the opposite scenario, with Welsh rugby caught in a downward spiral.”
Eight-cap international fly-half Davies, who left Welsh rugby for a new life in France with Grenoble in 2023, has become the latest player to share the passionate statement.
The 32-year-old had a 10-year association with the Ospreys, making over 150 appearances for the region before leaving for the Dragons in 2019, and he took to social media to share his frustration with the situation back home.
“It’s been hard to watch a club that means so much to me get thrown under the bus of late,” he wrote as he shared the former players’ statement on X.
“The most successful region, in one of the biggest areas in Wales shouldn’t even be considered to be abolished!”
The support shown by players piles pressure on WRU bosses after they decided to choose Ospreys owners Y11 as their preferred bidders to buy Cardiff Rugby, a move that has plunged the Ospreys’ future into doubt.
Ireland branded ‘biggest a***holes’
Former South Africa captain Bob Skinstad has branded the Irish as “the biggest a***holes in world rugby”, with the rivalry between the two nations intensifying in recent years.
With Ireland becoming more competitive over the last decade, there have been some captivating match-ups between them and the reigning back-to-back world champions.
Andy Farrell’s side have won five of their nine clashes with the Springboks over the last 10 years, but Rassie Erasmus’ men came out on top in their last showdown in Dublin over the autumn, with a bruising, physical performance ensuring a 24-13 win.
Reflecting on the growing rivalry between the two proud rugby nations, legendary South African backrower Skinstad admitted it was “really difficult to embrace” the new Irish attitude, which he described as “very anti” Springboks.
Speaking on his Champagne Rugby podcast, the 49-year-old said: “I think the Irish have been the biggest arseholes in world rugby for a long time now because of the South African interaction with them.
“It used to be ‘hey come on in have a Guinness, who cares who wins, we’ll have a hug, rugby’s the best’. Now it’s like, ‘well as long as we win against you’.
“That’s a really difficult thing to embrace when you’ve always gone to Ireland and had fun time and now it’s very anti-against us or at us.”
However, Skinstad was quick to clarify that his comments were simply “healthy banter,” adding: “For any of the Irish people listening, we love you dearly. But it is a bit of healthy banter and it’s definitely had an edge to it.”
Major European rugby change proposed
Prem Rugby bosses are leading proposals to change the current format of the European Champions Cup and streamline the tournament, with the number of competing teams set to be slashed to 16.
There have been widespread calls in recent months to change how the tournament works, with the current 24-team format seeing some sides qualify for the knockout rounds with just one pool stage victory to their name.
The format has been defended by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) chief Jacques Raynaud, who said it “delivers fantastic rugby on superb stages”, adding that it was locked in until 2030 with no desire to change anything.
Those comments are said to have irked those in the boardrooms of Prem Rugby, the United Rugby Championship and Top 14 organisers Ligue Nationale de Rugby, who, according to The Times, believe Raynaud’s view is detached from reality.
As a result, Prem Rugby is leading proposals to change the tournament from the 2027/28 season, with the Top 14 and URC supporting the plan.
Under the proposals, the competition would become more “premium” and elite, with fewer qualifiers involved. It has been reported that this number would be reduced from 24 to 16, which is seen as the best solution. Currently, the top eight sides from the URC qualify for the Champions Cup.
The Times also reports that a primary desire to make changes to the competition is to make it more attractive to a larger broadcaster than Premier Sports, with TNT Sports not renewing its deal to televise it in 2024.
An EPCR source told the outlet: “We are proactive in constant discussions with leagues and stakeholders to make constructive and positive improvements to the competitions, and are in conversations with leagues to find the best possible options to enhance and evolve our tournaments.”
Biggar fancies France
Former Wales fly-half Dan Biggar is predicting France to win this year’s Six Nations, edging out England in the process.
Les Bleus and Steve Borthwick’s England are seen as the favourites to lift the trophy come the end of March, with the bookmakers also fancying the French.
That’s a view Biggar, who is a pundit for the tournament with ITV, subscribes to as well.
“France, very closely followed by England,” he said when asked who is frontrunner for the competition is. “We have seen the impact from benches recently in the game and these two teams have the ability to change the game with their respective benches the most
“But just with (Antoine) DuPont being back available, I fancy France.”
In terms of his surprise packages for the tournament, the former Ospreys man says he think it will be Scotland, such has been their underachievement.
“Surprise package I think will be, and it seems strange to say, but I think Scotland because of their relatively poor record in previous years,” he said.
“I think it’s almost their last chance with this crop of players and the fixtures seem quite favourable, and they are a very well coached team”.