Tonight's rugby news as four highly-rated Welsh talents sign deals in England and 'gutted' star hit with ban
Tonight's rugby news as four highly-rated Welsh talents sign deals in England and 'gutted' star hit with ban
The latest headlines from Wales and around the world
Southworth has been banned for three matches
(Image: Ashley Vlotman/Huw Evans Agency )
These are your latest rugby headlines on the evening of Wednesday, May 28.
Welsh talents sign deals in England
Four highly-rated Welsh teenagers have signed professional deals with Bristol Bears and joined the club's senior academy ahead of next season. Wales U19 full-back Evan Morris has joined the Gallagher Premiership side full-time, while three other Welsh age-grade players - prop George Leyland, lock Osian Williams and scrum-half Cai Gealy - have signed BUCS Super Rugby pathway deals in order to continue their studies alongside their rugby careers.
Morris - who has represented Wales at U18 and U19 level and scored for the latter side against Italy last month - is a former Ospreys academy player but moved across the border to study at the prestigious Millfield School
Clifton College student Leyland, meanwhile, was included in the England U18 development squads both last year and earlier this season, but featured for Richie Pugh's Wales U18s side at the Six Nations Festival in March.
Williams and Gealy - of Clifton and Hartpury College respectively - have also both represented Wales at U18s level. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
They join the Bears' senior academy alongside English age-grade stars Victor Worsnip and Kieran Hill, as well as Jeke Bulanauca, Arthur Guyot and Ollie Harris.
'I'm really pleased to welcome these promising young men from their schools and U18 rugby into our Senior Academy programme, as we build our younger exciting squad for next season," said Bristol's director of rugby Pat Lam.
'I believe with access to our world class facilities, staff and guidance and mentorship from our senior players at the Bears High Performance Centre, these players will have everything they need to achieve their rugby dreams and hopefully will become household names to our fans.'
Academy head John Barnes added: 'This is a group of high potential young players who will add to our senior academy next season. They will have the challenge to breakthrough into the senior squad over the coming years, something we believe they have the ability to do.
"It's an exciting time for the club with so much local talent coming through our pathway, we are looking forward to watching them thrive in the senior environment.
'The Bears Academy is there to capture, nurture and develop exciting young talent. We are proud of the players that have come through our pathway in recent times, representing the 1st XV and going onto International honours.
"This group will only add to that success and reflects the hard work that is done by the coaches and support staff throughout our Performance Programme.'
'Gutted' star hit with ban
Cardiff prop Danny Southworth has been handed a three-match ban after being sent off against Stormers in the region's final United Rugby Championship game of the season.
The 26-year-old was shown a red card by referee Gianluca Gnecchi shortly before the half hour mark in Cape Town earlier this month, having made a dangerous tackle on Neethling Fouche.
It meant that Cardiff were reduced to 14 men for just over 50 minutes of the match, which they ended up losing 34-24.
Southworth - who is Welsh-qualified - was visibly upset after being shown the red card by Gnecchi, with BBC commentators noting that he looked "gutted" as he made his way off the field.
A fortnight on, a disciplinary panel has now handed him a suspension, with the prop accepting he had committed an act of foul play.
In mitigation, Southworth's early acknowledgement of foul play, together with his good disciplinary record, immediate apology and remorse, saw an initial six-week sanction halved to three.
He will have his ban reduced by a week if he completes World Rugby's coaching intervention programme, also known as 'tackle school'.
But with Cardiff's season having already finished after they failed to reach the URC play-offs, the games that Southworth will miss as a result of his ban will be confirmed at a later date.
England international retires
Bath wing Ruaridh McConnochie has announced he is retiring from playing and plans to move into coaching.
The 33-year-old former 7s star, who won a silver medal with Team GB at the 2016 Olympics, has scored 29 tries in 95 appearances since moving to The Rec in 2018, but will leave the club this summer after hanging up his boots.
McConnochie made two appearances for England, both in 2019, and scored his first and only international try against the United States at the Rugby World Cup in Japan.
In 2023, he was a surprise inclusion in the Scotland squad for the Six Nations as he qualified through his father. However, he never featured for Gregor Townsend's side.
Announcing his retirement and future career plans, McConnochie said: 'Almost 10 years to the day since I walked through the doors at England 7s, I now feel it's the right time to step away from a career that has given me memories and friendships to last a lifetime.
'I appreciate not every player has the ability to retire on their own terms, and so after much thought, I feel very lucky to be able to make the call myself.
"I feel incredibly privileged to have experienced all I have done throughout my career, and I know this would not have been possible without the help and support of my family, friends, and coaches.
'Now into the world of coaching and education I go, with some life-changing memories and experiences to look back on. Thank you.'
Underhill banned after Cardiff controversy
By Andrew Baldock, PA Rugby Union Correspondent
England flanker Sam Underhill is set to miss Bath's bid for the Gallagher Premiership title after receiving a four-week ban.
Underhill was cited for a dangerous tackle on Lyon full-back Davit Niniashvili during Bath's EPCR Challenge Cup final victory in Cardiff. The Bath forward received a yellow card from Scottish referee Hollie Davidson, but a complaint was then lodged by match citing commisssioner Philippe Lenne.
An independent disciplinary committee imposed the period of suspension, with European Professional Club Rugby stating his return to play date will be determined once his future playing schedule is confirmed.
Bath's next fixture is a final game of the regular Premiership season against Saracens on Saturday. That is followed by a play-off on June 6, then the Premiership final eight days later if Bath get there.
In terms of Underhill's potential England schedule, there is a non-cap match against France on June 21, with the first Test against Argentina two weeks after that.
EPCR said: 'Underhill accepted that he had committed an act of foul play, but did not accept that it warranted a red card.
'The independent disciplinary committee upheld the complaint, finding that Underhill had tackled Davit Niniashvili in a dangerous manner that warranted a red card, and it determined that the offending was at the mid-range of World Rugby's sanctions and six weeks was selected as the appropriate entry point.
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'The committee gave the player credit for his remorse and timely acceptance that he had committed an act of foul play. But because of his prior disciplinary record, the committee were only able to discount the entry point sanction by two weeks. They therefore imposed a four-week suspension.'
Underhill received a three-week ban in April after being sent off for a high tackle against Challenge Cup opponents Pau.
He is an integral part of the Bath armoury under head of rugby Johann van Graan, and his ban is a major blow for the club. Premiership title success would see them complete an historic trophy treble this season, having already won the Challenge Cup and Premiership Rugby Cup.
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