Tonight's rugby news as WRU issue statement after ugly scenes and four Wales internationals cut
Tonight's rugby news as WRU issue statement after ugly scenes and four Wales internationals cut
The latest headlines from Wales and around the world
The WRU has issued a statement after ugly footage went viral
(Image: Getty Images for Barbarians )
These are your latest rugby headlines on the evening of Monday, June 2.
WRU issue statement after violent scenes
The Welsh Rugby Union has issued a statement after ugly footage of fight believed to involve a Welsh rugby team at a bar in Canada circulated on social media. Several members of Nelson RFC's senior men's team are believed to be involved in the video, which sees them grappling with what are believed to be locals outside the bar in Calgary city centre on Saturday, May 23.
The video shows punches being thrown outside the establishment while a growing crowd watches on from the pavement.
Nelson play in the WRU Division One East league and are believed to have been in Canada on a rugby tour. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
The club said last week that it is working to investigate the incident with the WRU, but the union have now issued a statement saying it is taking the matter "extremely seriously".
A WRU spokesperson said: 'We are investigating allegations around the behaviour of individuals associated with one of our community game member clubs whilst on a recent overseas rugby tour and take these matters extremely seriously.
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"We are not yet in a position to provide any further information as the investigation is ongoing.'
Wales squad named as four cut
Wales Women head coach Sean Lynn has named an extended 45-player training squad ahead of his side's tour of Australia and this summer's Women's Rugby World Cup in England.
After a winless Six Nations campaign, Wales are looking to break their losing streak when they face the Wallaroos in a two-Test series during the British & Irish Lions tour, while attention will then soon turn to their World Cup opener against Scotland at the end of August.
The extended squad - which will be cut down to 30 players before the Australia tour - features all of the WRU contracted players as well as new faces from Wales' U18s and U20s sides and the Celtic Challenge teams.
Backrowers Lucy Isaac, Chiara Pearce and Jorja Aiona; props Katherine Baverstock and Stella Orrin; centres Savannah Picton-Powell and Isla McMullen, lock Tilly Vucaj and scrum half Seren Lockwood are among those called into the squad, while star player Sisilia Tuipulotu returns after missing the Six Nations with a hamstring injury.
However, the squad announcement also saw confirmation that four players - Ffion Lewis, Carys Williams-Morris, Meg Webb and Niamh Terry - have seen their contracts with the WRU expire.
All four had been part of Wales' 2021 Women's Rugby World Cup squad, while Lewis revealed in April that her contract would not be renewed by the union at the end of the season and suggested that her international career may now be over.
Confirming the news, a WRU press release read: "The WRU confirms that Ffion Lewis, Carys Williams-Morris, Meg Webb, and Niamh Terry have not been selected as their contracts have now expired, we wish them well."
On the squad that he has named, Lynn said: 'Our 2025 World Cup preparation starts here, and we are excited to get back together and working hard to lay some real foundations ahead of the biggest World Cup in the history of women's rugby.
'We have named some young exciting, uncapped players who have impressed at Wales U20s, Wales U18s and in the Celtic Challenge, and they are part of the future Wales family and have an opportunity to learn what is required at the highest level.
'All of them are very much in the mix for selection for the exciting challenge of a tour to Australia and ultimately the World Cup squad in England. They are here on merit and have an opportunity to prove they have what it takes for the national side.
'The players, coaches and staff have all had time to reflect and review what was a disappointing Six Nations campaign and we have to use that disappointment as the fuel to learn and improve for the challenges ahead of us," he added.
'We all know we have a point to prove and that we have to put the work in on and off the field to get better as a squad. This summer training camp will be tough and demanding and we make no excuses for that. The players will be worked hard to prepare them for the honour of representing the nation and they know what is at stake.'
Wales Women extended training squad:
Forwards: Abbey Constable, Abbie Fleming, Alaw Pyrs, Alex Callender, Bethan Lewis, Bryonie King, Chiara Pearce, Carys Phillips, Donna Rose, Georgia Evans, Gwen Crabb, Gwenllian Pyrs, Gwennan Hopkins, Jenni Scoble, Jorja Aiono, Katherine Baverstock, Kate Williams, Kelsey Jones, Lucy Isaac, Maisie Davies, Molly Reardon, Natalia John, Rosie Carr, Sisilia Tuipulotu, Stella Orrin, Tilly Vucaj
Backs: Carys Cox, Catherine Richards, Courtney Keight, Hannah Bluck, Hannah Jones, Isla McMullen, Jasmine Joyce, Jenny Hesketh, Kayleigh Powell, Keira Bevan, Kerin Lake, Lisa Neumann, Lleucu George, Meg Davies, Nel Metcalfe, Robyn Wilkins, Savannah Picton-Powell, Seren Lockwood, Sian Jones
England and Lions back comes out of retirement
Former England star Billy Twelvetrees has come out of retirement to sign for Worcester Warriors as the revived club builds for a fresh start ahead of their return to the second-tier of English rugby next season.
The 36-year-old has joined the revived club as a player-coach and follows the likes of former Dragons player Will Reed and Wales international Lloyd Williams to Sixways Stadium ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
Twelvetrees - who won 22 international caps for England and toured with the British & Irish Lions in 2013 - retired from playing at the end of the 2023/25 season before taking up a role as backs and attack coach for Hartpury University.
However, he will now pull on his boots again as part of his new role with head coach Matt Everard's team.
"Joining Worcester Warriors as a player-coach is a fantastic opportunity," said the former Gloucester and Leicester Tigers star. "I'm excited to contribute both on and off the field, helping to develop talent and bring real energy to the squad.
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"It is a challenge that I am ready for and I can't wait to get started."
Everard added: "Billy's impact will be felt every day. Billy is one of those special people that after spending just a short amount of time with, you will never forget.
"Kind, incredibly hard working and always has such a positive impact on people. He is someone I feel very grateful to be working with every day and I look forward to welcoming him, Georgie and their brilliant family to Sixways."
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Sky News
2 hours ago
- Sky News
'He was going to kill me': More strangulation cases recorded by police but many investigations falter
Around 70% of non-fatal strangulation cases in the last year have been dropped due to evidential issues, exclusive data shared with Sky News shows. It is now three years since it became a standalone offence in England and Wales, in a landmark piece of legislation designed to protect domestic abuse victims. Data from the Institute for Addressing Strangulation (IFAS) shows that police are implementing the offence widely - but outcomes for victims are mixed. Warning: This article contains references to domestic abuse and sexual assault 'Sarah' - whose name has been changed to protect her identity - vividly remembers the first time her ex-partner strangled her, one year into their relationship. She said: "He was drunk, and he climbed on top me. He put his hands around my throat, and he pinned me down with the strength of his body." Terrified, she begged him repeatedly to stop, but he carried on. "I remember I just felt really numb and scared, but it was weird, it felt like an out-of-body experience." Afterwards the only words he spoke to her were 'look what you made me do', she said, and then when the ordeal was over, he carried on with his day as if nothing had happened. This was the beginning of a pattern of abuse that continued throughout the rest of their relationship, happening on at least 30 more occasions, Sarah estimated. It became so normalised He strangled her when she was pregnant. He strangled her whether her children were in the house or not. It always happened during sex, though Sarah was only later able to recognise that this was rape after talking to the police, because for her it had become so normalised. And, always, he told Sarah it was her fault - that she had somehow 'made' him do it. She later went on to suffer a miscarriage because of the physical abuse. 'A form of control' "Looking back now I can see it was a form of control. He got off on knowing that he was in control, and he liked seeing me upset," she said. "I thought that he was going to kill me because he used to threaten it to me. It was very, very scary." This fear of death is common among victims of strangulation and is a recognised tool of control and intimidation. A US study found that victims of domestic abuse were seven times more likely to be murdered by their current or former partner if there had been an incident of non-fatal strangulation beforehand. But this form of violence often leaves no obvious external signs of injury, meaning in some cases perpetrators could only be investigated for less serious offences like common assault, which did not reflect the severity of the crime. What are the possible effects on health? The potential health impacts are wide-ranging, including loss of consciousness, voice changes, difficulty in swallowing and breathing, bruising, haemorrhages, headaches, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), miscarriage, risk of suicide, and death (including delayed death). Symptoms can arise weeks or months after the event. It is for these reasons that campaigners fought for the introduction of the standalone offence, which came into effect in June 2022. 'Much work to be done' The IFAS has been monitoring the offence since the legislation was introduced and shared its latest report findings exclusively with Sky News. It said there is still "much work to be done" to better protect victims of strangulation. New figures obtained by IFAS from the Home Office reveal that over 63,000 crimes of non-fatal strangulation or suffocation were recorded by police in England and Wales in the first two years under the legislation. There were 39,360 recorded crimes in 2023/24, on average 66 offences per 100,000 people compared with 50 per 100,000 the year before, an increase of 20%. "Survivors who work with us have recognised time and time again how important it is to be able to see strangulation as a standalone offence and have the opportunity to progress with criminal justice proceedings," Harriet Smailes, co-author of the report, told Sky News. The volume of crimes recorded suggests that the offence is being widely recognised and reported by police - and the number resulting in charges, at 12%, is high compared to some other offences. However, a significant number of investigations result in no further action due to evidential difficulties. This can happen if police or prosecutors do not believe there is enough evidence to proceed, or if the victim does not support the investigation. This was the outcome in three in five investigations overall, including one in five investigations where the victim did support police action. Outcomes were similar in both years of available data. "In around half of cases, there are no external, physical, visible signs of injury. That's not to say that there aren't internal injuries that can't be seen just with the naked eye," said Ms Smailes, who is a research officer at IFAS. "It might be that that visible injury isn't present at the time of evidence capture that might develop over time, or because there's a difference in how individuals show bruising, for example those of different skin tones. That can contribute towards there not being enough perceived evidence to be able to progress with a police case," she said. In some cases where a victim disengages from police proceedings, it may be that they did not feel supported and believed in the process or felt that there were "too many obstacles". On the other hand, not all cases where a victim did not support police action are necessarily negative. "It might be that initial needs have been met in that instance through reporting to the police, for example, initial containment of the risk of that situation, and referrals to specialist health or mental health services," Ms Smailes explained. Police 'determined' to improve Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe is the National Police Chiefs' Council lead for domestic abuse. She told Sky News that securing prosecutions for strangulation is a priority for tackling violence against women and girls, and a key part of national Domestic Abuse Matters training. "For us to do well in prosecutions, we need to understand how perpetrators operate, how they use this is a sinister way of controlling their victims. And we also know that many victims are frightened to pursue prosecution," she said. Investigators not only have to secure detailed evidence rapidly but also present the best possible case so that prosecutors and juries understand how an abuser is operating, she said. "That can be a challenging job, for a police service that's under pressure, trying to deal with a myriad of priorities. I know many investigators are passionate about getting this right." "We know we're up against it when it comes to securing convictions, but we're determined to improve," she added. Fewer than half were convicted Separate research by IFAS has found that in the first year under the new legislation, only around half of the number of offences charged by police were prosecuted, and less than half of those secured a conviction. Overall, 47% of the 1,437 prosecutions of non-fatal strangulation and suffocation offences in the year to June 2023 resulted in conviction, based on data from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) from all courts in England and Wales. There are several potential reasons that a prosecution may be unsuccessful, including evidential difficulties or a victim withdrawing from the process. The accused may also have been convicted of a separate offence, but not for the strangulation. Without more detailed data, it is hard to determine to what extent each is contributing to the low conviction rate. Reflecting on the figures, head of policy and public affairs at domestic abuse support charity Refuge, Ellie Butt, told Sky News that victims often face "huge pressure" from perpetrators to drop out of the criminal justice process. "When compounded with lengthy court delays and insufficient support, many survivors are forced to withdraw from the process. Police and prosecutors should be working to build cases that can be taken forward even when a survivor can no longer continue," she said. The Crown Prosecution Service highlighted to Sky News that the number of new prosecution proceedings has been consistently increasing, particularly domestic abuse-related strangulation offences. In the latest quarter, 2,000 cases reached their first hearing at magistrates' court. Kate Brown, the CPS national lead for domestic abuse, said: "Three years on, we have continued to bring more charges quarter on quarter, with over 2,000 seen in court in the past three months. "This standalone offence has shone a light on those who seek to use these violent acts to exert power over another person and harm them. We are determined to continue bringing abusers to justice for victims." A gendered crime The new data from IFAS reinforces that strangulation is a gendered crime. Around 80% of victims whose gender was recorded by police were female, while 88% of suspects were male. The data also shows that while people from all ages are impacted, most victims are younger, with three in five aged 34 or under. The age profile of suspects was slightly higher, with three in five suspects aged between 25 and 44. 'I want to say it's not your fault' Sarah's case ended in evidential difficulties. Though her case was reported before 2022, when strangulation became a specific offence, she said she did provide substantial physical evidence to the police and she feels "let down" by the justice system. She said she has been diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety and other health issues. "I live with it every day. It can be a song that comes on the radio or a sign or somebody's name and it would just bring everything back to me to that point, that moment," she said. "I want to say it's not your fault. Nobody has the right to control you, nobody has the right to abuse you, rape you, strangle you. "I would urge anyone to speak out and if you feel like you haven't been heard and your voice has not been listened to, speak out again."
South Wales Guardian
2 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
England T20 captain Harry Brook: I'm already preparing for 2026 World Cup
Friday's 21-run win over the West Indies in Durham was Brook's first outing as skipper in the format but he knows time is short to get his feet under the table. England have just 14 more games scheduled before the next global tournament in India and Sri Lanka in February, meaning the time is now when it comes to making plans. Dip. Grip. Past the edge 😮💨 Back in the team 🦁Straight in the wickets 👏 Liam Dawson | #ENGvWI — England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 6, 2025 That meant lining up with just two seamers for the first ever time in home conditions, with 12 overs of spin giving a hint at the structure England are likely to lean on in the sub-continent. While Brook's predecessor Jos Buttler set things up with a dominant knock of 96, Liam Dawson walked away with the player-of-the-match award in his first international appearance in nearly three years. The 35-year-old Hampshire stalwart claimed career-best figures of four for 20, while there were also wickets for Adil Rashid and Jacob Bethell. 'We don't want to look too far ahead but we've got to trial some things like this,' said Brook. 'The next World Cup is going to be in Sri Lanka and India. We're not completely set on this structure for the team but it's worth a go and it worked this time. 'I just think that having two very good spinners – frontline spinners – makes a massive difference. 'As a batter, when you're facing two experienced spin bowlers, you have to decide which end you're going to attack. 'These two (Rashid and Dawson) have been playing the game for so long, they know T20 cricket, they know the grounds and they've played against so many of these boys, that having them both in the side will help us going forward.' Dawson, who has been overlooked consistently for a rotating cast of spinners with inferior records on the county circuit, was praised for an 'awesome' comeback performance that saw him get the best of Johnson Charles, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase and Rovman Powell. 'He bowled beautifully. He's got so many skills. He's been playing the game for pushing on 20 years and he's learned a lot of things along the way,' said Brook. The West Indies were frustrated to be missing one of their own left-arm spinners on a helpful pitch for the slower bowlers. Akeal Hosein has yet to make it to English soil after delays related a change in UK visa requirements for Trinidad and Tobago. Cricket West Indies said 'attempts to expedite the visa process' had been unsuccessful but a spokesperson confirmed on Friday that the 32-year-old could arrive ahead of Tuesday's series finale in Southampton. One of our greatest white-ball players ever 🙌 Match Highlights: | @JosButtler — England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 6, 2025 All-rounder Jason Holder said: 'He was missed, he's one of our frontline players. It's an unfortunate situation. 'We can't control that so we can only control what's in front of us. We've got players here who are willing and able to do a job for the West Indies. 'We had a team that was good enough to beat England but we fell a little short, particularly with the bat.'
South Wales Argus
3 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
Confidence is growing within Republic of Ireland squad
Kasey McAteer marked his first start for the Irish by giving them the lead in the first half but Crystal Palace's Ismaila Sarr struck with nine minutes remaining as it finished honours even. Hallgrimsson, though, took heart from how his side carried out his vision to largely stifle a Senegal side who are now 21 matches unbeaten and ranked 19th in the FIFA world rankings. A strong performance from the boys but tonight's friendly ends in a draw 🤝 — Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) June 6, 2025 That is 41 places higher than the Republic's current position, having been as high as 28th in October 2019, but Hallgrimsson senses this is a side on the up after making it three games without a defeat. 'There were times where we defended without the ball, we made them look quite average,' Hallgrimsson said. 'But I'm mostly happy that they didn't create a lot of goalscoring chances. 'Let's be honest, we're not one of the best teams in the world and this is how we need to play against teams that will dominate possession. 'We need to wait for our chances and take them when they come. In this area, confidence is growing. 'We will need to be patient, these steps are taken small steps at a time but this was really pleasing because if we wouldn't have done this as well as we did, we would have suffered against this team.' Kasey McAteer marked his first international start with a goal (Evan Treacy/PA) The Republic travel to Luxembourg on Tuesday in their final outing before beginning their qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup, with Portugal, Hungry and Armenia their opponents. Hallgrimsson was especially pleased with the display of Leicester's McAteer, who scored his first goal for the Irish in the 21st minute when firing in the rebound after his initial header had been kept out. 'If you've watched Kasey, he got a run for Leicester at the end of the season so you can see his club progress and he brought that into the national team,' Hallgrimsson said. 'That's always the answer you would like to have when you try out new players. 'It was a really good first start for him. He's a confident player on the ball, he has speed, good dribbling technique and if we can isolate him going one v one, that is his strength. Ismaila Sarr (centre) levelled for Senegal (Evan Treacy/PA) 'He's just a clever footballer with a good football brain; he knows where to pass the ball and not to pass the ball, etc.' A Senegal side without star names such as Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly levelled from close range through Sarr, with Hallgrimsson lamenting the absence of VAR as he felt the FA Cup winner was offside. 'VAR probably would have given it offside but we knew VAR was not in-house so we cannot complain,' the Icelander added. 'I think the referees did a good job, there was a really good flow in the game, so I was happy.'
