Tonight's rugby news as WRU told they have 'right man' for top job and new Wales call-up stirs excitement
Tonight's rugby news as WRU told they have 'right man' for top job and new Wales call-up stirs excitement
The latest headlines from Wales and around the world
WRU chief executive Abi Tierney with director of rugby and elite performance Dave Reddin
(Image: Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans Agency )
These are your evening rugby headlines on Thursday, June 5.
WRU told they have 'right man' in Reddin
England great Joe Worsley is confident Dave Reddin is the right man to drag Welsh rugby out of the doldrums. The Welsh Rugby Union appointed Reddin as their new director of rugby and elite performance in April, and he is tasked with putting a plan in place to turn around the fortunes of a rugby nation which has lost a record 17 Test matches on the bounce at senior men's level and whose professional game is on its backside.
Worsley worked with Reddin while playing for England and revealed his role as head of S&C played a pivotal part in Sir Clive Woodward's side winning the Rugby World Cup in 2003. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
"I think performance-wise he's the right man for Wales," Worsley told WalesOnline. "I worked with him for a lot of my career.
"I got involved with England when I was 21 and he was already established. He was with me at U20s level and then he got brought quickly into the senior England squad.
"He took us away in 1999 to this island near Brisbane where we stayed for a month. We trained professionally for the first time and the changes in peoples' body and athletic ability was staggering.
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"I remember him shouting at me when I was 19 because I wasn't training hard enough. Even now I can see his face. That's when we came back and people realised in English clubs the difference it could make. It kick-started and revolutionised this S&C performance side of things which in 2003 was probably what won us the World Cup.
"I remember some Welsh fans being impressed with what we achieved and the Wales team went down that road especially when Warren (Gatland) came in. There was a real emphasis on S&C, performance and physicality backed up by good fitness and strength. Dave was the guy who revolutionised that."
Worsley is confident Reddin will drive the standards up in Welsh rugby and insists he is not a man who will shy away from making the big decisions.
"What he will do is listen to the right people and take the right advice," said Worsley. "Dave is very headstrong.
"He's worked in athletics, he's worked in football and he's worked in so many environments I'm sure he'll be able to replicate in Wales an environment where you are driving people forward.
"He'll push people hard and while that may require some harsh words and tough decisions, if anyone is going to do it it's him."
Hook 'excited' for Page's impact
Former Wales fly-half James Hook says he is excited to see what youngster Macs Page can bring to the international stage after an impressive campaign for the Scarlets.
The 20-year-old back, who has long been regarded as one of the next big things in Welsh rugby, featured 20 times for Dwayne Peel's side over the course of the season as they reached the URC play-offs.
Now, Page's international aspirations have been realised with interim Wales head coach Matt Sherratt naming him in his squad for this summer's tour of Japan, as one of six uncapped players to make the cut.
Reviewing the 2024/25 campaign on the Scrum V podcast, Hook hailed the impact of Page's team-mate Blair Murray, but also sang the youngster's praises as he looked ahead to the Japan tour.
"No one [has been] quite as good as Blair Murray," said Hook. "The impact he has had for the Scarlets and internationally, he's been excellent hasn't he.
"But I think probably close to him - and he probably hasn't played as much and obviously hasn't played internationally yet, but hopefully will in the summer in Japan - is Macs Page.
"Some of his movements, he's one of those guys that you're almost thinking 'get this guy the ball, because he's going to create something', and more often than not he does," he added.
"You look at some of his tries this season, that's a highlight reel for some players for their whole careers. So I'm really excited about what he can bring."
Region star in line for Springboks debut
Scarlets hooker Marnus van der Merwe is in line to win his first cap for South Africa this summer after being included in Rassie Erasmus' 54-strong squad for their upcoming international matches.
The 28-year-old was included in a Springboks alignment camp last month after a hugely impressive first season in West Wales saw him included in the URC's team of the year, having helped Peel's side to the play-offs.
Erasmus also brought 54 players into that alignment camp and has kept the same numbers in the squad ahead of a busy few months on the international stage, with van der Merwe one of nine uncapped players involved.
The Springboks will face the Barbarians later this month, before their summer Tests against Italy and Georgia, the Rugby Championship and the autumn internationals.
'We were very pleased with the two Springbok alignment camps we hosted, and we are excited to have the luxury of announcing a squad with so much depth and talent,' said Erasmus as the squad was confirmed.
'Having an expanded squad will not only afford us the opportunity to have productive training sessions, but it will also bode well for the younger players in the group to learn from the senior players, many of whom are Rugby World Cup champions.
'We take pride in offering talented young players a chance to work first-hand with the coaches and to expose them to standards at international level, and we are excited to see them showcase their skills at the camp.'
The hooker's call up comes just weeks after he admitted that winning an international cap was his goal, as he said: 'I think as a child, any South African watching the game, with the Springboks doing well, everyone wants to play for that team, just like people in Wales who grew up watching their team.
'So everyone wants to play for their nation. It's definitely a thing I am going for, but I focus on the next thing which is helping the Scarlets where I can. Then, through that, I hope the Springbok coaches can see what I bring and see that I have the talent to be there.
'My goal is to get into international rugby. Everyone hopes for that. I just go out and play the best I can every single day. Hopefully that's enough.'
Wales 'at the start of the journey'
Wales Women coach Sean Lynn says his side are "at the start of their journey" as they prepare for the Women's Rugby World Cup in England later this year.
Earlier this week, the Swansea-born coach won the Director of Rugby Award at the Premiership Women's Rugby Awards, having led Gloucester-Hartpury to three successive league titles before starting the Wales job days before their Six Nations campaign.
However, it was a brutal start to Lynn's new role as Wales finished with the wooden spoon for the second year in a row having not won a single game at the tournament.
Even with the World Cup on the horizon, however, Lynn is not panicked by the immediate future and says that there is enough talent in the system to "build a team that everyone can be proud of".
After accepting his PWR award, he said: "To get nominated, let alone win, an award like this is obviously a proud moment for myself and my family, but this is always about the players, coaches and staff.
'Without them sharing the same vision buying into the culture, coming together and putting the hard work in, none of what we achieved happens. I know that 'we' all came together to win three league titles.
'It took time, and it wasn't easy but the process and building something was a challenge but that is probably what all of us – players, coaches and staff – are must proud of.
'Being Wales head coach of the women's team is a role I always wanted to do and in so many ways it reminds me of how things started at Gloucester/Hartpury," Lynn added. "It was about building a team culture, creating that togetherness but challenging each other to represent each other and the people who support us.
'Wales is at the start of that journey, we know we have the talent in the pathway, Wales U18s, Wales U20s and in the Celtic Challenge and it's about building a team that everyone can be proud of.'
WRU's head of women's rugby, Belinda Moore, said: 'Having known Sean from our respective time at PWR, it is no surprise he has won this award. His 'three-peat' of league titles is a huge achievement in rugby.
'Working alongside Sean is a pleasure and we have already seen his influence with Wales bringing some up and coming talent into the 'family'. The next few years promise to be an exciting time in Welsh women's rugby.'
Meanwhile, WRU CEO Abi Tierney added: 'A huge congratulations to Sean and all he achieved across the bridge with Gloucester/Hartpury in building a team that has dominated English rugby but also the culture he built at the club.
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'This award underlines why we appointed Sean as Wales Women's head coach, and we look forward to providing him with the time and support to build the same culture and environment in Welsh rugby.'
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