Tonight's rugby news as former Wales captain lands top new job and global game 'faces devastation'
The latest headlines from Wales and around the world
(Image: Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans Agency)
These are your evening rugby headlines on Wednesday, August 13.
Ex-Wales captain lands top new job
Former Wales captain Ellis Jenkins is starting a "new chapter" of his life after joining financial advisory firm Dow Schofield Watts. The Cardiff Rugby legend retired last year, as he called time on a professional career that saw him represent the capital city region nearly 150 times and win 13 caps for Wales. He also captained his country on four occasions, while he was the skipper for Cardiff's 2018 European Challenge Cup final victory over Gloucester in Bilbao.
While playing, Jenkins studied an Executive MBA in Business Administration, Management and Operations at Cardiff University, while he sat on the Executive Committee for the Welsh Rugby Players Association (WRPA) for eight years, playing a leading role in regular negotiations with the Welsh Rugby Union.
Since hanging up his boots at the end of the 2023/24 season, the 32-year-old has also worked as a pundit for the BBC. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby
Now, however, he is taking the first major step in his new career outside of rugby, having joined Dow Schofield Watts' Cardiff-based corporate finance team as corporate relations lead.
As his appointment was confirmed, Jenkins said: 'After taking time to reflect on 15 years of professional rugby and consider my next steps, I'm excited to begin a new chapter in my career with DSW Cardiff.
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"I'm joining a dynamic team that is growing rapidly across Wales and the South West, and I'm confident that my experience of problem solving in high pressure sporting situations will serve me well in the fast-paced world of corporate finance."
Koo Aseeley, partner in the corporate finance team at Dow Schofield Watts in Cardiff, added: "We're excited about the continued growth of the Cardiff team.
"Ellis brings outstanding leadership experience, an ambitious mindset and a fantastic network from his time in elite sport. We're looking forward to the value he'll bring to our clients and team."
Global rugby calendar 'faces devastation'
Three All Blacks greats have spoken of the threat that the new R360 rebel league poses to rugby's established order, claiming that it will "devastate" competitions across the world.
Fronted by England World Cup winner Mike Tindall, the proposed new breakaway franchise league wants to create 'generational change in rugby' and will rip up the sport as we know it. At the heart of the proposals is the creation of 12 new franchise teams, each boasting some of the world's top rugby talent, with players reportedly being offered contracts worth up to around $1 million (£740,000) per season.
The plans are rapidly gaining traction, with several current top-level internationals believed to have agreed to join the ambitious project, while 15 Wales stars have also been targeted.
With the league hoped to get under way in September next year, New Zealand greats Mils Muliaina, Jeff Wilson and Justin Marshall have spoken of their concerns over the impact it will have on the global game.
'It's definitely a game-changer and it's definitely got some legs behind it now," Muliaina told The Breakdown. "A couple of months ago, you thought it would never get off the ground.
'World Rugby will be worried, the competitions will be worried. They have signed a few players. It's the window it's going to be in. During Super Rugby, what does it look like?
"If I was World Rugby, I would be really worried right now. What does it look like?'
Offering a more damning assessment, Wilson added: 'This basically would devastate every competition across the world because they are all the same windows.
"They are talking about playing the same time as the Top 14, Japan Rugby League One, Super Rugby; all of a sudden you're filling out squads of players from around the world.
'You want to have credibility so you are trying to take the best from New Zealand, the best from South Africa, Australia. This is something World Rugby will have to deal with, and this is probably the truest test of professionalism.'
Comparing R360 to LIV Golf, which saw a number of the world's top golfers leave the PGA Tour to join the lucrative Saudi Arabian-backed project, Marshall agreed with his fellow pundits and said: 'It's going to have a massive impact on international rugby.
"The differences between the Mo'ungas that are going away or the Jordie Barretts, yes they earn good money but not this type of money. As an international rugby player to secure your future, it's like the golfers have done.
"At the end of the day, they still know they can play competitively but they know they don't have to worry about money anymore.'
Wallabies to unleash 'Jack Russell and Great Dane'
Australia are planning to utilise Will Skelton and Nic White to full effect against South Africa in their Rugby Championship encounter this weekend.
The Springboks have won their last four encounters against Australia, so Joe Schmidt's side are well in need of a win against the reigning world champions.
Despite hanging up his boots following the recent British & Irish Lions Test series, scrum-half White has returned for the Rugby Championship, while Skelton made an instant impact in the second Test against Andy Farrell's team.
And, according to Wallabies star Tom Hooper, there is hope that the pair will play a central role in their bid for victory against Rassie Erasmus' side.
"Will (Skelton) will definitely be up for that challenge, and anyone picked in the jersey alongside him will follow him into battle," explained Hooper. "Will is an enforcer, and that is what he has been doing for a long time in the beautiful sport of rugby.
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"For lack of a better word, he loves being that grub; he loves taking it to teams physically and making the gentleman's game a little more exciting. We love playing alongside him, and he is just a huge physical presence.
"You've got the Great Dane in Will Skelton, and then you've got the little Jack Russell in Nic — and the Jack Russell is sometimes a little more fiery. He loves nipping at the heels of the opposition and not taking a backwards step.
"That's the kind of spirit we want to play with going forward. You can see that he inspires the 23 on the field. We won't take a backwards step against the Boks because we can't afford to."
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