Today's rugby news as Welsh star leaves door open to return and Wales given 'uncomfortable' Japan warning

Wales Online

30-05-2025

Today's rugby news as Welsh star leaves door open to return and Wales given 'uncomfortable' Japan warning
The latest headlines from Wales and around the world
Sherratt and his side have been warned about the 'uncomfortable' conditions that await them in Japan
These are your latest rugby headlines on Friday, May 30.
Welsh star leaves door open to return
Wales international Rhys Patchell has opened up on what his next move may be after leaving Japanese side NEC Green Rockets earlier this month. The 22-cap fly-half took up a break clause to leave the club a year early, having also enjoyed a stint at New Zealand Super Rugby outfit the Highlanders the previous season after his exit from Scarlets in 2023.
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Having previously spoken openly about how he had missed Wales during his time in Japan, Patchell's departure from the Green Rockets has seen him linked with a potential move back home.
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He was quizzed on his future during his appearance on the Scrum V podcast, but wouldn't reveal specifics about where he might end up next. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
Instead, he admitted that his priorities had changed having recently welcomed his first child, Llew, with presenter wife Heledd Anna Roberts, adding that his next move will be determined by what works best for his family.
"I think whatever fits the family is probably what will work for me," said Patchell. "I've been very lucky as I've had 14 years of being pretty selfish and doing what suits me best in terms of prolonging my career or pushing my career on.
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"You've got to be selfish to play at the level that we want to play at. "[But] now that the wee man has come along, my perspective has changed significantly. So, whatever fits for us as a family unit is what I'll do next."
And asked if he still "had the hunger" to keep playing, the 32-year-old added simply: "For the right thing".
Wales given 'uncomfortable' Japan warning
Patchell has also drawn on his experiences in Japan to issue a warning to the Wales squad ahead of their tour there this summer, as he admitted they will face "uncomfortable" conditions over their two Test matches.
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Led by interim head coach Matt Sherratt, Wales are looking to end a miserable run of 17 straight Test match defeats on the tour but, having spent the last year out there, the former Scarlets and Cardiff fly-half knows that the heat and humidity could end up causing the team some issues.
"It's a different game out there," he told the Scrum V podcast. "The sun will be shining and it will be a wet weather game. The ball is going to be like a bar of soap.
"Eddie Jones will have everything stacked in Japan's favour, he's going to make the most of the fact that Wales are coming to Japan. They are going to try to play the game as early in the day as possible, they will make the bus rides take as long as possible to get from the hotel to the stadium, everything is going to be stacked in Japan's favour.
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"And quite right too, he's got a real chance to make something of his international season, as they've had a pretty poor run of international results as well, Japan.
"I'll give you an idea of how hot and uncomfortable it's going to be," Patchell continued. "The Maori All Blacks went to play Japan last summer and one of my teammates Ash Dixon was part of the coaching staff with the Maoris.
"They had to pull their outside half off at half-time with heatstroke, his eyes were in the back of his head and he's gone into a fit in the sheds at half-time because it's so hot and humid and uncomfortable.
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"That gives you an idea of just how difficult [it will be]. The key for me is they've got to manage their energy really, really smartly. Japan are going to zip the ball around because Eddie Jones is a firm believer in 'ruck and run' - who wants the ball, off the deck, gone.
"[There will be] a lot of ball movement, playing as fast as they can. They will want the game down here where it's really uncomfortable for Wales because they're bigger men. So, for me, it's how smart can Wales manage their own energy to be in the fight at the end?"
Farrell ultimatum issued
Racing 92 and Saracens have reportedly opened talks over a deal for Owen Farrell with the fly-half edging closer to a stunning return to English rugby.
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The former England captain joined the Top 14 side on a two-year deal last summer, but is said to be wanting to move back across the Channel after an injury-blighted first year in France, having been plagued by groin and knee issues throughout the season.
Farrell is reportedly keen to re-join Saracens in a player-coach role, with discussions between the two clubs said to be at an early stage, according to MailOnline.
However, with Racing understood to have paid close to £500,000 to sign Farrell last year, and with the 33-year-old still having over a year left on his contract, such a move will not come cheap.
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It is understood that the French club's owner Jacky Lorenzetti wants at least the majority of the money he paid for Farrell back, with RugbyPass reporting that he is "prepared to play hardball" and will force the Englishman into staying if a deal isn't done this week, to avoid months of wrangling over a transfer.
It comes after Saracens boss Mark McCall declined to comment on reports linking Farrell with a return to the club, as he described the rumours as "pie in the sky".
'It's just not worth answering, to be honest, because as far as I know, he is under contract at Racing and has a year left," he said during a media call earlier this week. "There are so many of these stories that come out.
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'As you know from me down the years, there is no point talking about something that is so pie in the sky. It's ­better for me not to comment."
Welsh officials appointed
Welsh referee Ben Breakspear has been appointed as one of 10 match officials for this summer's World Rugby U20 Championship
Breakspear first refereed at the tournament in 2023 having impressed while officiating on the World Sevens Circuit, while he has also taken charge of matches in the URC and the Olympic Games in Paris last year.
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He will be joined at the tournament - which is being held in Italy between June 29 and July 19 - by Aled Griffiths, who has also been appointed to the panel as one of five Television Match Officials.
After the appointments were confirmed, WRU National Elite Performance Match Official Manager, Ian Davies, said: 'One of the main priorities when I came into the role was to seek to increase the opportunities made available to our match officials.
'A year ago I was fortunate enough to oversee Ben Breakspear given his URC debut in the Edinburgh game against Zebre. His consistent performances at URC and EPCR level since then have led to his selection for this year's Junior World Championship in Italy.
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'I also wanted some of our more experienced referees to consider opportunities as a TMO to support our on-field officials. Seeing Aled Griffiths appointed to the Junior World Championship is testament not only to his own hard work, but also the other TMO's in our group who have challenged Aled and each other to continually improve.
'There is now a really healthy level of competition developing in our match official department that I'm hoping will not only improve the standard of officiating at domestic level, but will also reflect in more high profile opportunities being awarded.'
As well as Breakspear, the selected referees are Tomas Bertazza (Argentina), Griffin Colby (South Africa), Katsuki Furuse (Japan), Peter Martin (Ireland), Marcus Playle (New Zealand), Jérémy Rozier (France), Filippo Russo (Italy), Lex Weiner (USA) and Morgan White (Hong Kong China).
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The four other Television Match Officials completing the panel alongside Griffiths are Leo Colgan (Ireland), Graham Cooper (Australia), Quinton Immelman (South Africa) and Dan Jones (RFU).