Latest news with #KianAbdullah
Wales Online
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Oasis in Cardiff 2025 guide to how to get to the Principality Stadium and where to park
Oasis in Cardiff 2025 guide to how to get to the Principality Stadium and where to park The Oasis gigs in Cardiff are less than a month away and you might be planning your journey to the Principality Stadium There will be thousands of people heading to the Principality Stadium for the Oasis gigs (Image: Kian Abdullah/Huw Evans Agency ) The bucket hats are being dusted off, the parka coats brought out the cupboard, it is less than month to go until Oasis kick off their Oasis Live '25 tour in Cardiff. The iconic duo, Noel and Liam Gallagher, will reunite together for the first time in Cardiff. They will play at the Principality Stadium on Friday, July 4, and Saturday, July 5. If you are one of the lucky ones who managed to grab tickets for the gig, you might be thinking about planning your journey there. While we don't have all the information just yet, there are a lot of tips to prepare your trip to Cardiff if you're thinking about it already . We also have included some early travel information from Cardiff Bus and the city centre road closures. We will also include in this article what options have been in place for previous concerts, like Taylor Swift, which we are expecting to remain the same, such as park and ride Here is everything you need to know about getting to the Principality Stadium for the Oasis 2025 concerts. You can read everything you need to know about the gig, here and if you still want to try to grab tickets, read here. Rail Transport for Wales has not yet announced any extra services they will be running for the gigs but we have asked for it and will update this article with that information when we get it. Article continues below As the Principality Stadium is right by Cardiff Central station, so train travel is an obvious choice. We are expecting for there to be the normal queue barrier system in place for after the gig and for Cardiff Queen Street to close except for accessible access and passengers that wish to travel to Cardiff Bay. Visit or the TfW app for the latest travel information. If you have any issues on the railway, please speak to a conductor or, for more serious matters, you can text the British Transport Police on 61016 or call 0800 40 50 40. In an emergency, always call 999. Bus Cardiff Bus, which operates many of the buses in the capital, has issued a statement for the Oasis gigs. They said: "Our friendly team of supervisors will be in the city centre to assist customers and support our colleagues." "Due to road closures, buses will turn around at the edge of the city centre, so we recommend checking the Cardiff Bus website and app for the latest updates closer to the time. "To provide extra capacity in the evening, our largest double-decker buses will remain in service later in the day. "We'll also have additional standby buses ready to help manage busy journeys." You can read more, here. Please visit the relevant bus operator's website for more information about your specific bus routes. For Stagecoach services:: For Cardiff Bus services: For NAT services, please visit: National Express coaches are expected to use Sophia Gardens as usual. Big Green Coach is also providing sustainable coach returns from Bath, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bridgend, Bristol, Cheltenham, Exeter, Gloucester, London Victoria, Manchester, Newport, Plymouth, Port Talbot, Reading, Southampton, Swansea, Swindon, Taunton, Winchester and Worcester. You can find out more, here. Driving and parking Cardiff city centre car parks include North Road Car Parks, St David's Shopping Centre, John Lewis, Capitol Shopping Centre, and NCP car parks on Adam Street, Dumfries Place and Greyfriars Road. All are in walking distance of the city centre and the stadium. During big Cardiff city centre events at the stadium there are usually park & ride services at Cardiff City Stadium and County Hall in Cardiff Bay - these are not confirmed for 2025 as yet, but we'll up date if/when they are. We are also expecting there to be event day parking at the civic centre and Sophia Gardens - but will up date again, when confirmed. . Cycling and walking The cycleways and the pop-up cycleways within the road closure area will remain open for cyclists to use during the event, but due to the number of people expected to attend the concert, all cyclists should take due care and attention. Article continues below The road closures apply to all motor vehicles of any kind, but not to bicycles with pedals. Those who live locally in Cardiff may want to travel by bicycle or walk.
South Wales Argus
15-05-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Argus
SRC: Newport hitting top form for Ebbw Vale final
The Steelmen will start as slight favourites for Sunday's showdown (kick-off 2.30pm) courtesy of home advantage, but there was little to choose between the sides that finished in the top four of the table. Ebbw edged out Llandovery in the first semi-final and then the Black and Ambers stunned top seeds Cardiff at the Arms Park. READ MORE: Strange hunting first major title with Ebbw It means that Morris & Co have a shot at going one better than last year when edged out by the Drovers in a top-quality Premiership final at Church Bank. Arguably Newport haven't hit the heights of 2023/24 this season… but they have challenged that assessment with performances in the run-in. They have won seven games since defeat at Ebbw in the SRC Cup and are averaging 36 points per game. A winning streak was brought to a crashing end by Llandovery a year ago but Newport hope that they have built towards one last huge effort. BOSS: Newport head coach Ty Morris (Image: Kian Abdullah/Huw Evans Agency) 'The whole season is planned so that we are performing at our best at the right time,' said head coach Morris, who is determined to add a league title to the Premiership Cup won at Principality Stadium in 2022. 'We want to be firing on all cylinders and I think we have that right this year because we are seven games undefeated, we are scoring some great tries and playing some excellent rugby. 'There are a number of players who are playing their best rugby of the season and that is down to the planning. 'We have made sure the squad is rotated, everybody has had a chance to compete for a start and eventually the cream rises to the top for this final.' Ebbw's excellent campaign means they head into Sunday's derby with a perfect Eugene Cross Park record of played 13, won 13. Two of those successes were against Newport but Morris, like opposite number Jason Strange, doesn't read too much into past games. DOUBLE: Ebbw Vale beat Newport at Eugene Cross Park in the SRC Cup and the regular season (Image: Kian Abdullah/Huw Evans Agency) 'We won comfortably at home in dry conditions but lost at Ebbw Vale in the wet and the dry,' he said. 'You can look back at those games to try and find a couple of themes but this is a cup final. Ebbw Vale will bring something new and so will we for what will be a hell of an arm wrestle. 'They are undefeated at home and that will give them another five per cent to their game but it takes a big effort to beat them whatever the ground. 'The dry conditions suit us but there's more to their game than just a set piece. We have to deliver what we can, and control what we can control. 'We finished runners-up last year so really wanted to achieve a final again, so fingers crossed we can be more than the bridesmaid this year. 'It'll be a noisy day and a great atmosphere, Ebbw Vale have a big following and I am sure our supporters will turn up in their numbers.' Newport have also profited from the experience of last year's final, plus the build-up to three Principality Stadium cup clashes since 2018. 'The players are controlling this now,' said Morris. 'It would be quite easy to do an extra session or really go hard at them but they know everything about policies, our attack, our defence. 'There is a bit more detail around Ebbw Vale this week but not around intensity, it's making sure there is a clear understanding of things. 'We had an easy session and walk through on Tuesday, then got to Tiny Rebel for some food and a sparkling water. The hard work has been done all year and the guys are raring to go for Sunday.'
South Wales Argus
04-05-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Argus
Newport County need changes after avoiding League Two drop
The final game of a challenging season suggests that the axe needs to be wielded if the Exiles are to avoid a serious brush with League Two relegation in 2026. County finished 22nd, the final safe position, after a horrendous 4-1 home defeat to Tranmere Rovers. The gap to the relegation zone ended up being a healthy seven points and, unlike their weekend conquerors from Merseyside, the Exiles have never really been in serious danger this season. However, the feeling is that they have dodged a bullet. How big was that Kyle Hudlin winner against Carlisle in February? The Cumbrians might just ponder how costly a bad Stephen Wearne miss was at 0-0. CHALLENGE: Former County favourite Cam Norman outmuscles Kai Whitmore (Image: Kian Abdullah/Huw Evans Agency) The table doesn't lie, County deserve to be a Football League side but they are also the worst of the survivors. There simply has to be major surgery to this squad over the summer and owner Huw Jenkins needs to sign some characters, not players of promise. County were always in a pretty comfortable position away from the relegation zone and it's just as well because there are real doubts that they would have shown the bottle needed in a dogfight. There will be a new man in the dugout on the first weekend of August and they will inherit a nine-game winless streak. Jardim took over an eight-game losing run but that was down to a squad that had previously produced the goods completely ran out of steam. This time a raft of players will start 2025/26 with question marks next to their names after the meek manner of so many performances in what turned out to be a miserable campaign featuring very few highlights. The EFL novices need some help from quality and savvy additions but there must also be a fair bit of churn. A total of 24 signings were made since the end of last season and many of the permanent ones were announced as being on two-year contracts. If there are clauses then few could complain if they were shown the door. The most pressing decision is the next head coach and any candidates will have watched this run-in and made it clear that big voids in the squad - in terms of position, quality, character - need to be addressed. Jenkins, who has a leading role in recruitment, certainly isn't daft and will have learnt plenty of lessons from this season. The chairman will know that repeating the summer of 2024 isn't a route to repeating the Swansea Way in the east, it's a journey to the National League. DESPAIR: County fell to pieces after Jake Garrett's equaliser (Image: Kian Abdullah/Huw Evans Agency) WEAKNESS This was a game to hammer home County's lack of resilience and inability to respond to setbacks. They were good value for the 1-0 lead courtesy of Shane McLoughlin's 23rd minute opener, when he battled to win possession in the box and finished smartly. However, the scorer lost possession cheaply as half-time approached and Jake Garrett was able to level with the help of a huge deflection off Cameron Antwi. What followed in the second half was disgraceful, starting with horrendous defending for the second when Joe Thomas and Matt Baker failed to clear a cross for Kristian Dennis to score. Kai Whitmore was then daftly sent off and heads had gone. There was no pressure on Omari Patrick after he cut inside and fired in from the edge of the area and then another cross was nodded in by Josh Davison. The goals were soft and County look weak, mentally and physically, with an inability to change momentum. OFF: Kai Whitmore's red card cost County any chance of a comeback (Image: Kian Abdullah/Huw Evans Agency) RED MIST Whitmore had already been booked for a reckless studs-up challenge in the first half when he barged into Garrett. It looked a little harsh live but on second viewing, the referee had no choice but to bring out the yellow card and then red. Whitmore will miss the first game of next season and it was another example of County's awful decision-making. They have had eight red cards in all competitions this season and six have been down to almost childlike behaviour. Kyle Jameson was sent off three times for two bookings, booting the ball into the crowd for his second against Port Vale, making a rash challenge in added time at Tranmere and then doing similar at Vale. Brennan was outsmarted by Ben Garrity went sent off for a skirmish against Vale at Rodney Parade and Courtney Baker-Richardson was shown a second yellow for dissent against Cheltenham. We want County to show more grit but the squad have gone about trying to show determination in the wrong way. Whitmore tries to be a ball of energy but can he be trusted both in terms of positional discipline and when making challenges? At Grimsby in March he was brought on to up the tempo and press but made a rash challenge immediately that left him with no margin for error. On Saturday his nothing challenge effectively killed off any hopes of a comeback. LIVELY: Moses Alexander-Walker on debut for County (Image: Kian Abdullah/Huw Evans Agency) ONE POSITIVE Hopefully we will look back at the Tranmere game with fondness for it being a first outing for Moses Alexander-Walker. The teenage forward was brought on at 2-1 and looked lively, which makes Whitmore's indiscipline all the more frustrating. Fast, energetic, ambitious and with plenty of desire, this was an encouraging half hour by the 17-year-old. The former Bristol City youth prospect looked one to watch when given chances in pre-season by Graham Coughlan in 2023 but the Exiles have wisely held him back. Young Moses is now a Football League player and should be extremely proud of himself. He will return in the summer to push for more opportunities and, frankly, his attitude in half an hour suggests he is more deserving of them than plenty of more experienced teammates.
South Wales Argus
30-04-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Argus
URC: Tiatia's Dragons need to change from being soft touches
The Dragons have just two fixtures left in what has been a miserable campaign and will end with daunting tasks in Cape Town and Pretoria. They jet off on Monday but this will be no jolly for those who are fit to travel to face two formidable teams likely to extend their seasons to include knockout rugby. The Stormers are currently sixth, just four points above ninth, but should record a bonus-point win against the Dragons that will either put them on the brink of the play-offs or cement their place if earlier results go their way. The final assignment of 2024/25 - a season that will be the worst in the club's history - is against the third-placed Bulls, who will be hunting second place and a home semi-final. 👧👦 #KidsRound brought the smiles… but the table? All business 💥 With two rounds to go, the Play-Off race is officially WILD 🔥 Who's making that final push? 👀#BKTURC #URC — BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) April 28, 2025 It is likely to be a painful finish and the Dragons are almost certain to go into next season with some unwanted streaks continuing. They have lost 15 straight games since stunning the Ospreys at the death on opening weekend. Their last 12 opponents have bagged five match points, a streak that goes back to the round four loss to the two-try Lions. Only on TWO occasions in 16 fixtures (the win against the Ospreys, loss to the Lions) have the Dragons prevented their opposition from claiming a maximum haul. Barring a miracle in South Africa, the Dragons will not only be whitewashed on the road in the URC but whitewashed with bonus points – nine games and 45 points for the hosts. CRUISE: Rueben Morgan-Williams crossed as the Ospreys ran riot against the Dragons (Image: Kian Abdullah/Huw Evans Agency) The Dragons have recorded 9 match points, with 7 of them won under previous boss Dai Flanagan in the first block of the campaign, while their opponents are currently on 95. That has led to them being condemned to finishing bottom of the table, be it Celtic League, Pro12, Pro14 or URC, for the first time and that with an embarrassing 20-point gap to Zebre Parma. The Dragons are on 0.56 points per game and that is the worst of Europe's three premier leagues with English Premiership basement dwellers Newcastle, who have won twice in 15 games, on 0.8 while Top 14 strugglers Vannes, who have won seven and are just a point off safety, are on a relatively whopping 1.59. There are some reasons for the struggles and a consistently long list of absentees has certainly not helped. That has led to some chances for younger players and hopefully they can push on, although the recent results and performances look to be damaging some homegrown talent. Is this really helping Aneurin Owen, Ryan Woodman, Joe Westwood fulfil their potential? With that in mind, this season has prompted a big recruitment drive with tighthead Dillon Lewis, lock Levi Douglas and flankers Thomas Young and Harry Beddall the confirmed new arrivals. South African tighthead Robert Hunt, loosehead Wyn Jones, lock Seb Davies and fly-half Tinus de Beer have also been lined up, with more targeted. There will also be a new addition to the management team with the finishing touches being made to a contract for an experienced coach to be Tiatia's right-hand man. The former All Black arrived to be a defence coach and adding to his responsibilities has had an impact. Tiatia was a no-nonsense player and has carried that into his coaching career but the Dragons have undeniably been a soft touch this season, the run of five-point hauls for opponents shows that. Next season will be better but it would be naïve to expect a huge leap in the wins column. What does have to change is the expectation from opponents that the Dragons, even in Newport, is a surefire five-pointer.
Wales Online
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Tonight's rugby news as Sherratt addresses Wales return links and Lions certainty suffers major blow
Tonight's rugby news as Sherratt addresses Wales return links and Lions certainty suffers major blow The latest headlines from Wales and around the world Sherratt has spoken out after being linked with a return to the Wales job (Image: Kian Abdullah/Huw Evans Agency ) These are your evening rugby headlines on Tuesday, April 29. Sherratt addresses Wales job links Matt Sherratt has addressed speculation linking him with the vacant Wales head coach job, saying he hasn't spoken to anyone at the Welsh Rugby Union about a potential return to the role. The Cardiff Rugby boss was interim head coach of Wales during the Six Nations, taking the reins from Warren Gatland after he left in the middle of the tournament, and has recently been tipped to come back temporarily to lead the side on the summer tour of Japan. While Steve Tandy remains the frontrunner to succeed Gatland permanently, it has been suggested that Sherratt is being lined up to lead the squad again for the two-Test tour in July, alongside current Harlequins head coach Danny Wilson. Quizzed on the rumours by Jim Hamilton and Andy Goode on the latest episode of The Rugby Pod, the coach said: "Genuinely, I've not spoken to anyone about it, and I wouldn't say that if I had. I would probably just straight bat it. "But because of all the stuff that's been going on at Cardiff - we've had two games in six days, the club going into administration - and the WRU have been pretty busy with the Dave Reddin appointment, I've genuinely not spoken about it at all. "I'll see what happens in the next couple of weeks and see which direction they want to go in." 25% OFF DEAL NOW: Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby Article continues below As for taking on the job full-time, Sherratt quickly shut down those suggestions, adding: "No, I don't want it. For the reason that it's only my second year as a head coach, and to be honest, I never really wanted to be a head coach. "I did it at Cardiff because it was a good fit at the time, the club needed somebody in short-term. I get along well with the staff and the players there, so I thought I'd have a go. "But I still enjoy being on the grass and being part of the group and coach, and that's where I get my energy," he continued. "What I found from being a head coach is it ends up dragging you away a little bit... you're speaking to agents. I quite like going to the pub on a Sunday and it's wrecked that really!" Lions hopeful suffers major blow Scotland star Blair Kinghorn has suffered a major blow ahead of the British & Irish Lions tour, with a knee injury set to keep him out for "several weeks". The full-back has long been tipped as a starter for Andy Farrell's side in Australia this summer, after another impressive campaign for Toulouse in the Top 14. However, he has suffered a setback at the worst possible time after suffering a knee injury against Castres on Saturday, which forced him off the field after just seven minutes. According to reports in France, scans showed the Scottish international has suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee, with RMC Sport reporting that he now faces between four and six weeks on the sidelines. Farrell will announce his squad for the tour next Thursday and while the injury may not be severe enough to rule him out of the tour completely, it will mean, if picked, he will head into tour preparations with not much recent rugby under his belt. The first Test against the Wallabies is not until July 17, but the first pre-Test match against Argentina is taking place in Dublin on June 20, in just over seven weeks' time. Kinghorn has definitely been ruled out of Toulouse's Champions Cup semi-final against Bordeaux on Sunday, and will likely miss the final in Cardiff on May 24 if his side make it through. Ex-Lions star lands coaching role Former England and British & Irish Lions star Riki Flutey has landed a new job as New Zealand Women's new backs and skill coach. The 45-year-old joins the Black Ferns' coaching set-up ahead of this year's Women's Rugby World Cup, becoming part of a ticket that already includes performance director Allan Bunting, rugby lead and attack coach Tony Christie, defence coach Steve Jackson and forwards coach Dan Cron. "It's truly an honour to be in this environment with the Black Ferns," said ex-London Irish and Wasps back Flutey, who was born in New Zealand and in 2009 became the first player to play for and against the Lions when he faced the Maori All Blacks. "I look to use my playing experiences and knowledge wherever I can add value to help grow each individual as we start building towards the Rugby World Cup. "A lot of these players here in camp inspired my daughter Madison to play rugby several years ago now," he added. "So it's special to be able to give back directly to those who inspired her. England coach told his job is safe By Duncan Bech, PA England Rugby Correspondent John Mitchell will remain England head coach until June next year regardless of how the Red Roses perform at the World Cup, according to the Rugby Football Union. England are favourites to win the tournament they are hosting in August and September having clinched a seventh successive Women's Six Nations title and amassed 55 wins in 56 Tests. Their only blemish is a 34-31 loss in the 2022 World Cup final to New Zealand, who have beaten the Red Roses in five of the last six finals. Experienced former All Blacks boss Mitchell was recruited to improve that record but RFU director of performance rugby Conor O'Shea insists he will stay in his post for the 2026 Six Nations even if he fails to deliver the title. 'Results are important but you don't want people thinking about what their next job is by having a contract finishing at that time,' O'Shea said. 'There will be no thought for anything until we get through the World Cup and Six Nations. I think it is very unhealthy to be insecure going into the World Cup – and that's the only focus we have. Article continues below 'We didn't want anyone speculating about anything because that's the most unhealthy thing that can happen in any environment. That's why there are no contract talks for players or coaches.'
