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Wales Online
3 days ago
- Sport
- Wales Online
The standout stars in Super Rygbi Cymru this year who you'll be seeing a lot more of
The standout stars in Super Rygbi Cymru this year who you'll be seeing a lot more of There are a number of youngsters primed to explode onto the professional scene next season Cardiff's Elijah Evans slices through the Aberavon defence (Image: Darren Griffiths/Huw Evans Agency ) The inaugural Super Rygbi Cymru season has come to a close with Newport defeating Ebbw Vale in the final to take the crown. While the competition was not initially greeted with open arms after the likes of Neath and Pontypridd were not included, there is far better alignment with the pathway than there was with the old Welsh Premiership. Improvements need to be made moving forward but a plethora of Wales' best young talent have shone throughout the competition and look well-placed to make it as professional players. Here are five players you can expect to burst onto the professional scene over the next couple of seasons. Iori Badham (Carmarthen Quins) The 20-year-old full-back made a strong start to the SRC season before suffering a campaign-ending knee injury. It came at the wrong time for Badham who was selected in the Wales U20s squad for the Six Nations but didn't get any game-time because of his injury and will now also miss the U20s World Cup this summer. But Badham is very highly rated and has been compared to a young Leigh Halfpenny by some within the upper echelons of Welsh rugby due to the fact he rarely makes mistakes. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. Badham, who hails from Tenby, is a talented footballer who is strong both defensively and under the high ball, while he is a dangerous broken-field runner. Expect to see him start to get some game-time with the Scarlets over the next couple of seasons. Will Evans (Llandovery) The 19-year-old second-row made an impressive start to the season and was named player of the match in Llandovery's 21-18 victory at Pontypool in September. At 6ft 5in and 18st 5lbs, Evans is a real physical specimen who has the size and power to make a real impact on the professional game in the future. Evans is an old fashioned lock in that he does the unglamorous and unseen dirty work, which allows others to thrive. He is also a powerful carrier in the tight exchanges capable of making significant post-contact metres. Evans suffered an injury setback midway through the season but is not fully fit and has been named in the extended Wales U20s training squad ahead of the U20s World Cup this summer. The powerful second-row is highly rated by the Scarlets who have big plans for him and he is likely to get game-time in the United Rugby Championship next season. Dwayne Peel recently spoke of how experienced Wales lock Jake Ball, who has reversed his decision to retire by returning to the Scarlets, will help Evans' development next season. Elijah Evans (Cardiff RFC) The 19-year-old centre has been outstanding for Cardiff in the SRC this season and looks destined for great things. Evans is a product of Pentyrch RFC and played for Cardiff Met in Bucs Super Rugby last season. The rising Cardiff star is a very powerful runner who tends to hit good angles and you can almost guarantee at least a couple of clean line breaks a game. He is also a very physical player who can get over the gain line, while he reads the game well defensively and his distribution skills are also very good. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free Evans has figured for Wales U20s and has been named in the extended training squad ahead of this summer's U20s World Cup. He is highly rated at the Arms Park and is a player who will follow in the footsteps of Steffan Emanuel and Tom Bowen in getting URC minutes next season. Harri Houston (Swansea RFC) The 21-year-old has impressed for Swansea RFC this season with his pace, footwork and finishing ability impressing. Houston is a former Wales U20s wing who is highly rated within the WRU pathway but has had to bide his time at the Ospreys. He has been playing much of his rugby in the SRC with Swansea and has only made a handful of appearances for the Ospreys to date. Houston isn't the biggest but he is a player with X-factor and can create opportunities out of nothing. The Ospreys have the likes of Keelan Giles, Ryan Conbeer and Daniel Kasende out wide but Houston is somebody who could be considered next season. Harry Rees-Weldon The 20-year-old has already broken into the Dragons team but expect to see more of the powerful wing next season. Rees-Weldon started the season impressively for Ebbw Vale and went on to figure heavily for Wales U20s in the Six Nations, scoring a stunning try in the victory over England U20s at the Arms Park. Big things are expected of the Dragons wing whose running style has been likened to George North. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. He is a powerful wing who is very strong aerially and in defence while he also has speed and is a potent finisher. Article continues below Rees-Weldon is expected to develop into a future Wales international.
Wales Online
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Wales international's younger brother 'on fire' as he takes jersey off club legend
Wales international's younger brother 'on fire' as he takes jersey off club legend The 22-year-old helped his club to title glory in what was described as a 'changing of the guard' Lloyd is 'on fire' after making the No. 10 jersey his own (Image: Gareth Everett/Huw Evans Agency ) Newport RFC have been crowned the best team in Wales outside of the professional game after beating Ebbw Vale 27-18 in the first-ever Super Rygbi Cymru final, with young fly-half Jac Lloyd helping them to victory with a player of the match performance. The Black & Ambers ended their 150th anniversary season on a high at Eugene Cross Park as they defeated the Steelmen on Sunday afternoon to become the inaugural winners of the new league and take the second-tier title for the first time since 2004. Tries from Dafydd Buckland, Lloyd and Carwyn Penny helped Newport to victory, with the outside-half putting the outcome beyond all doubt from the tee as he was named the official player of the match. The 22-year-old - who is the younger brother of Wales international and Cardiff-bound Scarlets star Ioan Lloyd - has quickly become a key player for Ty Morris' side after breaking into the team earlier this season. Lloyd, who can also play at full-back, came through the Bristol Bears' academy and played for Sydney University in the Shute Shield before moving to Newport in 2023. He made 16 appearances in his first season with the club as they finished runners-up in the Welsh Premiership, with seven of those coming as starting fly-half. Article continues below However, with club legend and long-time star playmaker Matt O'Brien taking on further responsibilities as part of the Dragons' senior coaching staff, it has fallen to someone else to pull the strings for the Black & Ambers, with former Wales U20s star Lloyd stepping up to fill the role. Having made the jersey his own, the youngster looks set to be the main man at No.10 for Morris' team, with O'Brien himself giving his seal of approval after Sunday's victory over Ebbw Vale. While he confirmed that he is planning on staying at the club for "a couple more seasons", the 32-year-old admitted that he currently doesn't expect to get back into the team ahead of the "on fire" Lloyd. Dedicating the title win to club legend and 'Mr Newport' Brian Jones, who died last month, O'Brien told S4C: "It feels brilliant, the supporters they deserve it more than anyone. "A lot of hard work has gone into it over the last four or five years and we got the reward today. I think the better side won." The fly-half was named Player of the Match as Newport defeated Ebbw Vale in the Super Rygbi Cymru final (Image: Gareth Everett/Huw Evans Agency ) Quizzed on his future, he added: "I'm potentially still going to have a couple more seasons but I'll be playing a lot less with everything going on. "But I think you saw today, the changing of the guard has probably happened already, to be honest. Jac Lloyd, I don't think I'll ever get the shirt back off him, he's on fire "I'm chuffed for him, I'm chuffed for the club and with the 150th anniversary, I think it's a great way to finish, obviously with the passing of BJ a few weeks ago as well as we all know, so I'm really pleased. " Lloyd's standout performance against Ebbw Vale comes after head coach Morris hailed him as "one of the best all-rounders in the league" after rising to the challenge of filling O'Brien's boots at fly-half. 'We were aware at the beginning of last season about Matt's commitments to the Dragons and where his future lied regarding coaching,' the coach told the South Wales Argus. 'We had to accept that Matt was not going to be available as much but the way things worked out meant he still played around 70 per cent of games last year. 'We thought that we would be making the transition but Jac probably didn't get as much game time as he wanted last season, but he has this time. He has really grown into the role, especially post-Christmas when Matt has been unavailable or injured. Article continues below 'Jac has had time in the saddle, has grabbed that 10 jersey and, in my opinion, is one of the best all-rounders in the league," Morris added. "[He] has been able to have the time to make errors whereas previously he would have two or three games and then Matt would have two or three games. 'He is growing in terms of his performances but also with his confidence around the group, being a leader, talking a lot and controlling games.'
Wales Online
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
The verdict on Welsh rugby's controversial new competition as WRU resurrect talks with English
The verdict on Welsh rugby's controversial new competition as WRU resurrect talks with English Super Rygbi Cymru has been a success in its first season, according to the WRU's John Alder Ebbw Vale and Newport will compete to be Super Rygbi champions (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd ) The Welsh Rugby Union's head of player development John Alder is confident Super Rygbi Cymru will get stronger over the next few seasons and provide the perfect platform for Wales' future internationals to progress. Ebbw Vale will host Newport on Sunday in the first ever final of the SRC at Eugene Cross Park. When WRU first mooted the idea of creating a competition above the Welsh Premiership it was initially met with scepticism, with famous clubs like Neath, Pontypridd and Merthyr, left out or choosing not to take part amid criticism of the concept. But the WRU wanted to bridge the gap between the United Rugby Championship and the semi-professional game with a competition more aligned with the pathway. And Alder is confident the SRC has begun to do that. "The ambition at the start was to align with our pathway, create a competition which aligns with our pro clubs and give opportunities to up and coming players while also creating an exciting domestic product for players to play in and fans to watch," Alder told WalesOnline. "We haven't lost any of that historic club based element but we wanted to reset it so that it works more effectively and is integrated with the pro game. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. "We will do a review when the grand final is completed on Sunday but we looked at the Wales U20s cohort going into the Six Nations and of the Wales-based players we have 87% of our U20s feature in the SRC. Article continues below "The remaining 13% were playing in Bucs Super Rugby. We also recognise that plays an important part too, albeit a smaller part. "When we looked at players who were based outside of Wales our Welsh-based age grade players are playing at a higher standard than their counterparts in England. "Specifically, we looked at the match day 23. We had 75% more starting appearances and an increase of 70% in match minutes compared to 2024 who would have been playing Welsh Premiership. "For me this is a good sign of progress." Welsh rugby is going through a tough time at senior international level but there are some green shoots emerging from the pathway. Wales U20s beat world U20s champions England in the Six Nations while the U18s won every game in the recent U18s Six Nations Festival in France. The quality of players coming through the pathway is considered to be better than it has been for a number of years and Alder is confident the SRC is the right competition to develop Wales' best young talent. "We have some tremendous talent coming through our age-grade teams and I'm confident the SRC is the right platform for them to develop," he said. "Anyone who has watched the league this season would have seen subtle changes in playing style, longer ball in play than previous iterations of the comp. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free "We've had longer cycle lengths which are all moving closer to the pro game. "Starting with it was the hardest part and now it is a case of working with the coaches, the regional academies to move the dial on style and the standard of play. "Our goal wasn't to create an age grade league but a mixture of young talent and more senior experienced players. Getting that sweet spot right will always be a challenge. "If we take Macs Page as an example - I'm aware he's kicked on now - but he was playing centre alongside a former seasoned pro like Adam Warren. "That's an example of great mentorship. We've seen pockets of that across the league but would we like to see more? Definitely." The WRU are also working hard to put in place an Anglo-Welsh Cup competition between the SRC clubs and teams in the English Championship. "That was the strong ambition from the outset looking at the season structure and asking ourselves how do we create a vibrant competition for fans but equally a good challenge for our players," he said. "I've had really good conversations with the RFU and our championship clubs in the build up to Christmas and were really hopeful it would take off next season. "But the brakes have been put on that by our friends across the bridge due to their political dynamics. "It was definitely a hard no for next season. We have since picked back up the conversations. "Granted there's a lot changing across the bridge but we are continuing to have conversations which are really positive. "We aren't in a position to get too excited just yet but we are definitely grasping that nettle to try and make that happen." Article continues below Alder has also been pleased with the crowds in the SRC while he maintains the viewing figures have been satisfactory. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. The WRU view this inaugural season as the first step in creating a strong competition which can produce more and better players for the professional game. "Part of that strategy is if we can produce more and better players we can drive standards up to ensure our professional clubs are more competitive," Alder added.
Wales Online
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Iconic Welsh rugby club thrashed 104-0 by rivals but fans proud of team
Iconic Welsh rugby club thrashed 104-0 by rivals but fans proud of team It came a huge shock with Neath third place in the league. Merthyr celebrate winning the Welsh Premiership (Image: Merthyr RFC ) Neath lost 104-0 to Merthyr in a shocking result that has made Welsh rugby fans check the scores twice. The Ironmen bagged 16 tries in the top of the table clash, with the huge victory coming one week after they secured the Welsh Premiership title. Merthyr were presented with the league trophy at The Wern, and marked the occasion with a relentless barrage of tries against a severely fatigued outfit who had played three games in a seven-day window and changed half their team from the previous match. The home side did not pull any punches though, and were 66-0 up at half time. They would go on to score another six tries in the second half to make matters worse for Neath. Adam Hoskins got himself four tries with teammate Dafydd Thomas securing a hat-trick with Ben Jones kicking 11 conversions. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. This game came just 72 hours after Neath had played Pontypridd in a 34-33 thriller at Sardis Road, which they narrowly lost. It officially confirmed Pontypridd would finish second, not Neath, who ended the season third. Article continues below While there are still five games to play this week, that devastating result against Merthyr marked the end of Neath's season. Despite this, there's no chance of Bargoed pipping them to third when they Pontypridd this weekend, with the Welsh All Blacks 10 points clear in third place. Fans on social media were shocked by the result but understood the wider context of a difficult week that ended with the freak scoreline, with one of the best teams in the division being thrashed by over a century of points. Neath Supporters Club said: "This is one game out of a very long hard season. Please don't judge on just one scoreline. This came after very physical games against Bonymaen and Pontypridd. Three games in seven days. Don't forget we don't get any support from our region. So it's a very tough ask for our squad." Article continues below One Merthyr supporter said: "You nearly beat Pontypridd on their home pitch, you came third in a league where there are no easy games. "Yesterday was one match too many given the time it takes to recover from playing a hard, physical game like rugby. You did your best and played until the end trying to score and you didn't resort to old school rugby - putting in cheap shots - all the best next season." Another wrote: "Not a scoreline Neath will be proud of one bit, but credit to all the players, staff, supporters, who must be hurting at the moment. But third in a very tough league is a great achievement, congratulations on a great season to all involved at Neath RFC."
Wales Online
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Dragons make approach for Wales international amid Cardiff uncertainty
Dragons make approach for Wales international amid Cardiff uncertainty The 21-year-old has struggled for minutes in his second senior campaign at the Arms Park Mackenzie Martin has attracted interest from the Dragons (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd ) The Dragons have shown interest in signing Wales international Mackenzie Martin from Cardiff. The No. 8 has a year left to run on his contract at the Arms Park, but has found game time difficult to come by in his second season in senior rugby after a whirlwind rise to the Test arena. The 2023/24 campaign saw him break into Cardiff's first team after impressing in the Welsh Premiership, earning a Wales debut under Warren Gatland in last year's Six Nations. However, the Ely product's follow-up season has seen him not make a single start for his club or add to his four Test caps. Having played over 800 minutes for club and country last season, the 21-year-old has managed just 99 minutes in cameos off the bench this year - with a lot of his game time having been for Cardiff RFC in Super Rygbi Cymru. It would appear the Rodney Parade club are aware of his situation, having approached Cardiff over their interest. Article continues below Filo Tiatia has already signed a number of players from the Welsh capital for next season - with Tinus de Beer, Thomas Young and Seb Davies all swapping blue and black for black and amber. Former Cardiff loosehead Dillon Lewis is also joining the club from Harlequins ahead of next season. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. However, while the Dragons have outlined their desire to add another Wales international to their ranks, it's unclear whether any move will materialise just yet given Martin has another year left on his deal. There has been some added uncertainty over deals in recent weeks, with Cardiff having been taken over by the Welsh Rugby Union after going into administration. As is often the case with clubs going into administration, there was the risk that players could feasibly void their contracts - with all of Cardiff's playing group given a letter to sign that would see them acknowledge their transfer of their contract from Cardiff Rugby Limited to the WRU's new subsidiary. It's understood that not all players had necessarily signed by the deadline of last Monday evening. However, Cardiff coach Matt Sherratt was hopeful that no player will leave as a result of last week's events. "No, I don't think so," said Sherratt last week. "For the first reason, I think the players that are here are happy here. "I've tried to make Cardiff an enjoyable place to play rugby. I want players who have a connection to the club and the city, and want to play for a club with the history we've got here. "Hopefully all the players here have an attachment to the club. So that hopefully keeps them anyway. And then, if I'm honest contractually, I wouldn't know the detail of whether they're in contract or not. "From the conversations I've had with the club, once they've TUPE'd across, their contract is the same as before we went into administration. But I'm not a lawyer, so don't hold me to that." Sherratt has previously spoken about the need for the likes of Martin, Alex Mann and Cameron Winnett - who have all been capped by Wales at an early age in the past two years before being overlooked at some point - to show resilience in the face of these relative setbacks. "That's the challenge," he said at the start of this season. "If you look at the likes of Mackenzie Martin, Alex Mann and Cam Winnett, they've been thrust into international rugby. "I couldn't be more pleased that they have done, but we've got to temper that with the fact they're young players who are still developing. I watched Mackenzie play for Cardiff RFC against Newport last September. "Nine months later, he's playing against Ireland and touring Australia. Their climb has been massive. For them, it's realising that rugby, like any job, isn't a straight line to success. "They're going to have bumps and injuries along the way. They'll have non-selections because the likes of Taulupe Faletau and James Botham are coming back. There's a lot of competition for places. "We'll probably see a little bit of their resilience this year when we'll see how they are second season, when there's maybe a bit more expectation on them - not from me, but from themselves. It's how they react when there's a bump in the road, which is inevitable as it's a bumpy career path. "Even last year, obviously we had Thomas Young on the sidelines a lot, Josh Turnbull retired, Ellis Jenkins was at that stage of his career where he wasn't going to play every week, Toby played 20 minutes and we had a small squad. Every region has had a little of it. "We maybe had a little bit more. And they played so well, they got picked for Wales. I'm keen that, as a young player, you just enjoy playing without the expectation and overthinking around selection. Article continues below "If I told Mackenzie a year ago he'd have four Welsh caps, he'd have snatched my hand off. We're looking at the long-term for these players. When they're 25 or 26, which is still five years away for some of them, it's making sure they're still on an upward curve - not having a season like no other last year and then hitting a roadblock."
