Latest news with #ex-Scarlets
Wales Online
2 days ago
- Sport
- Wales Online
Major Wales internationals sue WRU as deadline passes
Major Wales internationals sue WRU as deadline passes Several former Wales stars are involved in the lawsuit with hundreds of new players joining Former Wales back Lee Byrne is among the claimants in the lawsuit (Image: Richard Williams/WalesOnline ) More than 520 additional former rugby players have joined the High Court concussion lawsuit against World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union and the Welsh Rugby Union, according to the law firm bringing the case. Rylands Garth says there are now more than 1,100 former players involved in the lawsuit, with 784 of the claimants from rugby union and 319 from rugby league, who are also taking action against the Rugby Football League (RFL) and the British Amateur Rugby League Association (BARLA). Those involved in the lawsuit claim that the governing bodies failed to put in place reasonable measures to protect them from suffering serious brain injuries during their playing careers. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. Friday, May 30 was the deadline for new players to join the legal actions, with the case potentially going to trial next year. Several Wales internationals are already among the claimants and they were officially named after an anonymity order was lifted last year, with former British & Irish Lions full-back Lee Byrne among those to be revealed. The lifting of the anonymity order also revealed former Wales back row Jonathan Thomas, prop and ex-Wales Womens coach Chris Horsman and ex-Scarlets and Dragons lock Adam Jones to be involved, as well as ex-Wales Women stars Nic Evans and Jamie Kift. Article continues below Also among the 50 Wales internationals officially named last year was Lou Reed, Morgan Stoddart, Hal Luscombe and Rhys Gill. The likes of Gavin Henson, Ian Gough and former skipper Colin Charvis had already been revealed to be part of the suit in 2023, while Alix Popham, Ryan Jones and Dafydd James are among those to have gone public with their claims having all been diagnosed with early onset dementia. Popham has become a leading advocate for player welfare and founded the charity Head for Change, which supports those who suffer from sports-related brain injuries. Appearing on Newsnight earlier this year, he admitted had "no recollection" of the biggest games of his career, explaining: "My neurologist, when he diagnosed me, they worked out I had over 100,000 sub-concussive hits in my brain. "I know the teams that I played for, I know big games I played in because usually I've got the jerseys on the wall or winning medals from playing in those games, but memories, vivid memories of the scoreline weather, the stadium, I've got no recollection of that. "One game for Wales, I can't remember what year it was but it was in South Africa and we met [Nelson] Mandela before the game. I had a nasty head collision, a traumatic brain injury in the game and woke up in hospital. "I watched the videos back, after I had a fit on the pitch, and I've got no recollection of being in that stadium or being in that game. Unfortunately, most of my career is the same." The identities of the 520 additional claimants in the lawsuit have not been revealed. Others previously confirmed to be involved include former England stars and World Cup winners Steve Thompson, Mark Regan and Phil Vickery, as well as ex-Lions Phil Greening and Harry Ellis. In a statement, a Rylands Garth spokesperson said: "Players continue to play almost all-year round, with many elite players soon to embark on extremely physical summer tours across the rugby world. Article continues below "We will continue to fight for justice for those who gave so much to the game." All of the confirmed Wales internationals involved in concussion lawsuit:
Wales Online
6 days ago
- Sport
- Wales Online
Wales rugby star Jonathan Davies climbs Everest as he ticks off 'bucket list' adventure
Wales rugby star Jonathan Davies climbs Everest as he ticks off 'bucket list' adventure The former Scarlets, Wales and Lions star has posted the stunning photos on social media Wales rugby star Jonathan Davies has climbed to Everest Base Camp (Image: Instagram/Jonfoxdavies ) Former Wales and British & Irish Lions centre Jonathan Davies has embarked on a trek to Everest Base Camp, marking a new chapter in his post-rugby life. The 36-year-old, affectionately known as "Foxy," is undertaking the challenging journey through the Himalayas with adventure company EverTrek. Davies announced his retirement from professional rugby in October 2024, concluding an illustrious 18-year career that included 96 caps for Wales, two Grand Slam titles and six Tests with the Lions. Since retiring, the ex-Scarlets star has been preparing for this high-altitude adventure, sharing updates on his training and experiences, alongside a burgeoning broadcasting career which has seen him become a regular on the new-look Scrum V show. In a recent LinkedIn post, Davies expressed his enthusiasm, stating, "Loving every minute of my trip to Nepal so far". Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. Earlier this year, he shared his anticipation for the adventure, saying: "Looking forward to challenging myself again…. a different physical test. I'll be embarking on a journey to Everest Base Camp this year. "It as a challenging trek and one that I've had on the bucket list for a long time." A post from the EverTrek social media account on Wednesday confirmed that Davies, along with his travelling cohort, had reached Base Camp, stating: "Awesome news coming in that Yeti Rhys, Foxy and the rest of the EverTrekker team have reached Everest Base Camp! "Huge congrats to everyone! What an awesome achievement! Safe journey back down guys." Content cannot be displayed without consent Base Camp is located at an altitude of approximately 5,364 meters (17,598 feet) above sea level on the south (Nepalese) side of Mount Everest. A standard round-trip trek to Base Camp typically takes anywhere between eight to 12 days and is around 130km (81 miles) in distance. Article continues below Despite the altitude, the trek is non-technical, meaning no mountaineering experience is required, but it does demand good fitness and preparation due to its physical demands.
Wales Online
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Tonight's rugby news as Welsh coach set to take French club job and famous Welsh team concede 100
Tonight's rugby news as Welsh coach set to take French club job and famous Welsh team concede 100 The latest rugby news from Wales and beyond. Gareth Baber reportedly has a new club. (Image: © Huw Evans Picture Agency ) Your rugby evening headlines on Saturday, May 3. Welsh coach gets new gig Welsh rugby coach Gareth Baber has reportedly agreed to join Stade Nicois ahead of the new season, according to L'Equipe. The former Fiji Sevens coach previously played for Bristol and Dragons before moving into coaching, and will now aim to guide Nicois to promotion. He'll be supported by backs coach Barry Maddocks and forwards coach Emiliano Bergamaschi. Current Ospreys and Wales fly-half Owen Williams is also joining, along with former Scarlets and current Bayonne number eight Uzair Cassiem. Baber led the Fiji Sevens side to glory at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, which was followed by a short stint working with United Rugby Championship side Edinburgh Rugby. Baber also previously worked at Cardiff Metropolitan University as Director of Rugby Systems. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. Gareth Anscombe enters talks with new club Wales international Gareth Anscombe has entered talks with Bayonne ahead of next season, according to RugbyPass. Article continues below The 33-year-old fly-half is leaving Gloucester at the end of the current campaign and had been linked with moves to Leicester Tigers and Provence Rugby, with the latter being where ex-team-mate George North plays. Gloucester have signed Ireland international and Leinster fly-half Ross Byrne ahead of the new season, and he'll be partnering up with Tomos Williams in the half-backs in 2025/2026. Bayonne are favourites to sign Anscombe due to the fact veteran Camille Lopez is hanging up his boots at the end of the season. Currently on the books at the French club are former England star Manu Tuilagi and ex-Scarlets man Cassiem. Nigel Owens makes return Nigel Owens made his return to refereeing on Saturday afternoon. The legendary official picked up the whistle again as Lampeter RFC took on London Welsh in a 150th anniversary match. Writing on social media ahead of the game, the Welshman said: "BREAKING NEWS: I'm back. After 4 years I am picking up the whistle again tomorrow for a special 150 years anniversary celebrating Lampeter RFC in their match versus London Welsh. Hope the legs will last the 80 mins." It was a glorious day at Lampeter RFC's North Road fields with spectators lining the touchline. Owens and the players were welcomed onto the field by youth players as supporters clapped and took pictures of the famous referee. The final score was 60-24 to Welsh, who played the second half with a side comprised of second and third-string players. The club described it as a "great day for all to celebrate" and it was "great having Nigel back from retirement for it as well." The last time Owens refereed a match was France v Italy in the autumn internationals five years ago, which was also his 100th Test as a referee. Since putting down the whistle, Owens has worked as a mentor for new WRU referees, as well as a World Rugby expert. He spends much of his time on his farm out in west Wales. Neath hammered 105-0 by Merthyr Neath were put to the sword by champions Merthyr on Saturday afternoon, finishing 105-0. It was the last game of the WRU Premiership season for the two teams, and was a jaw-dropping 66-0 at half-time. Merthyr ran in their tries with ease at The Wern and didn't take their foot off the gas in the second half. A total of 16 tries were scored by Merthyr, with one of those a penalty try. Neath went into the game in third place, but suffered the full wrath of the leaders. Article continues below The newly-crowned champions' performance paid testament to the fact they've lost only two games all season. They clinched the title with a 48-24 victory over Brecon recently, with Pontypridd's defeat to Ystrad Rhondda contributing to their glory.
Wales Online
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Wales Online
Wales rugby legend considering major career switch into politics
Wales rugby legend considering major career switch into politics The Wales icon is reportedly considering standing in the 2026 Senedd election Owens (centre) is reportedly considering a move into politics Former Wales captain Ken Owens is considering moving into politics and standing for Labour at next year's Senedd election, according to reports. The ex-Scarlets hooker announced his retirement from playing a year ago, having played 274 matches for the region and won 96 international caps for Wales and the British & Irish Lions. He captained Wales during the 2023 Six Nations before a debilitating back problem sidelined him for almost a year and ultimately forced him to hang up his boots. Since retiring, Owens has joined the board of Welsh netball team Cardiff Dragons as a non-executive director, while he has also become part of European governing body EPCR's disciplinary process and done media work for S4C. However, the 38-year-old is now considering an immediate move into politics, according to BBC Wales. Owens is reportedly weighing up whether to run in the Sir Gaerfyrddin constituency at the 2026 Senedd election. 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 Sir Gaerfyrddin is one of the 16 new constituencies created for the election and is formed from the Llanelli and Caerfyrddin constituencies, covering the county of Carmarthenshire - where the former hooker hails from. Labour currently does not have a lead candidate in the constituency after Llanelli MS Lee Waters and Mid and West Wales MS Joyce Watson both announced that they would be standing down ahead of the election next year. Article continues below Owens has publicly supported Labour, appearing at a rally in Carmarthenshire alongside Keir Starmer and then-First Minister Vaughan Gething ahead of last year's General Election. He also appeared in videos to back Welsh MPs Alex Davies-Jones and Nia Griffith ahead of the election, while he attended a St David's Day reception at 10 Downing Street earlier this year, alongside Alun Wyn Jones. While he has become more involved in politics since retiring, Owens was also involved in the political side of Welsh rugby during his playing days. Owens attended a reception at 10 Downing Street earlier this year Having been made captain for the 2023 Six Nations, he played a "pivotal" role in the contract dispute between the Wales squad and the Welsh Rugby Union during the tournament, with a threatened player strike ahead of their clash with England ultimately averted. Then-interim WRU chief executive Nigel Walker later credited the former Scarlets man with playing a key role in the dispute. "I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that if Ken were not the man he is, if he had not made the contribution he made, the threatened players strike against England may have happened," he said as part of an S4C documentary about Owens. "The Welsh rugby landscape would have looked completely different." Reflecting on the ordeal himself, Owens said: "This is the worst moment I have ever witnessed in the Welsh game since I have been a professional player. I thought I had seen everything but it's a shambles. Article continues below "The game goes ahead but as it was first thing this morning, the game was off. It was very close towards the end. I would have been happy not to take the field against England with the other players. That's how we feel." If Owens were to make the move into politics, he would not be the first former rugby star to do so, with ex-Wales Women international Tonia Antoniazzi now Labour MP for Gower.
