Tonight’s rugby news as Wales international lands major CEO role and Welsh star ends Test career

These are your evening rugby headlines on Monday, April 22.

Wales hero lands CEO role

Former Wales hooker Richard Hibbard has landed a major new role as CEO of Wales Rugby League.

The 4src-year-old won 38 caps for his country and became a cult hero, winning two Six Nations titles and touring with the British & Irish Lions in 2src13. At club level, he represented Ospreys, Gloucester, Dragons, Aberavon and Swansea before hanging up his boots six years ago.

However, before switching to union, he played rugby leage for Aberavon Fighting Irish, representing them in the first ever Wales Rugby League Grand Final in 2srcsrc3 and earning a cap for Wales Dragonhearts in the same year. Hibbard also owns two restaurants in his home town of Port Talbot, while he also launched his own successful rum brand, Mortal Bunny.

His new role will see him create partnerships to support the development of rugby league in Wales at all levels, from grassroots up to the senior international sides.

“I’m delighted to join Wales Rugby League,” said Hibbard. “Rugby league has always been important to me and I would have loved to have had a season or two as a player. But now I’m presented with the next best thing – an amazing opportunity to bring awareness of the rich talent we have in our country.

“I want to grow the sport of league in Wales the right way, from the bottom up, and shaping the game that’s right for Wales, creating opportunities both within the community all the way to elite levels, built on strong foundations.

“To do that, we’ll all need to work together. Integral to that will be strengthening relationships with our stakeholders, and creating new partnerships and relationships that are mutually beneficial.”

Wales lock ends international career

Wales Women lock Shona Wakley has announced she is stepping away from international rugby.

The 33-year-old, who has won 45 caps for her country after making her debut at the 2src1src Rugby World Cup, was named in Ioan Cunningham’s squad for the current Six Nations. However, she has not featured during the campaign, with her last international appearance coming again