Here are your rugby headlines for Friday, October 11.
Williams available for Wales’ autumn Tests
Wales full-back Liam Williams has confirmed his availability for the autumn internationals in November.
The-33 year-old, who missed Wales’ 2024 Six Nations campaign due to commitments with his Japanese club, Kubota Spears, was recalled for summer Tests against South Africa and Australia.
Speaking on the Sportin Wales podcast, Williams revealed that his club will allow him to remain in Wales until mid-December, which means he will be available to play against Fiji, Australia and South Africa at Principality Stadium next month as Wales aim to break a nine-match international losing streak. Williams is also due to become a father for the first time in the coming weeks, with wife Sophie heavily pregnant.
“It’ll be after the autumn,” he said when asked when he was heading out to Japan. “I’m looking to do the autumn first.
“The club have been really good in letting me stay at home, because of Soph as well, with the baby (due), so I go over on December 15.”
Despite rumours of a move to the Dragons in September, head coach Dai Flanagan has dismissed the idea of him joining during the 2024-25 campaign.
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Anglo-Welsh league unlikely – Premiership boss
By Duncan Bech, PA England Rugby Correspondent
Premiership Rugby have cast doubt on proposals for a British and Irish or Anglo-Welsh league being a better option than the current 10-team domestic competition.
Chief executive Simon Massie-Taylor insists the Gallagher Premiership is in a “very strong position” after the possibility of a merger with sides from Ireland, Scotland and Wales was discussed at board meeting of English clubs last month. In setting up such a competition in order to grow revenue from broadcast and commercial deals, the United Rugby Championship would be dissolved with its South African and Italian teams marooned without a league.
An Anglo-Welsh structure – a long-term talking point – has also been examined as a way of increasing value, in the process helping the ailing regions with more appealing cross-border fixtures. But Massie-Taylor has indicated that the Premiership will remain intact in its current format, stating that the “benchmark is massively high” when considering changes.
“You need to think not just four years ahead, but 10 years ahead,” he said. “You ask all the questions around European competitions and you’ve got to keep a long-term open mind about how things will pan out.
“We’re really proud of the Premiership. We think it’s on a really good trajectory and the numbers prove that with the interest around it. If you were ever to change things, the benchmark is massively high and it should be.
“You look at all sorts of options but the obvious thing to say about a British and Irish league is what happens to the rest of URC? Because they’ve shareholders there and they’d all need to agree to do something different.
“When you look at the relative economics of things it’s quite hard to make it work for all stakeholders. I do think we’re in a very strong position. It’s difficult to see how you take an expansive approach without compromising elsewhere in the system.”
Premiership Rugby’s director of rugby Phil Winstanley ruled out the possibility of Welsh teams joining the second tier Championship with the aim of securing promotion, while stressing that the addition of the regions would force a fixture overlap with the Six Nations.
“We’re in a really strong position in the Premiership so even to have the conversation the bar has to be so high,” Winstanley said.
Private equity giants CVC acquired a 27 per cent share in Premiership Rugby in 2018 and a 28 per cent share of PRO14 Rugby in 2020. It was hoped that their involvement as well as the injection of cash would propel the club game to a new level, but instead it helped the game weather the financial turbulence caused by the pandemic.
“CVC has a share hold in both. It’s not a vote on either/or when it comes to decisions like this,” Massie-Taylor said. “As is their style, they’ve been very collaborative and encouraging of long-term thinking. This isn’t a mandate from them to come up with a solution.
“They realise the complexity. The Anglo-Welsh they would care about because they’ve got an investment in URC.”
Dragons to pay tribute to fan
The Dragons are set to pay their respects to devoted fan Ray Gleed, who tragically passed away prior to their United Rugby Championship (URC) match against the Sharks last weekend.
Mr. Gleed, a 77-year-old season ticket holder from Caldicot, suffered a fatal medical emergency outside Rodney Parade.
To honor his memory, the Dragons will hold a minute’s applause during the 17th minute of their upcoming URC match against the Lions in Newport on Sunday, October 13. This tribute coincides with Mr. Gleed’s would-be 78th birthday on October 17.
Fans are also invited to leave floral tributes by Gate 3 at Rodney Parade.
The Dragons released a statement expressing their condolences, saying, “The thoughts of us all at Dragons RFC remain with Ray’s family and friends at this sad time.”
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