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.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
12 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Gerwyn Price swerves Blackpool bust-up backlash as he storms through to Betfred World Matchplay quarter finals
The Welsh star was delighted to get the backing of the Winter Gardens crowd after his fiery battle two days earlier Chuffed Gerwyn Price was thrilled to avoid a Blackpool backlash as he stormed into the last-eight of the Betfred World Matchplay. The Welsh star returned to the Winter Gardens stage for the first time after his bust-up clash with Daryl Gurney on Monday night. Price was back to tackle Chris Dobey and instantly into the groove as he smashed the Geordie by an 11-3 scoreline. The Iceman was given big backing by the Blackpool sell-out and Price was delighted about it as he said: 'I think I played pretty well through the middle part of that game. 'Testament to the crowd, you know, they were behind me, which I didn't expect today after Monday. But yeah, it was fantastic. 'That's what I look foreard to now every game is the crowd being behind me. It's nice and then I go and perform like that. I expected a few little boos, which I got, but I expected a little more and it was nice, it was good.' 'The middle part of the game felt like I couldn't miss. I put Chris under a lot of pressure. I think he still played pretty decent in patches. I think early on we both were flying, but I was just pipping him on a couple of legs and probably disheartened him a little bit. It's a good game for me.' Price kept emotions in check to power through the line and added: 'It's definitely tough. I mean, I want to let my emotions go sometimes, but whether I'm 4-1 up or 8-2 up, which I was in that game, I can still lose. I've lost games where I've been 5-1 up, first to six. "I lost to Danny Norbert in the European Championships a couple of years ago, where I was a lot of legs up. So I concentrated right until the end there. It was a tough game.' Price's success maintains his stunning recent run of form and, asked where the motivation lies, he smiled: 'Just the money! And the ranking points, because I dropped down quite a bit. "And yeah, just getting some money on my rankings more than anything. It's one of the trophies I haven't won, which I really want to win. 'I lost in a final of this, I think 2022. So yeah, it's a tournament I really want to win.' Price isn't interested in upcoming opponents as he added: 'No, no, honestly, it doesn't matter. I go up every single time, play the board. I know it's easy to say that, but I do. I go up, I play the board. "If my game's good enough, I'll win. If it's not, I'll go home. today, it was more than good enough. I put Chris under a lot of pressure, but I felt like I was good.' You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.
Business News Wales
23 minutes ago
- Business News Wales
South Wales to Host Latter Stages of Lloyds Tour of Britain Men 2025
This September, Torfaen will play host to the latter stages of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men – Britain's biggest professional cycle race. On Saturday September 6 and Sunday September 7, the UK's largest free-to-spectate live sporting event will see the world's top cyclists racing two arduous stages across South Wales. Pontypool Park will host the start of Stage Five on Saturday September 6, as the British national tour visits the borough for the first time. The route will continue through Monmouthshire – culminating in a double ascent of The Tumble, near Abergavenny, which averages 8.2 per cent gradient for five kilometres, and will loop back through Torfaen later that day. Torfaen Council Leader Cllr Anthony Hunt said: 'It's exciting to have a stage of the Tour of Britain starting here in Pontypool, travelling through Torfaen and Monmouthshire. What a great opportunity to show off beautiful Pontypool Park and Blaenavon too. 'It will also give local people a great chance to come and see the race, and pay tribute to Welsh legend, Tour de France winner and Olympic champion Geraint Thomas in his last professional race.' To mark Geraint Thomas' last competitive race, the final stage on Sunday September 7, will start from the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome of Wales, in Newport, and pass Maindy Velodrome – home of Geriant's former club, the Maindy Flyers Cycling Club. As part of Wales' weekend of racing, amateur cyclists can also tackle the final stage of the race on Saturday 6 September, starting and finishing at Newport's Geraint Thomas Velodrome – one day before the professional competitors. Further details and the exact routes of both Welsh stages of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men will be published later this month. Jonathan Day, Managing Director of British Cycling Events, said: 'The Lloyds Tour of Britain Men never fails to draw a crowd in South Wales, and with the four fantastic locations and two stages falling across a weekend, we are confident that this will make for a really special atmosphere and a fantastic way to round out the race, and crown our 2025 champion.' The Lloyds Tour of Britain Men begins in East Suffolk on Tuesday September 2, with legs between Woodbridge and Southwold, Suffolk at Stowmarket, Milton Keynes and Central Bedfordshire, and Warwickshire before the race arrives in Wales. Welsh Government Minister with responsibility for Sport, Jack Sargeant, said: 'We're excited to welcome the Men's Tour of Britain back to Wales once again, an event we have proudly supported over a number of years.' 'The Tour has found a successful home in Wales, and each time it returns it showcases our cities, towns, communities and landscapes to an international audience, as well as attracting athletes from all over the world.'
Powys County Times
2 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Builth Wells Golf Club captain supports Wales Air Ambulance
A grandmother of ten has chosen Wales Air Ambulance as her charity of the year in her role as Lady Captain at Builth Wells Golf Club. A lifelong sports enthusiast, Cathy Yates, 69, has played hockey and canoeed, but discovered her passion for golf 30 years ago. She now plays regularly and recently co-organised a fundraising golf day with Shane Claridge, the club's men's captain. Mrs Yates said: "Many of my friends and family have needed the help of the air ambulance over the years. "My husband was riding his motorcycle a long time ago when he was hit off his bike. "I also used to be a paraglider pilot and some of my friends had accidents in remote locations." Mrs Yates said her professional background and personal interests make this charity even more meaningful. She said: "I've got a real interest in helicopters; I've got a degree in aeronautical engineering and love aircrafts. "As you can imagine, the work of the Wales Air Ambulance really strikes a chord with me and it's something I am keen to support. "I've always done the monthly lottery but having this opportunity as lady captain will enable me to spend the next few months rallying even more support for the cause." Wales Air Ambulance relies on public donations to raise the £11.2 million it needs each year to operate its fleet of helicopters and response vehicles. The service is designed to bring 'hospital-standard' treatments directly to patients, wherever they are in Wales. Mrs Yates is now looking forward to visiting the air ambulance base in Welshpool during her time as Lady Captain. She said: "It's going to be wonderful to get up close to the helicopter and look inside it. "I cannot wait to meet the team." Originally from Oxfordshire, Mrs Yates moved to Powys seven years ago and is now learning Welsh. She said: "We live in such a beautiful part of Wales; it is very rural and learning the language is really important to me." A former teacher and self-described adventurer, she and her husband Graham travelled across Europe for five years after retiring and spend summers in South Africa. Between them, they have six children and ten grandchildren. She said: "We love keeping active. "And between our family and hobbies there is never a dull moment." Mrs Yates is now looking forward to bringing people together through a full calendar of charity events. She said: "Our golf day was just the start. "It was a fabulous way to kick off our year of fundraisi ng. "We managed to raise £250." Planned events include quiz nights, bingo, and a special night golf evening in October. She said: "We've got a great support network at the club enabling us to do this for Wales Air Ambulance. "People travel miles to come and play at our club because of the amazing course and sweeping views across Builth. "It's quite breathtaking." Kate Thomas, regional fundraising manager for Wales Air Ambulance, said said: "We'd like to extend our congratulations to Cathy and Shane on their captaincies. "We are hugely grateful to them both for nominating us as their charity of the year. "Our fundraisers are at the heart of everything we do. "They enable our teams to be able to attend patients wherever and whenever they need us.
