More than 41,000 tickets have already been snapped up for the Friday night Invesco Perpertual clash between Wales and Canada as the Millennium Stadium edges closer to a sell-out Autumn series.

The international clash against Australia on November the 29th has now been declared a sell out with tickets for the New Zealand game completely sold out several weeks ago.

That means the Canada clash is the last opportunity for supporters to get to a game to cheer on Warren Gatland’s team this Grand Slam year.

There has been a surge in Canada ticket sales following Saturdays sell out international between Wales and South Africa from fans anxious to savour the big game atmosphere live.

The international against Canada kicks off at 7.30pm on Friday with the remaining tickets for sale at £10 for juniors and £15 for adults.

Tickets can be ordered by phone from Ticketmaster on 08705 582582 or supporters can call Ticketline on 02920 230130 or call into their Westgate Street, Cardiff shop in person.

With the Canada match tickets selling at pace the Invesco Perpetual Autumn four match series is already assured of being watched live by more than a quarter of a million Millennium Stadium fans.

The Group Chief Executive of the WRU, Roger Lewis, said:”Ticket sales for all the autumn games have been amazing and the interest in the Canada match is building at pace.

“Welsh rugby fans know that the Canadians can prove formidable international opponents so we know we are in for a great game.

“The Canadians arrived in Wales on Sunday and they are really looking forward to savouring the Millennium Stadium atmosphere and I know our supporters will give them a great welcome.

“We have ensured the ticket prices for the Friday night game are very competitive and it will be a great rugby occasion for all the family.”

With tickets for Australia and New Zealand all sold out any supporter still hoping to buy one should contact their local Welsh rugby club just in case they have the luck to come across one that has become available at the last minute.

Tags: Rugby Canada, Welsh Rugby Union

A two million pound Centre of Excellence boasting the best national team preparation facilities in world rugby has been unveiled by the Welsh Rugby Union.

The state-of-the-art facility will involve a major expansion of the current base used by the national team at the Vale Hotel, Golf and Spa Resort in Hensol near Llantrisant.

The Indoor Arena, and the office accommodation will now be used to exclusively house Welsh Rugby Union teams and backroom staff, while three, new, full size pitches will be laid for exclusive use of Welsh Rugby Union teams, along with two half pitches and a new artificial, 3G pitch inside the Indoor Arena.

The development is the result of a three way partnership, with investment from the Welsh Rugby Union, Leekes, the owners of the Vale Resort, and the Sports Council for Wales who have allocated a £1.5 million National Lottery grant into the project.

Although the current location is already the training base for the Wales squad, the facilities are shared and some grass training sessions are held off site, for example at the Welsh Institute of sport, Cardiff.

Work on installing an upgraded gymnasium inside the centre has already started and is in use during the preparation for the Invesco Perpetual Series. Work will begin immediately on a full renovation of the administrative facilities and the installation of all the new pitches which will be complete in 2009.

Welsh Rugby Union Group Chief Executive Roger Lewis, said: “We are creating a Centre of Excellence which will truly be the envy of the rugby world. This will take Wales to the forefront of the professional game when it comes to providing the facilities needed to achieve success at international level.

“We were determined to make sure that the players of the present and the future have every chance of upholding the proud tradition and history of Welsh international rugby in the professional era as the game develops.

“Any young player who walks through the doors of this Centre of Excellence will not fail to be inspired by the sporting environment they will be entering. The quality of the facilities and the range of expertise and skill represented in the staff based at the centre will be unmatched anywhere in either hemisphere.

“I am very proud that the Welsh Rugby Union has been able to deliver this project and I am immensely grateful to the Sports Council of Wales, and in particular Phil Carling, Huw Jones and Helen Adams for their support and advice throughout the process which has led us to today. I would also like to personally thank Gerald Leeke and his team for helping to turn our vision into a reality.

“It has taken a colossal amount of effort to achieve this, but the benefit to Welsh rugby will be evident down the generations to come.”

The Sports Minister Alun Ffred Jones said:

“This is an exciting project for Welsh rugby and I wish the WRU every success in taking it forward. The facilities that are planned will clearly benefit Wales’s international rugby teams and I’m pleased that the partners in the project, the WRU, the Sports Council for Wales and the Vale Resort, have been able to work together to set this project in motion.”

WRU Chairman, David Pickering, added: “We will now boast a Centre of Excellence that everyone involved in Welsh rugby can be truly proud of. It will offer generations of talented young men and women the opportunity to achieve their true international potential.

“I am well aware of the dedication and hard work needed to become a Welsh international and we are determined to nurture and develop all our elite players.

Wales Head Coach Warren Gatland said: “Environment is so important to a successful team and having every possible training surface on our doorstep will make a huge difference to our match preparation in the future.”

Phil Davies, current Wales Under 20 head coach said, “It is so important that all the international teams representing Wales at rugby get constant exposure to the right people using the right equipment and the most modern techniques. Our potential, future professional rugby players will gain a huge amount from the use of this facility.”

Philip Carling, Chair of the Sports Council for Wales said: “Through National Lottery funding, the Sports Council for Wales has been able to transform the sporting landscape in Wales. As well as community projects across Wales, it has also been able to put into place a network of key national and regional facilities.

“The national Centre of Excellence for rugby will now add to the growing portfolio which also includes the Wales National Pool, the Wales National Velodrome, national and regional centres across a number of sports such as athletics, swimming and golf. The facility will impact on the success of the national team which is vitally important to national pride.”

Managing Director of the Vale Resort Stephen Leeke said: “We have been working in close partnership with the WRU since 1999. Investing in our nation’s sporting excellence is something that we believe in and wholly support both from a family and commercial point of view.

“We can now go forward with our long term lease agreement with the WRU and this facility will provide sports teams with a range of training facilities which cannot be found anywhere else in the UK.

“In fact it is our belief that this competes with any other major training facilities in Europe and possibly in the world. This easily establishes the Vale as the UK’s version of La Manga.

“This is a world class partnership to support Welsh rugby and the Welsh team and confirms the vision of the Leekes family to support Welsh sporting teams.”

WRU Centre of Excellence

⿢ A full size, floodlit, 3G artificial pitch to IRB standard which means outdoor full contact training can take place in all weathers.

⿢ A second full size grass pitch will also be floodlit and there will be a third international standard pitch for exclusive use by the senior squad.

⿢ Alongside these full size pitches, two half pitches will be laid so that technical skills such as kicking, line-outs or scrummaging can be practised outside full team sessions.

⿢ Inside the Indoor Arena, it is aimed that a new artificial pitch will be laid to the same standard as the outside 3G facility which means full contact training and player rehabilitation can take place indoors.

Under the new plan the centre will be an exclusive Welsh Rugby Union training base dedicated to ensuring match preparation will not be hampered by reliance on shared facilities.

Rugby development staff relocation to the Centre of Excellence will be complete by the summer of 2009. To ensure all of Welsh rugby development is aligned through the work at the centre there will be hot desk facilities for WRU Regional Performance Development Managers and Regional Community Managers to share the facility as required.

Tags: Welsh Rugby Union

Roger Lewis, the Group Chief Executive of the Welsh Rugby Union, announced today that the WRU has won a major and significant legal victory to secure the release of international squad players for training next Monday (Oct 27) for them to start preparing to face the World Champions at the Millennium Stadium in the Invesco Perpetual Series on November the eighth.

The High Court has ordered in favour of the WRU and has directed that the Regions should not “prevent, hinder or obstruct” the players from attending training on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. They will also be available for training for the whole of the following week.

In his ruling Judge Havelock Allan QC recognised that the international match is the most important factor and not the politics.

The ruling is based on his decision that the WRU has first and last call on the availability of players for training sessions.

The judge explained that his ruling is binding on the Regions by virtue of the express terms of the Participation Agreement and also by virtue of their membership of the WRU.

The court refused an application from the Regions for leave to appeal against his ruling and the court was told that common sense had prevailed.

The WRU asked the High Court to rule on the issue after the Regions continued to withhold their permission to release the players.

Head Coach Warren Gatland originally wanted 13 potential training days from Monday October the 27th but had reviewed that request for a compromise release to initially include the first three days of next week.

The ruling means the squad will gather on Sunday evening at the Vale of Glamorgan Resort Wales team headquarters to be available for training on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next week and for the entire five days of the week prior to the game.

The WRU Group Chief Executive, Roger Lewis, said: “Welsh rugby has right on its side and common sense has prevailed.

“This is a victory for the fans of Welsh rugby. Wales will face the World Champions on November the eighth and we have taken this action to ensure they have time to prepare properly for that historic encounter.

“Wearing the Welsh jersey is a huge responsibility for every man selected to play for Wales and we are obliged to ensure they have every opportunity to give of their best.

“The players and coaches must now be allowed to clear their minds of any concerns about this matter and focus on the task in hand.

“This has been an unfortunate episode, but the court ruling justifies our contention that the request was just and we had right on our side.

“We will now put this matter behind us and focus on the priority of finalising the draft Participation Agreement document over the next few days.

“We are determined to deliver an agreement which is good for rugby and fully recognises the efforts being made by all our Regions to advance the professional game in Wales.

“There will always be issues over which to disagree but I want the supporters to remain confident that the Welsh Rugby Union under my stewardship will always aim to do what is best for the game in Wales.”

Tags: Welsh Rugby Union

The Welsh Rugby Union issued the following response after being made aware of a public statement on behalf of the four Welsh Regions

A Welsh Rugby Union spokesman said:”Anyone who cares about Welsh rugby will be disappointed to discover that the four Regions have decided to go about their business in this way. We regard the statement as inaccurate and misleading and will be addressing these points with the individuals concerned.

“Over recent months there have been numerous meetings between the Welsh Rugby Union and the Regions looking forward towards a new Participation Agreement aimed at nurturing and developing elite rugby in Wales.

“The latest of those meetings took place this week and the Welsh Rugby Union regards the talks on a range of relevant issues to be progressing well. Therefore we are surprised at the sudden recourse to public statements but will refrain from engaging in detailed debate outside the format of formal negotiation.

“The Welsh Rugby Union remains determined to secure a Participation Agreement which will benefit the whole of rugby in Wales and ensure that our Regions continue to develop and grow as competitive forces on the European and world stage.”

Wales Head Coach Warren Gatland issued the following statement in response to the statement by the four Welsh Regions.

Warren Gatland said:”I am saddened at the suggestion that I was asked to speak out on the player release issue by the WRU on their behalf. To put it bluntly, I am big enough and ugly enough to speak out on my own behalf.

“Everyone knows that five days preparation is insufficient for a major international and that is not questioned by the Regions or their executives. My focus is straightforward in that I want adequate preparation time for the players selected to represent Wales and nothing more.”

Tags: Welsh Rugby Union

Under Armour Unveils First International Level Team Kit Combining Performance Fabrics
and New Technology with Welsh Tradition

Cardiff, WALES (October 16, 2008) - Wales coach Warren Gatland and captain Ryan Jones today unveiled the debut kit from the WRU’s new official supplier, Under Armour (NYSE: UA). The nation’s new look for the coming season features ‘dragon scale grippy’ technology and highlights key national symbols such as the Welsh flag. The brand’s first international level rugby kit is engineered with lighter and more breathable fabrics to improve comfort and range of movement to help enhance on-field performance.

Inspired by the history and culture of the land, the American based performance apparel brand created a range of kit rooted in Welsh tradition. ‘Welsh red’ is the predominant colour for the tight-fitting Home jersey, and the Welsh flag is stitched onto the jersey underneath the Welsh word ‘Calon’ - meaning heart - on the inside back-neck of the collar. Additional details include ‘dragon scale grippy’ technology for enhanced ball-handling ability, triple seaming construction for maximum durability, “chamois” textile inserts on shorts for improved handling in wet conditions, and position-specific fit for the players.

The new kit has undergone rigorous wear testing at national team training sessions and Gatland’s squad has played a pivotal role in fine-tuning the gear to ensure it meets their needs.

Under Armour President, Europe, Peter Mahrer said: “Unveiling our first international level team kit is truly a historic day for Under Armour. It was important to us to respect the cherished heritage of Welsh rugby in these new designs while also ensuring we sacrificed nothing to deliver the best-performing, most technical state-of-the-art kit.”

“The Welsh national team jersey holds a unique place in the mindset of players and fans alike throughout the country and it is particularly pleasing to us that Under Armour have produced a garment which is entirely sympathetic to that fact,” said Gatland.

“Under Armour took on a challenge to produce the Welsh kit, but the result has exceeded everyone’s expectations both in design and functionality,” notes Gatland. “This kit is lighter and more durable than anything we’ve worn before.”

Wales’ Nov. 8 match against South Africa, in the Invesco Perpetual Series, will mark the on-field debut of the new Under Armour kit. The tournament pits Wales against South Africa, Canada, New Zealand and Australia on consecutive weekends in November.

The WRU Group head of marketing, Gwyn Dolphin, commented on the wide-ranging partnership with Under Armour, noting that: “The agreement with Under Armour is the first to include all WRU national teams from age grade to women’s rugby and will also encompass WRU referees as well as WRU and Millennium Stadium staff.”

Dolphin added: “Under Armour has a magnificent reputation and pedigree in producing performance wear for the global market, and we are delighted to be the first rugby nation in the world to benefit from that expertise - at all levels of play.”

The new Wales jersey will be available from all major sports clothing outlets commencing tomorrow, 17th October, and is also sold online at www.wru.co.uk.

In addition to the United Kingdom, Under Armour performance gear is currently available in Australia, Austria, the Benelux, France, Germany, Greece, Iberia, Italy, Japan, Latin America, New Zealand, Scandinavia, South Africa, and Switzerland. The company is committed to working towards further integration into European sport by providing rugby, football, cricket, ice hockey and handball players the technologically advanced performance gear that has made Under Armour an integral part of helping athletes perform their best.

Tags: under armour, Welsh Rugby Union

Craig White, the conditioning coach brought in as part of the Wales fitness team by head coach Warren Gatland in the summer, has been elevated to a new role by the Welsh Rugby Union and will now take responsibility for co-ordinating all aspects of physical performance at the top end of the game.

White assumes the position of National Squad Performance Manager with immediate effect and is contracted until after the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

This position of increased managerial responsibility for the former Wasps and Leicester Tigers fitness guru means he will now co-ordinate all physical performance areas for the national squad, although he will initially remain a hands on coach working throughout the Regions as he has done since arriving in Wales.

White will report directly to Gatland, but maintain strong links with the newly appointed (May) National Performance Manager Huw Wiltshire to ensure consistency of approach throughout the WRU leading through to the national squad.

“In my short experience in Wales, we have the potential for establishing a truly world class environment for the production of top class players and this has stood out in comparison to all the other places I have worked,” said White.

“The one overriding thing we have in our favour as a nation is the heavy concentration of rugby talent in what is just a small area in terms of the geography of the country.

“Those bare facts present a golden opportunity for us to nurture the playing talent we have available to us and, at international level, leaves us with no excuses as to why each and every individual who comes through should not reach their true potential.

“From a personal point of view I am very much looking forward to this new role and, whilst I want to continue to maintain hands on coaching contact with the national squad in the immediate future, the role will also involve more co-ordinating and management duties.”

White will co-ordinate the following key areas in relation to the national squad: Physical Conditioning, Injury Prevention Strategies, Rehabilitation, Nutrition, Sports Science and Performance Monitoring.

“We are in pretty good shape already and the players we are working with at the moment are in a position to maintain the healthy state of Welsh rugby for the short term,” he continued.

“We have a squad that could go head to head with any in the world game at the moment physically and come out favourably on their day.

“But the important factor is to not only maintain those high standards, but to continually improve them as the squad evolves, to stand us in good stead for years to come and that is the very crux of this new role.

“We also need to close any gap that may exist between those within the national squad and on the fringes.”

White is one of rugby’s most highly respected conditioning coaches, he joined Gatland’s backroom line-up, charged with building the Wales team towards the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in 2011, prior to the two-Test tour of South Africa in June.

“I have worked with Craig at London Wasps and in Ireland and I know the talent and tireless dedication he will bring to this role with Wales will be of great benefit to the players,” said Gatland.

“He has the professional credentials, personality and management skills to really get to grips with all of the key physical performance areas of the national squad and to ensure that once that best practice is in place it permeates throughout the national game.”

White’s last UK role was as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at the Leicester Tigers.

He has worked at the top level with London Wasps, the Irish Rugby Union, the British and Irish Lions and Leicester Tigers. Outside rugby he has an impressive track record in top class soccer with Bolton Wanderers and has studied with many experts from the worlds of elite sports and sports science.

Some of the most respected figures in rugby have spoken in the past of the high regard they hold him in as a fitness expert and trainer.

WRU Group Chief Executive, Roger Lewis, said: “Craig is an extremely impressive individual who has an outstanding record and clearly operates at the forefront of his area of expertise. He has much to offer the game in Wales.”

The former Leicester coach Pat Howard said: “Craig is without doubt one of the best trainers I have worked with and he has a bright future. If I had to use one word to describe Craig, his commitment to winning and improving standards, not just his own but also everyone else’s, it would be, relentless.”

Sir Clive Woodward said: “Craig is without doubt one of the best practitioners in his field. He is well respected in his field and I had no hesitation in selecting him on the 2005 British and Irish Lions tour.”

From Ireland the international centre Brian O’Driscoll added: “The main reason all the lads enjoyed working with Craig is because the training he did with us was aimed not just at making us stronger, fitter and faster but aimed at making us better rugby players.”

Tags: Craig White, Welsh Rugby Union

The Welsh Rugby Union has reviewed the contents of an email it received from the Chairman of the Premiership Division Clubs and Secretary of Cross Keys RFC, Chris Clarke, involving the Group Chief Executive of the WRU, Roger Lewis.

It follows a verbal exchange which took place at the end of the recent WRU Annual General Meeting in Aberavon as the hall was clearing and some delegates were discussing the vote on reform of the Premiership Division.

The President of the WRU, Dennis Gethin, looked into the points raised and has spoken to eight individuals who were present, including Mr Clarke and Mr Lewis.

He has concluded that comments made by the Secretary of the Cross Keys Rugby Football Club were regarded by Mr Lewis as a direct, personal insult and an insult to the Board of the WRU. Mr Lewis reacted to the comments in a heated exchange with Mr Clarke. Mr Lewis then attended a press conference, but returned minutes later and apologised to Mr Clarke for his part in their conversation.

The panel, advised by the President, has noted the apology and found, on behalf of the WRU, that this concludes the matter and no further action is necessary.

The panel, consisted of WRU Chairman David Pickering, WRU Vice Chairman, Ken Hewitt and WRU Board member, Martin Davies.

Tags: Dennis Gethin, Welsh Rugby Union

The Welsh Rugby Union has announced an impressive line-up of coaches and managers of its international age grade, Women’s and Sevens sides for the 2008/09 season, which includes former Wales internationals Phil Davies, Paul John, Mark Taylor, Tony Clement, Dale McInstosh, Wayne Proctor and Byron Hayward.

The selection process included valuable input from Wales head coach Warren Gatland and WRU Group Chief Executive Roger Lewis who advised on the coaching and managerial skills needed for the roles. The national management teams will report to National Performance Manager Huw Wiltshire.

Wiltshire stressed, “A key strategy behind these appointments, and behind the ongoing operational management of the teams throughout the season, is to align the coaching strategies within these elite, international sides to those of the National Team.

“Player and coach development is fundamental to the ethos of these sides and it is vital to work achieve a close, working relationship with the Regions and Principality Premiership sides in order to create a smooth pathway into professional Regional and international rugby for our elite, young players.

“Along with the individuals appointed to the various roles within these teams, I’m thrilled that Dai Young (Under 20 and Under 18), Colin Hillman (Sevens) and Danny Wilson (skills) are to act as technical advisors to the sides, while WRU Performance Lifestyle manager Alun Davies will act as Management advisor. Our common aim is to produce players for our regional and international sides so to have a current Regional head coach on board as a bench mark will be an added bonus for our coaches and players. The coaching and team management roles were all openly advertised which generated a huge amount of interest from talented individuals from across the rugby spectrum.”

Former Scarlets and Leeds Tykes director of rugby and 46-times capped lock Phil Davies has been given the role of Wales Under 20 head coach, and will be assisted by former Wales Sevens coach and Cardiff Blues skills coach Gareth Baber and Wasps assistant coach Rob Hoadley, who, as one of Shaun Edwards’ assistants at London Wasps, is in a position to develop Edwards’ techniques and philosophy with the Welsh youngsters. The side will be managed by 37-times capped former Wales full back Tony Clement with 39-times capped former Wales wing Wayne Proctor appointed as fitness coach.

Phil Davies said, “I’m thrilled to have been given the chance to get back into top level coaching, and to be able to make a contribution to Welsh rugby again. I’m excited to be working with our quality youngsters, and to give them a positive experience to take back to their regions and to be able to pass on some of Warren Gatland’s philosophies, mixed with my own.

“I’m delighted with the make-up of the Under 20 management team. It’s fantastic that young Welsh players will benefit from the likes of Rob Hoadley who has played and coached in the Guinness Premiership, and who will no doubt develop Shaun Edwards’ defensive structures at Under 20 level.

With Tony Clement and Wayne Proctor in the management team, that’s a huge amount of first hand international experience and knowledge to pass onto future Welsh internationals, and I have a huge amount of belief in Gareth Baber and his coaching skills.”

Wales coach Warren Gatland said, “Communication is key and by working together, not only in the appointment of these coaches and managers, but throughout the season, especially with the Under 20 set-up, we hope to make the transition from age grade and international Sevens rugby to senior regional and international rugby as seamless as possible for players and coaches.

“It’s great to have someone like Phil Davies on board, he has achieved a huge amount in the game, and it would be a shame to lose him to Welsh rugby. It’s important that the individuals honing and shaping our future internationals are either at the cutting edge of top class rugby, or have experienced that level of the game.”

Roger Lewis added, “Someone of Phil Davies’ calibre and standing in the game is a huge boost to international age grade rugby and the development of our elite, young players in Wales, while the appointment of two Premiership coaches to head coach positions (Simon King and Paul John) and two others to assistant coach positions (Richard Hodges and Dale McInstosh) show the value we place in the semi-professional league as a key platform for player and coach development.

“There is no doubt that by joining up our strategies and philosophies, not only across the elite performance department, but across the whole of the Welsh rugby family will help us achieve our mission to take Welsh rugby to the forefront of the global game in performance and reputation.”

Aberavon head coach Simon King will continue as Wales Under 18 head coach, and will be assisted by Pontypridd assistant coach Dale McIntosh and former Newport and Harlequins scrum-half Darren Edwards, who is now part of the Quins’ coaching set-up. Former Wales and Lions centre Mark Taylor has been appointed team manager of the side in his first managerial role.

King said, “Formative development of players is essential and I’m looking forward to joining up with the rest of the coaching team and getting on with the job in hand which is to develop players individually and collectively to step up to the next level.”

Last season’s Principality Premiership Coach of the Year, Pontypridd’s Paul John has been handed the role of Wales Sevens head coach. He will be assisted alternately by former Wales Sevens international forward and current Llandovery player Gareth Williams and Glamorgan Wanderers head coach Richard Hodges. Three academy fitness coaches Byron Hayward, Eifion Roberts and Rhodri Williams will each cover at least two IRB Sevens World Series tournaments, while colonel David Jenkins, who has managed the side since Wales’ return to the IRB Sevens circuit three years ago, will continue in that role.

Paul John said, “I’m excited at this new challenge in my coaching career. Sevens offers a range of development tools for players, giving them vital exposure both on and off the field which often provides a stepping stone into regional rugby. I’m thrilled to be able to learn from Colin Hillman’s technical knowledge and expertise of international Sevens.”

For Wales Women, Jason Lewis and Aled Thomas have been re-appointed head coach and assistant for the forthcoming season, with Ryan Harris continuing as fitness coach and Donna Crossman appointed as team manager. Wales Women finished second in last season’s Six Nations for the second time in three seasons. Lewis said: “We’ve come a long way in our progression as a team. However, our goal is the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2010 and this season will be a vital part of the journey towards that objective.”

SWALEC Official Partner of WRU international age grade sides

Energy giant SWALEC has become the Official Partner of the WRU’s international age grade sides as part of a three-year sponsorship deal which also sees the energy company become the National Community Partner of Welsh Rugby.
The partnership reunites Welsh rugby with Wales’ leading energy company with SWALEC providing electricity and gas to more than a million customers in Wales and will in future provide the power for the Millennium Stadium.

Under the new agreement SWALEC are now sponsors of: The SWALEC Cup, The SWALEC National Leagues, Wales U20 and Wales Under 18; the SWALEC Community XV.

WRU Group Chief Executive Roger Lewis said: “Reuniting with SWALEC is great news for Welsh rugby and we are delighted that they have chosen to support international age grade rugby which is such a vital platform for developing talent.”

Tags: Welsh rugby, Welsh Rugby Union