Wales Rugby News

Steve Tandy and I go back a long way. When I was a young player, it was very different to modern rugby - much, much tougher. But Steve was one older figure who made the Ospreys a welcoming place.

There's so much to get into ahead of the opening weekend. We put the call out for your questions and now we're putting the best of them to Sir Clive - here's what he had to say...

The next month represents heaven for rugby fans. It promises to be action of the highest quality - and a chance for a new era of stars to cement their status as talents worthy of the international stage.

Since returning to his home city of Cardiff from Bristol Bears in the summer of 2024, Callum Sheedy has had a more than eventful time of it.

On Friday, the Welsh Rugby Union gathered the media in the President's Lounge at Principality Stadium with the aim of providing clarity on the future of the country's national game.

The Welsh Rugby Union is set to confirm it plans to cut the number of Wales' men's club teams from four to three with one of the Ospreys and Scarlets at risk.

Williams' outstanding performances earned him a Lions call-up this summer. The 30-year-old's Gloucester contract expires at the end of the season and he is a man in demand.

Wales head coach Steve Tandy hailed the return of 'special athlete' Louis Rees-Zammit after recalling the flying wing and keeping prop Rhys Carre out of England's reach.

With ongoing uncertainty about how the country's national game will look in the future, Rugby Confidential understands leading Welsh players are keen to look elsewhere as a result.

The South African-born coach, who also previously worked in Harlequins' academy, has been working with Belgium's women's team in Kenya, and died while he was with the team at a tournament.

Warren Gatland, 62, and his wife Trudi lost baby daughter Shauna after she was born with spina bifida, a rare condition where the spine and spinal cord fail to develop properly inside the womb.

The Ba Orient was a plush Chinese restaurant and cocktail bar in Cardiff 's bay area popular with celebrities. For one night in 2006, it added another star to its list.

ALEX BYWATER: Jac Morgan admitted he can't wait to get Wales' new era under Steve Tandy started after he joined an illustrious club alongside some of the country's true rugby greats.

We've only just stepped through the door of Gareth Anscombe's brand new home in the south of France when we're hit by a wall of noise and activity.

On the field, Roberts never took a backward step as a physical, uncompromising centre. So, it is no surprise he has thrown himself headfirst into his next challenge too

Thomas captained both Wales and the British and Irish Lions during his illustrious playing career, becoming the first Welshman to be captained 100 times by his national team.

ALEX BYWATER: Rees-Zammit's rugby return from the NFL is good news for both the player and his new employers as the ambitious English club outfit looks to expand not only at home, but abroad.

ALEX BYWATER: The Welsh Rugby Union is set to propose reducing the number of Wales' professional clubs from four to two as part of plans to restructure the country's national game.

ALEX BYWATER: Rees-Zammit is returning to rugby after failing to break into the NFL. As reported by Daily Mail Sport, the 24-year-old is set to join rebel league R360 from the summer of 2026.

Here, writing ahead of Saturday morning's fixture, Mail Sport's ALEX BYWATER ranks the top 10 most successful Lions tours of all time.

CHRIS FOY IN SYDNEY: The skipper's last call to arms will involve imploring these Lions to ensure that their crusade resonates for eternity, by completing a 3-0 series whitewash.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY ALEX BYWATER: By his own admission, Gavin Henson isn't a big reader. But when he found the right book, it changed his life as he realised a chimp had been running his life.

If his preparations go to plan, Farrell will become the first coach of the professional era to lead the Lions to a clean sweep, and be firmly in the hot seat to lead the tourists again in 2029.

Andrea Piardi had a very, very good game in the British & Irish Lions' series-clinching second Test win over Australia in Melbourne - right up until the final moment of the match.

Liverpool and Manchester United's owners are ready to go head-to-head by buying teams in the new rugby rebel league threatening to rip up the sport with in millions in investment.

DAN BIGGAR: I met up for a coffee with Wallabies winger Andrew Kellaway in Melbourne. We are mates from our Northampton days and we had a pretty honest conversation.

A giant destroyer of packs and Irish dreams stands between the Lions and their historic target on Saturday, as the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground is set to stage another momentous bodyline Test.

There were more than 100 names on the Welsh Rugby Union's list to replace an icon. And 160 days since Warren Gatland was sacked, Steve Tandy has won the race.

The Welsh Rugby Union has confirmed the appointment of Steve Tandy as their next permanent men's head coach. 

DAN BIGGAR: I strongly believe the Wallabies need to win the first Test to have any chance of winning the series. There are going to the five key battle grounds - here's how each side can win them.

Ellis Genge is poised to complete a treble of career-defining trips to Australia by confirming his epic transformation from 'wild' rookie into a world-class, tone-setting Lion on Saturday.

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: The pressure on the British & Irish Lions for Saturday's first Test against Australia is absolutely huge.

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: So many incredible players have represented the Lions, and as a result, ranking my top 50 of all time has been an incredibly stressful and onerous task.

Ben Te'o has the unique distinction of playing both as a Lion and in the State of Origin. Having reached those twin peaks, he has been left with an ambitious vision - the codes reunited.

WORLD OF RUGBY: Farrell has been emphasising that nationality is not a factor when it comes to his Lions selection, but it makes sense to capitalise on established combinations

Wales' first win in 644 days ended a horror run of 18 straight Test losses and gave their next permanent coach a fighting chance of success at the 2027 World Cup. At last, the long, long wait is over for Welsh fans.

If you thought Welsh rugby was in dire straits after a record 18 straight defeats, seeing off a player strike and with its four franchises on the brink of financial collapse, you'd be wrong. It's a lot worse than that.

One more tour game to go and then the Lions can head to Brisbane and settle in one place, with a mission to find solutions to three glaring, recurring problems before they confront the Wallabies.

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: Everyone connected with the Lions will be hoping the injury which forced Blair Kinghorn from the field against the Brumbies on Wednesday isn't too serious.

NIK SIMON AT GIO STADIUM, CANBERRA: This is who shone for the Lions and who has work to do with only 10 days and warm-up game left until the Test series starts.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY NIK SIMON: For a few seconds, I am flat on the floor of the Opetaia Boxing Club. That is what happens when you agree to take a punch from Sonny Bill Williams.

WORLD OF RUGBY: So much for best-laid plans. Farrell spoke throughout the early part of this tour about how all Test selection forecasts can go out the window - and that is happening here.

When the 1888 Lions spent 42 days at sea travelling to the southern hemisphere, they were accompanied by more than 300 stoats and weasels in the belly of their boat.

CHRIS FOY IN BRISBANE: All four flags are still flying on this Lions tour, thanks to Jac Morgan. The last Welshman standing has propelled himself into Test contention.

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: As coach, Andy Farrell will be pleased on the whole. But there is part of me that is still concerned about what's happened in the first two tour matches.

NIK SIMON AT SUNCORP STADIUM: The Lions made it two from two Down Under as they roared back from an early wobble to run in eight tries against the Queensland Reds in Brisbane.

NIK SIMON IN PERTH: The injury marred a high-scoring victory in Perth, where the Lions' contingent of Kiwi, Australian and South African players were mocked.

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: Finn Russell was in a league of his own in Perth, stamping his mark on the team from No 10 and proving just how good he is with a fantastic display.

CHRIS FOY: Dan Sheehan scored early to give the visitors the lead before rival skipper Nic White hit back for the Force. The hosts went on to frustrate the Lions before being undone.

NIK SIMON AT OPTUS STADIUM: After jerseys were swapped and beers were cracked open, the Lions sang their new victory song for the first time.

ALEX BYWATER: It has been 20 years since Dwayne Peel took on the toughest challenge of his career as a player, battling the All Blacks with the Lions. 'Blimey, has it been that long?'

Lions boss Andy Farrell has named his stating side for the first of the summer matches against Argentina on Friday, with four foreign-born players included in the 15 and two more in the replacements.

CHRIS FOY: The Smiths are back together again and what a precious opportunity this is for England's leading playmakers to call the tune for the Lions.

RUGBY CONFIDENTIAL: An armada of thousands are preparing to make the pilgrimage Down Under to support the Lions - but the fun won't be limited to those in Australia.

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: In 2005, I was Lions head coach and we too began with a warm-up against Argentina. Things didn't quite go to plan.

The regular domestic season is over, and on Tuesday night the Premiership handed out their seasonal awards. But here we looking at the lesser-spotted action that deserves its own gongs.

RUGBY CONFIDENTIAL: At a time of financial constraints across British club rugby, all teams are looking to gain a recruitment advantage by unearthing value signings their rivals aren't aware of.

Former Wales No. 8 Mark Jones has died aged of 59 after suffering a heart attack in the Middle East.  Tributes have poured in for the dual-code international who has been described as a 'giant' of Welsh rugby.

At last, here it is, a global guide to help oval-ball enthusiasts plan the best places to take in a fixture - close to home or thousands of miles away.

The 2026 Six Nations will kick-off on a Thursday night with a huge clash between defending champions France and Ireland on February 5 next year.

The Welsh Rugby Union have reacted to the latest outbreak of chaos and turmoil in the game by issuing what amounts to a request for bright ideas to help save their sport.

EXCLUSIVE BY ALEX BYWATER: For Wallabies great Matt Giteau, his two former team-mates still have plenty to offer Australia head coach Joe Schmidt.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY CHRIS FOY: Henry Pollock has been warned. And it's a familiar face delivering the message.

The Lions selection battle has only just begun. After Andy Farrell named a squad of 38 (or should that be 40?) to tour Australia this summer on Thursday, the next step is picking a starting team.

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: A Lions call caps a remarkable year for Henry Pollock. I did think the tour might come too soon for him. But I changed my mind after watching him against Leinster.

NIK SIMON: Henry Pollock, Marcus Smith and Fin Smith have been named in Andy Farrell's squad for this summer's Lions tour of Australia.

Follow Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, team news and updates as Andy Farrell is set to name his full squad for the  2025 British and Lions tour of Australia.

SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: A week today, Andy Farrell will announce his Lions squad for this summer's tour of Australia. Doing so is incredibly difficult, as I found out when I coached the Lions in 2005.

RUGBY CONFIDENTIAL: When Marcus Smith turned up at Miami's rugby club during designated time off, it quickly became clear there was more to his holiday than initially met the eye.

The Englishman charged with masterminding a revolution and revival in Welsh rugby believes he can harness lessons from working with Sir Clive Woodward and Gareth Southgate.

SPECIAL REPORT BY ALEX BYWATER: Abu Dhabi, 2015. The mood was jovial as board members of what was then the Cardiff Blues mixed with some of the Middle East's wealthiest people.

NIK SIMON - RUGBY CONFIDENTIAL: Midweek fixtures will be trialled by Premiership Rugby for the first time next season with the league's opening game scheduled for a Thursday night.

RUGBY CONFIDENTIAL: Over in Madrid, Spanish rugby officials are plotting to wake up one of the sport's 'sleeping giants'.

DAN BIGGAR: One thing is for certain. If my mum was still here today, she'd have bought 50 copies of this column! I owe her everything and still miss her dearly.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY DAN BIGGAR: I had four fantastic years at Northampton during which Courtney Lawes went from being a fearsome opponent with England to a team-mate and friend.

A host of Gallagher Premiership clubs are hoping to benefit from Welsh rugby's current struggles by looking to entice more of the country's best players to England.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY CHRIS FOY: When Shaun Edwards returned home to the south of France, he celebrated yet another title with a rendition of one of The Drifters' greatest hits.

RUGBY CONFIDENTIAL: Andy Farrell will name his Lions squad on May 8 and Rugby Confidential can reveal where the first the group's first gathering will be.

Andy Farrell has announced his coaching team for this summer's Lions tour of Australia, featuring staff from Ireland, England and Scotland.