Here are the latest rugby evening headlines on Wednesday, February 16.
Adam Jones and Harlequins coaches get new deals
Harlequins have announced new permanent deals for coaches Adam Jones, Nick Evans and Jerry Flannery.
The trio were instrumental to Quins' Gallagher Premiership title success last season.
Ex-Wales and Quins prop Jones has moulded the club's scrum into a major force, while former Ireland hooker Flannery and ex-New Zealand and Quins fly-half Evans have performed similar tasks with the defence and lineout plus attacks and backs respectively.
100-Test cap Wales and Lions international Jones extends a seven-year stay with the London side having arrived in 2015 as a player. A year later, Jones’ role changed as he took up a joint playing and coaching position, going on to coach with the club full-time after retiring from playing at the end of the 2017/18 season.
The announcement brings about the end to something of a stand-off between the coaches and club, after it was reported during the autumn that the trio were exploring other options despite wanting to stay on as no fresh deals had been put on the table with their current contracts expiring in June. It had been suggested the hold-up may have been due to the ongoing agent-versus-club stand-off over the payments of fees to representatives.
Jones was being touted for a potential return to Wales, with some pundits urging the national team to make a move as Wales' scrum floundered in the autumn.
The Welshman told the Times: “I’m happy to have it all done, and to have the security, with my family moving up here,” he said. “It’s a good group — we’re all pretty young in coaching terms. If there are any questions we don’t talk with any malice or intent, but we do challenge each other.”
Weekly Covid testing ended in England
Rugby chiefs have agreed to symptomatic-only Covid-19 testing in the English elite game.
The change, which takes place with immediate effect, to Covid testing protocols will apply in the Gallagher Premiership, RFU Championship and Allianz Premier 15s.
Routine weekly testing on all players and staff will pause, with testing focusing on those players and management who have coronavirus symptoms.
English rugby's Professional Game Board (PGB) said: "Following a recommendation from the Professional Rugby Testing Oversight Group in England after extensive consultation with club medical teams, public health and independent medical experts, the PGB have approved the change which comes in with immediate effect."
South Africa commit to Rugby Championship until 2025 to end Six Nations talk for now
South Africa and their fellow participants have committed to playing in the Rugby Championship until at least 2025.
The announcement, made by tournament organisers SANZAAR, effectively ends any immediate prospect of South Africa joining the Six Nations.
The world champion Springboks have been consistently linked with becoming a part of European rugby's blue riband competition.
That speculation will inevitably remain, but the Rugby Championship is set to continue in its current form, being contested by South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina.
"They (South Africa) did put us on notice they were exploring their options. That was well before Christmas," SANZAAR chief executive Brendan Morris told www.stuff.co.nz.
"We've got a number of international and local broadcast deals that are extended to 2025. There was never any cause for alarm that we were never going to meet those obligations.
"We are coming out of the worst three years in living memory of financial impact.
"Everybody has to do their due diligence in exploring what competitions to be involved in and what provides the best opportunity for the best commercial outcome.
"The Six Nations, World Rugby, in all walks of life people are exploring their business models at the moment."
Dragons sign Wales international from Ospreys
Dragons have announced the signing of Wales international prop Rhodri Jones from United Rugby Championship rivals the Ospreys.
Jones, 30, has agreed a long-term deal, the Dragons said.
He has won 21 caps, with the last of his Test match appearances being against Argentina last summer.
Jones becomes the latest Dragons new signing for next term, following Wales international hooker Bradley Roberts and fly-half JJ Hanrahan.
"Rhodri is an international-class player who is keen to really produce for us and get back in the Wales reckoning," Dragons rugby director Dean Ryan told the region's official website.
"We are delighted that he wants to achieve his ambitions with us and that he wants to come and make a big impression in our environment."
Bath wing handed three-match ban after dismissal against Wasps
Bath's England international wing Semesa Rokoduguni has received a three-match ban after he was sent off against Gallagher Premiership opponents Wasps last weekend.
Rokoduguni, who won the last of his four England caps in 2017, was dismissed for a dangerous tackle during Bath's 41-24 defeat.
The Rugby Football Union said that he accepted the charge, with the case being heard by a virtual independent disciplinary panel.
Rokoduguni will miss Premiership games against Leicester, Newcastle and Bristol.
But if Bath's application is allowed for him to access and complete World Rugby's coaching intervention programme, then he will only miss two matches and be available to face Bristol on March 5.
Leo Cullen signs contract extension with Leinster
Leo Cullen has agreed a one-year contract extension as Leinster head coach.
Cullen signed a rolling one-year extension with Leinster and the Irish Rugby Football Union last May, and an option to extend until the end of next season has now been confirmed by both organisations.
"We offered Leo a two-year contract last year, but were very happy to work with Leo to make the situation work for him," Leinster chief executive Mick Dawson told www.leinsterrugby.ie.
"It was always our intention, all going well, that we would sit down again and agree to the second year, and that has been the case.
"The job that Leo has done in his time as head coach has been excellent, and he has with him a group of coaches and staff that contribute and drive the standards that we have here today at Leinster Rugby."
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