Here are your rugby evening headlines for Friday, April 8.
Lions star announces retirement
Former Ireland back-row Sean O'Brien has confirmed he will retire from rugby at the end of this season.
In a glittering career which saw him win European player of the year on one occasion, the 35-year-old won 56 caps for Ireland and played in five Tests for the British and Irish Lions on tours to Australia and New Zealand in 2013 and 2017 respectively. During 11 seasons with Irish giants Leinster, he was part of a side which won the European Cup and four league titles and since 2019 he has plying his trade with Gallagher Premiership club London Irish.
Read more: Welsh team boss fires warning and tells players they are playing for their futures
"After much deliberation and consultation with my family and friends, I can confirm I have decided to retire from playing professional rugby at the end of the season," O'Brien said. "I've had an incredible career and I am thankful for every second of my time at Leinster, Ireland, London Irish and the British and Irish Lions.
"I feel lucky to have experienced so many wonderful highlights over the course of my career. At international level, I feel privileged to have won 56 caps for Ireland. I gave everything I could possibly give and I will always look back with great pride at every time I pulled on the Irish jersey to represent my country, my county, my friends and family.
"There is still a lot of rugby to be played this season before the time comes to hang up my boots and I am fully focused on giving my all in the London Irish jersey until then. I am excited about the future and feel I still have a lot to offer the game in whatever capacity that may be. I am currently taking my time to consider a number of options and will make an announcement with regards to the next stage of my career very soon."
England star puts Welsh family ties aside for Six Nations clash
England hooker Lark Davies has insisted all family ties will be put to one side as the Red Roses look to keep up their pursuit of a fourth successive Six Nations title with victory over Wales on Saturday. The two sides head into the clash at Kingsholm both boasting perfect starts to the tournament and, despite Ioan Cunningham's side's impressive form so far, the Loughborough Lightning star insists that her Welsh relatives will all be cheering on England this weekend.
“My mum’s side are all Welsh and then my dad’s family go back to being Welsh too,” Davies told the PA news agency. “But a lot of our family members will definitely be supporting England because that’s where their alliances lie!
“My mum and my sister would probably call themselves Welsh, but not when it comes to women’s rugby. My eldest sister swam for Wales and she still lives in Wales. My 92-year-old granny lives in Wales too.
“She gets a bit confused sometimes in terms of what team I’m playing for so I have to remind her – ‘I’m definitely English granny!’ They will all definitely be supporting us on Saturday.”
All Blacks add to coaching ticket
All Blacks head coach Ian Foster has confirmed two new additions to his side’s coaching staff following an underwhelming 2021 campaign. Waikato director of rugby Andrew Strawbridge will join as a skills consultant, while veteran scrum coach Mike Cron will act as an informal mentor.
The addition of Strawbridge and Cron comes after the All Blacks endured their worst Test campaign since 2009 after they lost three matches last year. As such, Foster has moved to enhance his coaching group, which will still feature forwards coach John Plumtree, scrum coach Greg Feek and attack coach Brad Mooar, who left his role as Scarlets head coach to take up the post, after they survived their end-of-year reviews with New Zealand Rugby.
Strawbridge was a crucial member of the Chiefs’ coaching staff when they won back-to-back Super Rugby titles under Dave Rennie in 2012 and 2013. He will join the All Blacks on a part-time basis, while also remaining with Waikato, in a role where he is expected to improve the squad’s skillset in numerous different areas.
Cron returns to the All Blacks having left the national side three years ago following a 16-year association with the team, during which time he helped New Zealand win two World Cup titles in 2011 and 2015. However, with Feek retaining his position as scrum coach, Cron will work alongside him and Plumtree in a bid to improve the All Blacks’ pack.
WRU receives top award
The Welsh Rugby Union has received the ‘insport NGB (national governing body) gold award’ from Disability Sport Wales – becoming the first governing body in Wales to be recognised for reaching the highest possible standards for its work on inclusion and disability specific provision throughout the country. Since publishing its first disability rugby strategy in 2017, the WRU quickly achieved bronze followed by the silver insport standards and, while working towards the gold award, was voted as the insport organisation of the year by Disability Sport Wales in April 2021.
Now the WRU’s rugby enterprise department, which is led by Greg Woods and includes the likes of Darren Carew, working alongside community director Geraint John has achieved its ultimate goal, reaching the gold standard for its development and provision of a range of inclusive formats of the game throughout Welsh rugby.
“We are extremely proud of the progress our staff, volunteers and the whole of Welsh community rugby has made in becoming more inclusive,” said John, speaking at the Urdd WRU 7s competition, a rugby festival with a strong emphasis on inclusion which has been running throughout this week. “It’s vital there is a place for everyone in Welsh rugby and we work hard to ensure that this is the case. The gold award is recognition of this hard work but it is not a signal to sit back and admire our handy work, we will continue to evolve as we strive to be as inclusive as possible at all times throughout the game.”
Chairman Rob Butcher, who was on hand at the Urdd WRU 7s competition to receive the award on behalf of the WRU, said: "We talk about there being a ‘jersey for all’ in Welsh rugby and these are not just empty words, but a central part of our vision for the future of our great game. Inclusion is a vital part of the WRU’s central mission and this recognition from Disability Sport Wales, that we have achieved the very highest of standards in this area, is very welcome indeed.”
