Here are your rugby evening headlines for Monday, 18 April.
'No talks' over Wales coach
The WRU have denied discussions have taken place over the future of Wales Women's coach Ioan Cunningham.
Reports in the Mail on Sunday claimed Cunningham was to leave the role after this year's World Cup and replace Byron Hayward as Wales U20s men's coach.
Cunningham is credited with helping to start turn around the fortunes of the women's game this year and has been widely praised by players for the environment he has created following the introduction of professional contracts for 12 players. Wales U20s, meanwhile, endured a difficult Six Nations, winning just one game.
Responding to the reports a WRU statement said: "Ioan Cunningham was appointed in the autumn for 12 months to lead Wales Women to the RWC. Since then, discussions have not, as yet, taken place regarding his role post World Cup."
A standard review is expected to be held after the women's Six Nations finishes at the end of the month.
In-form Dixon says Dragons never lost belief
In-form centre Jack Dixon insisted Dragons never lost the belief in each other as they secured a long-awaited second victory of the season.
Dixon was to the fore in the win over the Scarlets at Parc y Scarlets, scoring an early try on his way to man of the match. Speaking afterwards, he was thrilled to finally secure a second win of the URC season.
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“I’m feeling pretty banged up after that one,” he said. “We didn’t help ourselves at times, our penalty count was too high, they were very good at the contact area.
“But we were desperate to get that win so we came down here all guns blazing and got it done.
“It’s been a tough period, the last couple of weeks and the trip to South Africa.
“But as a group of boys we all stuck together and kept believing in each other. That performance proved the belief we still have.”
The Dragons hadn't won since October.
All Blacks legend slams New Zealand rugby over Black Ferns saga
An All Blacks legend has taken aim at New Zealand Rugby over its handling of women’s rugby in light of the Black Ferns coaching saga.
Women’s rugby in New Zealand has come under scrutiny in recent days after Black Ferns head coach Glenn Moore announced on Saturday that he is stepping down from the role, just six months out from the New Zealand-hosted World Cup.
Moore’s resignation comes after NZR last week released its findings from a review of the culture and environment in its national women’s side following a social media post made by Black Ferns hooker Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate late last year.
The review saw Moore retained as coach, only for him to step down five days later. With less than six months until the World Cup kicks-off, the Black Ferns are now scrambling to find a replacement for Moore, who would have been supported by ex-All Blacks coaches Sir Graham Henry and Wayne Smith at the tournament.
Henry has joined the Black Ferns as a selector, while Smith is acting as technical coach, and both are being viewed as potential successors to Moore, who guided the Black Ferns to the 2017 World Cup title in Ireland.
And All Blacks legend Sir John Kirwan has called upon rugby bosses to sort the mess out with a clear pathway and some female representation on the coaching staff.
“I will repeat, we need pathways," he told the Breakdown. "High performance is U16s, U20s.
"We tried to bring in Super Rugby Aupiki, which is awesome, but it was, ‘Oh s***, what are we going to do? We lost [to England and France].
“Look at what the All Blacks have just done. They’ve done their review and they’ve added three consultants, so I think the Black Ferns need to get the two best female coaches, and stick them with Wayne Smith tomorrow on the field.
“Wayne will tell them – it won’t be gender-biased – he’ll say, ‘You need to get better here and here, and if you don’t, you’re not good enough, whether you’re male or female’.
“Put the two best females [alongside Smith], put the best person in the role right now, and just get on with it, and do it next week.
“The trouble with NZR sometimes, they procrastinate and it’s not very transparent sometimes, so come out with a plan and we’ll go, ‘Okay, we gotcha’.”
Argentina win first Sevens Series since 2009
Argentina have beaten Fiji to win the Vancouver Sevens and claim their first World Sevens Series tournament victory since 2009.
The Argentines were spearheaded by Marcos Moneta, who had been instrumental last year in helping his country to bronze at the Tokyo Olympics. On this occasion, he would spur his side onto victory - with last year's Olympic champions Fiji failing to back up last weekend's success at the Singapore Sevens.
Argentina head coach Santiago Gomez Cora was playing when they last won a World Sevens Series event in San Diego 13 years ago and the 43-year-old was ecstatic at finally breaking their duck.
“You have to dream because the dreams come true. I can’t believe it. I searched for this for nine years as a coach and I can’t believe it,” Gomez Cora said. “The Olympics first and now this. I’m so happy and so proud of these guys.
“I did it as a player and my dream after being a player was to do it was a coach. The dream has come true.
“We worked very hard to arrive here. The players gave everything everyday in Argentina, here and at the tournaments. It’s not easy for us, we have a lot of trials but it’s enough. We won.”
Elsewhere, Australia beat Samoa in the bronze final, while South Africa toppled New Zealand to take fifth place and remain at the summit of the World Sevens Series standings ahead of next month’s event in Toulouse.
