Here are the latest rugby headlines on Tuesday, April 5.
Wales duo to discover fate
Wales duo Ross Moriarty and Josh Adams will discover their fates imminently after injuries on the weekend. Both players are in danger of missing Wales' summer tour, with medics continuing to assess their situations at the start of this week following scans. Announcements could come as early as today.
Moriarty seems certain to face yet another lengthy spell out of the game after suffering a serious-looking knee injury playing for the Dragons in South Africa on Friday night. The game was halted and the back rower's agonising screams were heard inside the stadium after he got stuck in an awkward position whilst making a tackle.
Adams also suffered a knee ligament injury playing for Cardiff against the Scarlets, although his looked less serious. He tried to play on and looked distraught as he hobbled from the field with the help of a physio.
The Welsh regions have a handful of league games left this season, while Wales head to South Africa in June for a three-test series against the Springboks that starts on July 2.
De Villers' wife 'fell while doing housework'
Details are emerging in South Africa about the circumstances surrounding the tragic death of former Springboks coach Peter de Villers' wife.
Reports in the Herald state Theresa de Villiers, 62, was doing routine housework at a family member's property when she fell into a swimming pool and drowned. A family member discovered her body floating in the pool, reports say.
Homeowner Rafiek Hermans told Herald Live his mother-in-law had been taking medication, but insisted on helping with some of the household chores.
“It is a very tragic situation and we are all still traumatised,” he said.
Police spokesperson captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said no foul play was suspected.
The tragedy comes just three years after De Villiers lost his 28-year-old daughter to cancer. When contacted for comment by the Herald, De Villers said: “Thank you for your condolences but I cannot talk right now."
Wales rise again in world rankings
Wales have climbed once again in the official world rugby rankings, swapping places with Scotland after their Women's Six Nations triumph at the Arms Park on Saturday.
Ioan Cunningham's Wales side go from 10th to ninth while the Scots are vice versa after the women in red claimed a last-minute 24-19 win in front of a record crowd. Wales had broken into the top 10 just a week earlier thanks to their 27-19 win against Ireland, another comeback victory.
Scotland had gone in front thanks to a Lana Skeldon try and a brace from Rhona Lloyd, but Wales responded with tries from Carys Phillips, Sioned Harries, Kelsey Jones and Ffion Lewis in front of 4,875 supporters.
The two sides will next meet on October 9 in the pool stages of the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
With France (third) seeing off Ireland 40-5 and England (top) completing a 74-0 victory over Italy in the other round two games, there were no further changes in the rankings.
England v Wales to be played in front of record crowd
Wales' next and toughest challenge sees them face the Red Roses this Saturday in round three of the Women's Six Nations. Simon Middleton's side recorded their 20th consecutive Test victory at the weekend and will provide Wales with their sternest test of the tournament.
Wales partially went professional, awarding full-time contracts to 12 players in January with 12 more part-time semi-professional deals to follow. But England have been professional for three years and are seen as being a major way in front of the rest of the Six Nations teams, to a lesser degree with France who are England's only realistic title challengers.
But this Saturday's grudge match will be played in front of a record crowd, it has been confirmed. More than 11,000 tickets have been sold for England v Wales at Gloucester's Kingsholm Stadium on Saturday, April 9 (4.45pm kick-off), which will break the attendance record for a non-World Cup England Women home match.
Wales captain Siwan Lillicrap said: "We'll show them respect because we know how good they are but equally we don't fear them as we play with and against them week in, week out [in England's Premier 15s competition]."
Remaining tickets are priced from £13.50 for adults and £3.50 for children, and you can find more information here.
Wales will have played each of their three Six Nations matches so far in front of record crowds, first at Dublin's RDS in front of 6,113 fans, then with 4,875 fans in the Welsh capital and next the home of Gloucester.
Wales Sevens squad named
Wales Sevens head coach Richie Pugh has named his 13-man squad for the Singapore and Vancouver legs of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series. Wales will play New Zealand, Scotland and Argentina in Pool C in the fifth round of the world series in Singapore this weekend before heading for the Canada leg the following week.
Morgan Sieniawski returns to the squad for the first time since Sydney in 2020 while there are four uncapped players included. Ex-Wales U20s winger Carrick McDonough and Cardiff winger Iwan Pyrs Jones will make their debuts alongside Bishop’s Stortford’s Chris Smith and Scarlets winger Callum Williams.
"The heat is going to be new for us – we’re going into 35 degrees and the humidity of Singapore – even though they say it is an air-conditioned stadium, it’s a climate that we are never going to get used to as Welshmen I’m afraid," Pugh said.
"I know New Zealand will be bouncing for it – it’s been over two years since they have been able to travel and play on the circuit while Argentina in my eyes are one of the form teams in the series at the moment. Scotland are a well organised and well coached Sevens team with a lot of threats so it’s a real exciting pool to go up against but that is what it’s about."
Wales Sevens squad for Singapore/Vancouver: Luke Treharne (Wales 7s), Carrick McDonough (Dragons), Morgan Sieniawski (Wales 7s), Chris Smith (Bishop’s Stortford), Tom Brown (Wales 7s), Callum Williams (Scarlets), Arthur Lennon (Speranza 7s), Tom Williams (Wales 7s), Morgan Williams (Wales 7s), Iwan Pyrs Jones (Cardiff), Lloyd Lewis (Wales 7s/Pontypool), Ewan Rosser (Dragons), Cole Swannack (Pontypridd).
Bristol sign ex-Harlequins wing
Bristol have announced the signing of former Harlequins wing Gabriel Ibitoye. The 24-year-old had spells with French clubs Agen and Montpellier after leaving Quins, before moving to Israel and playing for Tel Aviv Heat in the Rugby Europe Super Cup.
Ibitoye, an England Under-20 international, will join Bristol ahead of next season.
Bristol rugby director Pat Lam said: "Gabriel is a hugely-talented player with the pace and versatility to threaten opposition defences. Coming back to the Gallagher Premiership is an exciting challenge for him. We see huge potential in a young player who was in the conversation for an England call-up a couple of years ago."
