Here's your round-up of all the latest rugby headlines.
Dai Young set to be quizzed on players’ behaviour
Cardiff coach Dai Young is set to face the media today for the first time since members of his squad were accused of behaving inappropriately while socialising at a Cardiff pub.
The club is already investigating the incident, having made contact with The Grange in Grangetown, Cardiff, to find out the "full facts" about the players' behaviour on Saturday evening. It is alleged staff were threatened and eggs were thrown by players, whose behaviour was described as "appalling".
In a statement released on Sunday, Cardiff said they were aware of the alleged incident and would take appropriate action were it proven to be true. However, Young's weekly press conference, which is scheduled for later today, will be the first time someone has spoken publicly about what happened.
You can read the latest here and follow the press conference live here.
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Joyce excited by first professional World Cup
Wales wing Jasmine Joyce cannot contain her excitement for Wales' first Women's World Cup as professional players.
Joyce made history in January when she was handed one of the first 12 professional contracts in Welsh Women's rugby, with a further 17 being handed out in July. That means that Ioan Cunningham's side head into the tournament in New Zealand with nearly a year of full-time training and medical support behind them.
“It’s such an exciting time for us now,” she told the Times. “Girls can really look up to us as role models and say, ‘I want to be a rugby player as a job,’ not, ‘I want to be a teacher, but I also want to play for Wales.’ It’s fantastic.
“It gives us the privilege to come in, say eight until four, to just purely focus on rugby Monday through Friday, and then with the game on the weekend,” Joyce says.
“Five years ago [before the 2017 World Cup], everyone was working 37 to 40-hour weeks in jobs like being a teacher, a personal trainer, everything like that, and then come into training twice a week. First of all, you’re so tired, you’re not getting anything from a session.
"You can’t do extras because you have to get home to go to sleep and then wake up early. You’re not doing enough gym really because you don’t have the time. You’re not watching enough rugby, again you don’t have time.”
Curry trusting the science on concussion
Tom Curry says he trusts scientists to offer the right levels of protection against concussion.
Curry was one of three England players to see their summer tour with Australia cut short by head injuries.
However, he says he's confident he will retire with his long-term health intact due to the steps taken by rugby chiefs to reduce the impact of concussion, despite a recent lawsuit launched by over 185 former players, many of whom have been diagnosed with early-onset dementia and other irreversible neurological impairments.
"Rugby is a contact sport. You work on your tackle technique, you try and get it right but ultimately it’s very different every time you do it," Curry said.
"Rugby is being put into a better spot with research and what’s going on.
"I’ve got full confidence in my long-term health. I’ll let the scientists take care of that and let’s crack on and play rugby.
"If the research backs the change to the protocols then I’m all for it. At the end of the day my job is to play rugby.
"That’s what I focus on and if something comes out that helps players in the long term then brilliant, it can only be a positive."
England hit by Covid blow
England’s Women's World Cup preparations have been hit by positive Covid-19 Tests for Shaunagh Brown and Sadia Kabeya.
Prop Brown has been ruled out of the opener with Fiji on Saturday as she begins a seven-day isolation. It comes after her room-mate Kabeya tested positive last week.
However, the latter has since completed her isolation period and will be available to face the Fijians.
According to the Daily Mail, no further positive cases have been recorded.
Worcester crisis takes fresh turn
Worcester Warriors are continuing to face the effects of their ongoing financial crisis, with the club now facing up to a possible player exodus.
The Warriors have already had two top-flight fixtures cancelled, but England duo Ted Hill and Ollie Lawrence, along with Russian prop Valeriy Morozov and Australian Fergus Lee-Warner have now joined Bath as injury dispensation cover.
Warriors director of rugby Steve Diamond announced the moves on social media, saying: “Together the first four players, Ted, Oli, Val and Ferg go to Bath with our best wishes. Four tough lads.”
Four minutes later he added his thanks to Bath for helping the club to ease their wage bill, stating that “players are free spirited” and “need to play”. He insisted he would “deal with the mess” and that “hopefully the boys will come home”.
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