Here's your round-up of all the latest rugby news for Wednesday January 25.
WRU chief 'appalled' by misogyny claims
The chief executive of the Welsh Rugby Union Steve Phillips says he's appalled at allegations of sexism and discrimination within the governing body.
Speaking to ITV Wales, Phillips said he was "truly sorry" for how some ex-employees felt during their time with the WRU, but added he doesn't currently think it's necessary for anyone to lose their job over the scandal.
Phillips, who also spoke to WalesOnline in response to the allegations (You can read that interview here) was finance director at the time of the alleged incidents and insists the WRU 'will do better' under his watch as the main man.
READ MORE: Wales international set to quit for England
He said: "I don't recognise that as today's WRU, and I certainly do not recognise that as the organisation that I lead.
"We have also got to be concerned about, as inferred in the programme, that we had a culture in the WRU, which argued was between 2017 and 2019, where employees were not comfortable enough to come forward to us and raise their concerns. It's just not good enough."
Wainwright loving it back in Wales
Sam Wainwright says he's loving being back in Wales with the Scarlets after his previous struggles for game time at English side Saracens.
Wainwright has recently caught the eye for his region, having been involved in successive victories over the Dragons, Cardiff, the Cheetahs and Bayonne.
And, despite being overlooked for Warren Gatland's Six Nations squad, he says: "I love it so much here. I am really glad to be back in Wales. It’s a special thing to be Welsh and being back in your country is a huge thing playing-wise.
“I feel very lucky and fortunate to be here and to be given the opportunity. I’ve had a good few minutes and that’s what I need, the game-time. To improve, you need the tough lessons and the good learnings.”
Scotland ready to make Six Nations mark
Jamie Ritchie hopes the recent form of Edinburgh and Glasgow can help give Scotland an edge in the upcoming Six Nations.
Glasgow have won seven of their last eight games, while Ritchie watched on from the sidelines as his Edinburgh colleagues made it three wins on the spin with an impressive 20-14 Champions Cup win over Saracens on Sunday.
"Certainly for the guys who played in that game, it will be a definite confidence boost knowing there were so many (England) internationals in that Saracens team and we dominated them for most of the game," said Scotland captain Ritchie.
"We'll take a huge amount of confidence from that. Edinburgh and Glasgow have hit a bit of form coming into this tournament so that can only bode well for our squad."
Ritchie's side kick off their campaign away to England a week on Saturday, but Twickenham no longer holds the same sense of trepidation for the Scots after they drew there four years ago and then followed it up with victory in 2021, ending a 38-year wait for success at the home of the Auld Enemy.
Results in recent years mean Gregor Townsend's team go into the tournament with a sense of expectation rather than hope.
"Growing up watching Scotland it was often hopefully, but for us we're confident that we can win every game we go into," said Ritchie.
'Club mascots paid more than players' in England
Rugby Players' Association general secretary Christian Day is seeking to introduce a minimum salary into the Gallagher Premiership after claiming that club mascots are better paid than some of his members.
Day uses the example of a vacancy to become Welford the Tiger, the mascot at Leicester, currently advertised for the wage of £9.50 per hour, to demonstrate the unsatisfactory salaries earned by a number of academy and senior professionals.
The recently elected players' chief revealed that rookies coming through the clubs' academy systems will earn between £10,000 and £20,000 for an age range that runs from 18 to 23 years old, with some receiving even less. Those nearing retirement can be on as little as £30,000.
Day said: "So Welford the Tiger gets protected and the players don't. That is a big one for me. I want to provide protection for those players at the edges, so retiring players at one end and academy players at the other end. I just want a slightly fairer system.
"A senior pro playing in the Premiership is probably getting paid the same as someone working in the office at the club. I was paid £5,000 when I turned professional in 2001, so it is probably time to move on from that and 'financial fair play' is a phrase we should use.
"I was never the player who creamed money off the top. I never played for England. I was the middle-ground player who played every week. I really want to protect low earners, academy players and past players."
It is hoped that the minimum wage being paid to players will be enshrined in the Professional Game Agreement, the latest version of which is currently being drawn up to replace the existing framework which expires next year.
The Premiership has lost Wasps and Worcester to administration, exposing the strain on club finances in the league, but Day insists it is important that provisions are made for those who are not significant earners.
Laporte detained over tax fraud allegation
French rugby chief Bernard Laporte was reportedly detained by police as part of an investigation into tax fraud.
Laporte stepped back from his role earlier this month after being handed a suspended two-year prison sentence and 75,000 euro (£64,000) fine for corruption.
He stopped short of resigning from his position, but did step down as vice-chair of World Rugby and received a suspended ban from holding rugby positions for two years.
According to the BBC, nearly 2,000 French rugby clubs are voting on whether to accept the appointment of interim president Patrick Buisson, who was picked for the post by Laporte, with results due to be released on Thursday.
"He was summoned for questioning by tax authorities, he went there with a lawyer specialising in tax," Jean-Pierre Versini-Campinchi, one of Laporte's lawyers, told French news agency AFP.
"It is perfectly scandalous that the prosecutors have chosen the date of Patrick Buisson's election for the questioning and that the disclosure of this questioning was made on the same day," he continued.
READ MORE:
- Major WRU sponsors speak out and tell rugby bosses to act over allegations of 'toxic' culture
Mark Drakeford demands WRU publicly acknowledge scale of issues raised in devastating programme
- 'Child sex abuse jokes' alleged at WRU event as details of Amanda Blanc's devastating resignation speech emerge
- Jamie George incident sparks outrage and calls for investigation
- The exile hunter: Unsung talent spotter tasked with finding Warren Gatland new Wales stars
