Here are the latest rugby headlines on Thursday, July 6.
Wales 10 fighting to stay alive in World Cup race
Ten Wales players are fighting for their immediate Rugby World Cup futures over the next week.
Warren Gatland has signalled his intent to cut his squad down to 38 players at the end of the ongoing training camp in Switzerland.
There are currently 48 players in the party following the shock call-up of Taine Plumtree at the start of the week.
Three of the squad are not currently in Switzerland, with Taulupe Faletau due to arrive at the weekend and Owen Williams and Alex Cuthbert staying at home for personal reasons. Wales then move on to Turkey later this month before three summer warm-up games in August. The final squad of 33 will be named after the match against South Africa, which is on August 19.
Gatland said: "We were looking at taking 45 (to Switzerland) but with the players having worked so hard we felt it would not be fair to drop one or two players. We will probably drop it down to high 30s, maybe 38 before Turkey and the warm-up games."
Wales international gets new job
Former Wales international Ashley Beck has returned to his former club Worcester Warriors, this time to coach the women's side in Premiership Women's Rugby.
Former Ospreys centre Beck, 33, joins the club as attack coach for the 2023/24 season in what has recently been renamed from the Allianz Premier 15s.
Beck's career began in the Welsh Premiership aged 17 before turning out for the Ospreys from 2007-2018 and then joining the Sixways outfit in 2018 for three seasons. He, like the remainder of the squad, was made redundant when the Warriors went into liquidation in October 2022.
Beck, who earned seven Wales caps between 2012-2013, said: "We are on the cusp of an extraordinary era in women's rugby, especially with the upcoming Rugby World Cup on UK soil in 2025. I'm looking forward to pouring my heart and soul into this team, sharing my knowledge and helping this incredible group of athletes conquer new milestones."
He will be working with players including Wales Women internationals Ffion Lewis, Alex Callender, Carys Phillips and Natalia John.
Welsh Premiership player gets international call-up
Pontypridd flanker Sion Parry has been called into Canada's squad for their upcoming tour to Tonga.
The 24-year-old openside qualifies through his Ontario-born mother and will hope to make his Test debut against Tonga on 10 and 15 August.
"It's a huge honour to be called up for international selection, a proud moment for me and my family," the carpenter told the Pontypridd RFC website.
"I'd like to thank Ponty for supporting me in this adventure."
Canada failed to qualify for this year's World Cup.
England only interested in winning
By Duncan Bech, PA England Rugby Correspondent
Richard Wigglesworth insists winning trumps entertainment as he ruled out England adopting a 'Bazball' approach to take on the world this autumn.
While Ben Stokes' cricket team have contributed to a thrilling Ashes series against Australia, adhering to the swashbuckling instincts dubbed 'Bazball', Wigglesworth believes pragmatism offers England their best chance of success at the World Cup.
Entrusted with overseeing Steve Borthwick's attack after being recruited from Leicester at the end of the season, the 40-year-old is devising a gameplan that is "tactically flexible".
"The beauty about rugby is there is loads of different ways to do it. If we all try to play the same way it wouldn't be entertaining," former England scrum-half Wigglesworth said.
"We want to be tactically flexible. Does the word entertainment come into my thinking when I am planning? No. It's about the best way to play. The best way to play and attack will end up being entertaining.
"There are games you have to go and win in a different way and I want us to be able to do that and make sure that when the time is right, we can move the ball as well as anyone."
'World-class' Le Roux returns to South Africa
Springbok Willie le Roux has signed for the Bulls to bring his six-year spell away from South African rugby to an end.
The World Cup-winning full-back, who has 83 caps for his country, last played club rugby in his homeland in 2016 when he turned out for the Sharks. He then had a two-year stint with Wasps in the Premiership before moving to Japanese outfit Toyota Verblitz.
The 33-year-old has signed a three-year deal with the URC side and will link up with them after this year's World Cup, which will see the 'Boks attempt to defend their title.
He is set to start for South Africa against Australia this weekend, where he will line up at his new home ground Loftus Versfeld.
