Here are the latest rugby headlines on Friday, June 16.
Wales hooker Parry commits to Ospreys
Wales hooker Sam Parry has agreed a new contract to remain with the Ospreys.
The 31-year-old front-rower was the club's top try-scorer last season with seven and has crossed 33 times in his 138 appearances for the region. He won five Wales caps under Wayne Pivac but has yet to be selected by Warren Gatland and missed out on a place in the World Cup training squad.
Parry said of his new contract: "I’m thrilled to be staying with the Ospreys and continuing my rugby journey with the region. It's an exciting time to be part of the squad, with some top youngsters coming through alongside some seasoned vets. We have a great group of players and coaches here, and I look forward to working hard with them to achieve our goals in the upcoming season.”
Head coach Toby Booth said: "We're delighted that Sam has signed a new deal. He was key figure in our setpiece last season so it’s great to have him stay on with us. He’s an impressive hooker that has been an important part of the Ospreys squad for several years now, and his development has been rewarded internationally.”
Henry Arundell headed to France
Henry Arundell's rumoured move to Top 14 following the collapse of London Irish is being reported as a done deal in France.
French publication L’Equipe claim that Parisian giants Racing 92 have won the race to sign the young England star despite reports linking him with Gallagher Premiership side Bristol, RugbyPass report. Arundell, 20, would link up with the likes of Wales lock Will Rowlands and South African World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi next season at Racing.
Arundell's prospective move to the Top 14 may pose a problem for his England eligibility, though. The RFU's current selection policy dictates that players competing at club level outside England are ineligible for Test selection. However, there could well prove to be a loophole, given the RFU have already made exceptions for players whose Premiership clubs have collapsed, with the likes of Jack Willis initially being allowed to represent England despite playing for Toulouse following Wasps’ crash last season.
Fellow London Irish players Tarek Haffar, Tom Pearson and Chunya Munga have all secured new clubs this week, while Wallabies lock Adam Coleman looks like he is heading in the direction of Bordeaux Begles.
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New Italy coach named
Gonzalo Quesada will become the new Italy men's coach after the 2023 Rugby World Cup replacing Kieran Crowley, the Italian federation announced Friday.
The former Argentina fly-half, 49, will take the reins of the Azzurri from January 1, 2024, with the Guinness Six Nations being his first competition in charge. Quesada arrives from Stade Français in the French Top 14, leading the Paris side to the play-offs this season.
He previously took charge of the Jaguares in his native Argentina, steering them to the final of Super Rugby, while he also won the Top 14 title in a first stint with Stade.
At international level, Quesada was part of the France coaching set-up between 2008 and 2011 under Marc Lièvremont, helping them to win the Grand Slam in 2010 before reaching the World Cup final the following year.
Crowley has been credited with improving Italy's performances and results but the federation said Thursday it would not be renewing his contract, which Crowley said he regretted.
WRU criticised for 'serious failure of governance' over misconduct allegations
By Press Association
The Welsh Rugby Union was responsible for a "serious failure of governance" and missed opportunities to act on concerning behaviour within the organisation, a report has found.
A committee of Senedd members noted "systemic failures in the culture" of the WRU following allegations of racism, misogyny, sexism and homophobia.
The issues first came to light in a BBC documentary which aired at the beginning of the year, after which the WRU announced an external taskforce had been set up to investigate.
Concerns female rugby players in Wales may have faced "unfavourable treatment" had been highlighted to the WRU two years ago in a review of the women's game, extracts of which were published on Friday as part of the Senedd report.
The WRU expects its independent review panel (taskforce) to report "before the end of summer" and welcomes the Senedd's suggestion that an implementation plan should follow soon after.
Walker confirmed most of the recommendations made by the 2021 review into the women's game had already been implemented.
The WRU said it was "fully committed" to enacting all of the recommendations of the ongoing review.
Jason Robinson urges England to take hope from unlikely 2007 World Cup run
By Press Association
Jason Robinson insists England must look to his 2007 runners-up rather than the triumphant vintage of 2003 for inspiration to drive their World Cup quest this autumn. Either France, Ireland, South Africa or New Zealand are tipped to become champions in what is expected to be the fiercest battle yet for the global crown currently held by the Springboks.
England, meanwhile, are outsiders as Steve Borthwick continues to find his feet, having taken over an under-performing side from the sacked Eddie Jones in September. Managing only two wins in the recent Six Nations has done little to rouse hopes, but Robinson recalls the 2007 tournament as an example of how quickly a team's fortunes can be reversed.
"The reality is that England have got a better group than most and they've got to top it. And then when you get into the knockout stage it's anybody's," Robinson, the Asahi Super Dry ambassador for the 2023 World Cup, told the PA news agency. "I don't think there has ever been a World Cup where there are so many teams in contention and I would say England are in the mix, but they are going to have to build some form.
"I would never have said we'd get to the final in 2007 with the form that we had in the lead up to it, not a chance. We were playing crap. We limped through the pool stages in 2007, getting beaten 36-0 by South Africa. I pulled my hamstring in that game. It was a real slap in the face for us.
"While we didn't have form in the team, we still had some good players. The defeat against South Africa was the shock we needed. We got through the pool and then we found some form against Australia in the quarters. We beat France who were hosts and suddenly we were in the final. We could have won that too had Mark Cueto (who had a try controversially disallowed after it was ruled his left foot had made contact with the touchline) not had six toes!
"What happened to us in 2007 gives hope. It can be done - in sport you can turn things around in a very short space of time. Sometimes you get written off and you've got to take that on the chin and try to find a way to win. This England team have got some great players, but they've got to find form and also find the way they want to play."
Robinson played in both the 2003 and 2007 World Cup finals and, although he was part of the greatest side to emerge from these shores, he sees the semi-final victory over New Zealand four years ago as the finest single performance.
- Asahi Super Dry is offering fans a host of beyond expected experiences, including tickets to the sold-out tournament, through retail promotional packs and QR codes on pint glasses in pubs, bars, restaurants nationwide.
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