Here are the latest rugby headlines on Wednesday, April 5.
Wales lock's worst fears confirmed
Wales lock Gwen Crabb will not play again this season after rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament in the opening Women's Six Nations win over Ireland last month.
Crabb, 23, will undergo surgery on the knee injury. The injury blow is made all the more cruel by the fact that the Gloucester-Hartpury forward had only returned to action for a few minutes after recovering from a fractured leg in December.
In a social media post, Crabb said she was "heartbroken" by the injury, with its seriousness "more painful than the actual injury."
"It's pretty hard to get my head around what's happened but I know once I do and I take my time to be sad, I will come back much stronger both physically and mentally," she said.
A WRU statement said: "The Wales Women’s senior medical staff and strength and conditioning team will oversee Crabb’s rehabilitation and return-to-play programme."
Respected coach McIntosh dies
One of world rugby’s most respected coaches, who spent a season working in Wales, has passed away.
Ian McIntosh held the reins at Newport RFC during season 2001-02. On his watch, the Blacks and Ambers came close to winning the Welsh-Scottish League title, finishing second behind Llanelli after looking likely champions for much of the campaign, reaching April with just two defeats. There were also Heineken Cup wins over Toulouse and Newcastle, Jonny Wilkinson and all.
His passing was announced just hours after the news that the man who brought him to Rodney Parade, Newport's then chief executive Tony Brown, had died. McIntosh was 84.
At Newport, Mac, as he was known, blended a power pack that featured the likes of Simon Raiwalui, Rod Snow, Adrian Garvey, Mike Voyle, Peter Buxton, Chris Anthony, Ian Gough and Jason Forster .
Zimbabwean McIntosh had been South Africa’s head coach in 1993 and 1994, guiding them for 12 Tests. He had climbed the ladder after coaching the legendary Natal team of the late 1980s and early 1990s. He later became a Springbok selection.
Although his time at Newport proved short-lived, he made a deep impression on pretty much all who worked with him at Rodney Parade, with his man-management and sharp rugby intelligence seen as being on another level.
In a tribute, the club called him “a great rugby man with a huge legacy in our game”.
Former Springbok lock Kobus Wiese said on social media: “Ian Mcintosh has passed away, a truly sad day. Few men have left such an impact through the great game of rugby on so many lives. His passion and commitment to the game was legendary. Mooi loop Uncle, may you rest on peace.”
A tribute from South Africa Rugby said: “Born in Zimbabwe in 1938, McIntosh was a rugby pioneer during a coaching career spanning decades that started in the country of his birth, and continued in South Africa – from before until many years after unification – as he broke the mould on many levels.
“Apart from coaching the Springboks, he also coached the Springbok 7s team in 2003 – the only man who was head coach of both of South Africa’s senior national men’s rugby teams – and he famously guided the Sharks to their first Currie Cup title in 1990.
“He won three more Currie Cup titles as coach of the KwaZulu-Natalians (1992, 1995 and 1996) and he also took the Sharks to the first Super 12 final in 1996 when they lost to the Blues. In 1993 and 1994, McIntosh coached the Springboks in 12 Tests and until last year’s victory, his 1993 Bok team was the last from South Africa to beat the Wallabies in Sydney.
“After his coaching days came to an end, McIntosh was a Springbok selector for 13 years, providing mentorship and advice to a number of national coaches on junior and senior level, and he stayed involved in the game through the South African Rugby Legends Association (SARLA). In 2013, he was presented with World Rugby’s Vernon Pugh award for distinguished service, recognising his achievement in changing the face of rugby in South Africa.”
Exeter not expecting Hawkins' Wales career to be put on hold
Rob Baxter says that Exeter have not signed Wales centre Joe Hawkins with the expectation that his Test career will be put on hold. Hawkins seemingly faces an uncertain international future after it was announced he had signed for the Gallagher Premiership club from next season.
The 20-year-old Ospreys player has won five caps for his country and was a key part of Warren Gatland's recent Guinness Six Nations campaign. But players plying their trade outside Wales must have won a minimum of 25 caps to be available for national squad selection.
It is understood that Hawkins, whose Exeter contract starts officially on July 1, will not link up with the Chiefs until after the World Cup in September and October if selected by Gatland. Wales' previous selection policy for exiled players of 60 caps had dispensation clauses, but it is unclear whether the revised version contains any.
Asked about Hawkins' international future, Baxter said: "I can't give you confidential information on a player's signed agreement and contract. I am just not allowed to. All this came about before any eligibility rules came about. The WRU have asked me the same question.
"I said to them I can only really send them paperwork with the player's permission, but he has got it all. So as far as I know, the WRU will sort that out with the player and the player's agent. It is for them to provide all the information, not for me. I don't see it being a problem because of the timing of when we got everything signed. That is all I can say on that.
"We haven't signed him on the expectation that he won't play for Wales, if that is what you're asking me. I haven't got the expectation that he will be here. I expect him to play for Wales."
Exeter hold talks with half a dozen Welsh players
Hawkins looks set to be among a number of Wales-based players who will move across the border into England next season. The Welsh professional game has seen reduced contract offers amid a testing financial climate, with huge uncertainty for players whose deals expire at the end of this term.
"It has been a difficult situation," Baxter added. "I have probably had discussions with half-a-dozen players in Wales who haven't known where they have stood for six months.
"There's been a lot of chats about their futures and what their options might be. But they are all proud Welshman who want to play for Wales. So none of them have been easy decisions in terms of leaving Wales, let alone some of the guys we've spoken to who knew they would be giving up their Wales careers.
"I would like to think Joe is a player who will be here for a long time. I am not looking at him thinking he will be OK for two years. We want him to play for us, keep improving and hopefully become a core player in a group that can stay together for a long time and achieve some success together."
Burrell finds 'closure' after allegations of racism at Newcastle upheld
Luther Burrell has found a "sense of closure" after an independent investigation found he was the victim of racial abuse during his time at Newcastle, although the Rugby Football Union has ruled out taking disciplinary action.
Burrell's claims made in the Mail on Sunday in June last year have been upheld by the inquiry, which interviewed 93 members of staff at the club, including players and coaches. Amongst the evidence gathered was a post on a players' WhatsApp group that contained a "wholly inappropriate racist term".
The former England centre, who is of Jamaican descent, said he was subjected to comments about slavery, bananas and fried chicken, adding that "racial banter" had become "normalised" among team-mates.
Following the conclusion of the investigation, Burrell told BBC Sport: "Does it provide me with a sense of closure? I believe so, yes. It's been a tough eight to 10 months. I was disappointed initially by the lack of support shown from some of my peers.
"It was as if my comments were being dismissed. It was almost like people needed proof, and now this has come out people will understand that what I was saying has been deemed to be the truth. And we can all hopefully move on and generate change. I'm proud of what I've done, and I'm proud of the support that I've had.
"To call anybody a slave is not funny, so it was abhorrent behaviour. It was something that affects my dignity as a player, it affects me as a human and as a father."
Burrell spent the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons at Kingston Park, departing in June shortly after making the abuse he faced public.
It was concluded by the investigation that "on the balance of probability, the allegations made in the article are true, but there is insufficient evidence to say whether all the allegations occurred at the club, apart from the WhatsApp message which contained a racist comment".
In addition, Burrell was subject to a "further two specific incidents of racial abuse - one directed at the player and one witnessed by the player. Therefore the player was subject to racial abuse verbally and in the WhatsApp group".
At least two other employees of Newcastle gave evidence supporting Burrell's allegations.
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