Here are the latest rugby headlines on Monday, April 24.
Dragons to add to squad as funds freed up
Dragons boss Dai Flanagan is confident the money saved from releasing Wales star Ross Moriarty will allow the club to strengthen the overall squad.
Despite offering him the biggest contract they possibly could, experienced Wales loose-forward Moriarty was recently released early from his contract to join Top 14 strugglers Brive.
While Flanagan was disappointed to lose such an influential player, he admits there is a silver lining with more money now available to recruit more players.
SIGN UP: Get the latest Welsh rugby breaking news and interviews via our free daily newsletter
"Yeah we will have more recruits," said the Dragons head coach. "Unfortunately we lost one of my favourite players, and I don't mind saying that, in Ross Moriarty but it provides us with an opportunity to shore up certain areas.
"It'll allow us to build some depth in areas that I believe we need. We've got to get the profile right. Our average age is very young, and we don't have many players over 30 which is important in any environment. We need good role models, people who our squad can look up to. We'll take our time, time's our friend at the moment, and we'll make sure we get the right people as well as the right player."
Flanagan has revealed he would predominantly like to strengthen the pack but he also believes they need an extra back-three player.
"We'll be targeting the pack and then maybe we'll target a back-three player, and maybe one or two more," said Flanagan. "We've put money aside anyway to try to get a front-row forward, and we haven't used that money yet which was there before Ross left.
"We are probably a back three player short if I'm honest. We've got some good young back-three players but we've asked a lot out of Ashton [Hewitt], Jared [Rosser] and Rio [Dyer] this year, and Sio [Tompkinson] has played a lot on the wing so we probably need one more there."
Lydiate urged to return to Dragons
Wales international Dan Lydiate has been urged to return to the Dragons, where his professional career started, following his release from the Ospreys.
The 34-year-old flanker announced on Sunday, the day after Judgement Day, that he had pulled on the Ospreys jersey for the last time.
Fellow Wales international Andrew Coombs said on Twitter: "Outstanding shift at the Ospreys buddy. Would love to see you finish what has been an incredible career, back home to where it all started."
Lydiate represented the Dragons from 2007-2013 before switching to the Ospreys in 2014.
Booth receives 'vitriolic' abuse
Toby Booth has revealed he received "vitriolic" abuse on Twitter following the Ospreys' defeat to Cardiff on Judgement Day.
The Ospreys were significantly below par at the Principality Stadium as they slumped to a 38-21 defeat which means they won't be participating in next season's Champions Cup.
"I've had some pretty vitriolic abuse on Twitter already unfortunately but that's part and parcel of the job that we are in," said Booth. "That's just unfortunate that it happens."
Booth went on to say the Ospreys would be announcing a number of exciting new contracts in the near future which he hopes will excite the fans.
"I understand that, people are passionate so the signings and the good stuff we want to make sure people have some optimism and enjoyment in the close season to bridge us forward into the new one."
When the idea of removing himself from social media was suggested, Booth shot it down by saying: "Then they've won haven't they?"
URC quarter-finals dates and kick-off times confirmed
The kick-off times, dates and broadcast details for the United Rugby Championship quarter-finals have been set for Friday, May 5, and Saturday, May 6.
The 2023 BKT URC play-offs will kick off in Belfast where Ulster (second) will host an Irish derby against Connacht (seventh) at Kingspan Stadium on Friday, May 5, at 7.35pm.
The Saturday slate will begin in Cape Town where defending champions DHL Stormers (third) will take on their South African rivals Vodacom Bulls (sixth) in a rematch of last season’s URC final. The game at DHL Stadium is scheduled to kick off at 3.30pm local time/2.30pm UK time.
Top-ranked side Leinster will then host the Cell C Sharks (eighth) in Dublin at 5pm at the Aviva Stadium. The quarter-finals will then close out in Scotland where Glasgow Warriors (fourth) make their return to the play-offs for the first time since 2019. Their opponents at Scotstoun Stadium will be Munster (fifth), who are searching for their first league title since 2011.
The semi-finals will then be staged on the weekend of May 12/13, before the final takes place on Saturday, May 27.
READ NEXT:
Alun Wyn Jones' poignant message appears to reveal it's over at Ospreys
Winners and losers: Overlooked Welsh star wins three awards as 'stupid' Judgement Day act slammed
Gareth Anscombe and Dan Lydiate make announcements on futures
Biggest rugby tackle of the season sees fuming Owen Farrell marched back by ref
