TODAY'S RUGBY NEWS AS REGION TARGET SEVEN NEW SIGNINGS AND WELSH RUGBY STALWART JOINS FIFTH-TIER SIDE IN COUP

These are your rugby headlines on Friday, April 19.

Welsh region target seven new signings

Dragons boss Dai Flanagan has targeted seven new signings ahead of the 2024/25 season.

Flanagan has succeeded in retaining senior Wales internationals Aaron Wainwright, Rio Dyer and Taine Basham while he has also held onto some of the best up and coming talent in the country. But the Dragons are desperate to strengthen the squad with new signings despite the salary cap dropping to £4.5m.

"Ideally we are looking at seven new faces around the building, maybe, but ideally around four to seven would be great," said Flanagan. "If you spend your money wisely in today's market you can get the right players.

"For us to achieve better results and to be a better place next year we need the right players. If we spend our money correctly we can get the right players. I believe we've done that and we are still doing that."

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Flanagan admitted the Dragons are a hard sell to any potential new recruit given their lack of success over the last decade. But he is desperate to change the perception surrounding the region next season.

"Try selling a club who are continuously finishing fourth out of the Welsh regions at the bottom of the league when you are trying to recruit people," said Flanagan. "It takes work, it takes energy and it takes belief in what we are trying to do. If I walk into a room with a player and try to sell him a product that I don't believe in they'll see straight through it.

"We have to align myself and the ownership group over where we are. We've got a three stage plan and we've been very clear with every person we've met on which step by step we are in and where we are now."

Shingler joins fifth-tier side

Welsh rugby stalwart Steven Shingler has signed for London Welsh in the fifth tier of English rugby.

Shingler, who represented Llanelli, the Scarlets, Cardiff and London Irish, is currently captain of Championship side Ealing Trailfinders, but has dropped down the divisions to play for Welsh from next season. He has worked as the club's attack coach since 2019 while representing Ealing.

The 32-year-old, who primarily plays at fly-half but can also play centre or full-back, is the younger brother of Wales international Aaron Shingler. However, while he represented Wales U20 on 14 occasions and was called up to the senior squad for tours to Japan and South Africa, he never won a senior Test cap for his country.

London Welsh currently play in the Regional 1 South Central league, after the professional team went into liquidation in 2017. They are currently third in the table behind Camberley and Havant.

Announcing the signing on X, the club wrote: "Croeso/ Welcome Steven Shingler. No introductions needed here: Shings steps away from his role as attack coach in order to sign for Welsh!

"The current Ealing Club Captain will join up with the squad he knows & loves for pre season! Welcome (again) Shings!"

Scarlets to make Davies announcement

The Scarlets will be making an announcement soon surrounding the future of Jonathan Davies.

At 36, Wales legend Davies is nearing the end of his career and has recently announced a testimonial year from June 2024 to May 2025 and Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel has revealed the club will announce the centre's future plans soon.

"In terms of clarity for Jon a testimonial is well deserved from his perspective," said Peel. "He's been an outstanding Scarlets and a British & Irish Lion.

"For Jon whether he's here next year or not we can be really proud of what he has achieved and what he's given this shirt. I wish him all the best in his testimonial over the coming season whether he'll be with us or not. We'll decide over the next couple of weeks."

One player who has been linked with a move away from Llanelli is former All Blacks star Vaea Fifita. According to reports the Scarlets would be prepared to sell Fifita for the right offer but Peel was non-committal on the 31-year-old's future.

"Vaea is under contract and that's where we are at the minute," he said. "Obviously there's going to be interest in people like Vaea Fifita because he's an athletic six, eight, lock. So, there's going to be interest from clubs, I get that.

"There was a lot of talk that Sam Lousi was going to leave the club and that didn't happen."

Smith: It's time to leave

Wales international Nicky Smith says it's the right time for him to leave Ospreys.

The loose head prop has signed a multi-year deal with Gallagher Premiership club Leicester Tigers, and will join up with the club this summer, ahead of the 2024-25 season. With the United Rugby Championship reaching the final stages, and Ospreys out of Europe, there are just five games left for Smith in the black jersey.

"It's a strange feeling," explained Smith ahead of Ospreys' clash against Stormers this weekend. "But I'm just dead excited to get into the play-offs and end on a high. This group of boys deserve some recognition. The best way to do that is to climb up through the play-offs and get some silverware."

Smith was also asked what being an Ospreys player has meant to him.

"Everything," he said. "Being a local boy, a Swansea boy, living 10 minutes from the Liberty, it has meant absolutely everything to me. It's been an absolute honour to pull on the jersey. I'm just looking to finish on a high.

"It was certainly a tough decision [to leave]. I think where I am in my rugby career, and more importantly where I am in my family life, I think it was the right time to test myself in a different league. I am looking forward to it, but right now I'm just so keen to help the boys as much as I can, whatever that role looks like to get into those play-offs and push for silverware."

Smith has 46 caps for Wales, which means he will still qualify to play international rugby despite plying his trade in England. Smith confirmed that this had crossed his mind, but the priority of the switch is a fresh challenge.

"It's everyone's ambition to play for their country, I am no different," he explained. "With that move it was purely thinking - how can I test myself in a different environment? If international honours come from it, then brilliant. But the main thing was (getting) an opportunity to look at myself and think - is this the right opportunity to really test myself?

"Of course, international honours would be great. But it is what it is, you can't rely on that, we'll just have to wait and see."

Ospreys are currently seventh in the URC table and are hoping to seal a place in the play-offs. They face the Stormers on Saturday at the DHL Stadium in South Africa.

2024-04-19T06:39:02Z dg43tfdfdgfd