TONIGHT'S RUGBY NEWS AS WELSH RUGBY REGION WAS SAVED FROM EXTINCTION AT ELEVENTH HOUR

These are your evening rugby headlines on Wednesday, May 1.

Welsh rugby club saved from extinction

Outgoing Dragons chairman David Buttress has revealed the region came within hours of extinction after a takeover deal was rejected by the Welsh Rugby Union last summer.

Buttress has led the Dragons over the last seven years but will step down as chairman this summer, with David Wright taking over from July 1. However, he will remain on the board as a non-executive director and as part of the ownership team at Rodney Parade.

The 48-year-old - who is also the CEO of energy company Ovo - helped take the club back into private ownership at the start of September, alongside equal partners David Wright and Hoyoung Huh. But after announcing his upcoming departure, Buttress has revealed just how close the Dragons came to "being no more" after the WRU rejected the deal.

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“I can reveal this now that it’s all done, but I will never forget a Tuesday last July at 6pm when I finished a call with the WRU where they had rejected our deal,” he told the South Wales Argus. “We had said the process was done. It was over. So, I was preparing to go on the Thursday to Ystrad Mynach to tell the players and the guys at Rodney Parade that we had failed to buy the club and it was going to be no more.

However, Buttress didn't take no for an answer and ultimately managed to pull the deal back from the brink, as he explained: “It was that close. I didn’t sleep that night at all. I wrote an email to the WRU at around 3am in the morning, although I sent it at 7am, with a load of ideas about how we could restructure a deal to get it resurrected to save the club.

“Luckily that did the trick and we jumped on a call on that Wednesday to pull that deal back. It was the hardest deal that I’ve ever done and if it wasn’t for the fact that I love the club, the place and the history of Rodney Parade then I would have walked away.

“I just couldn’t do that," he added. "I thought of the team and people who work here, everyone who has got so much vested in the club as supporters. I said to my wife that I had to do this and we managed to turn it around without anyone knowing."

Wales internationals given new opportunity

Several members of the Wales Women squad are set for more game time as the Celtic Challenge tournament expands to ten rounds next season.

The cross-border club competition, featuring teams from Wales, Scotland and Ireland, had been played over five rounds this season, but will be expanded for the new campaign as six sides play five home and five away fixtures each. The winner will also be determined based on league table standings, rather than through play-offs.

The competition has been praised for helping to bridge the gap between age-grade womens rugby and the Test game, with 68 players involved going on to play in this year's Women's Six Nations and eight making their debuts for their country. The likes of Gwennan Hopkins, Sian Jones and Catherine Richards all won their first Wales caps during the Six Nations after featuring in the Celtic Challenge.

After Wales struggled during the tournament, finishing bottom of the table, coach Ioan Cunningham said his players needed more game-time and while more certainly needs to be done to get members of the Welsh squad playing regularly, this expansion aims to help better prepare players ahead of the Women's Rugby World Cup in 2025.

The WRU's Executive Director of Rugby, Nigel Walker, said: “The Celtic Challenge is a key part of the Welsh Rugby Union’s strategy for the women’s game in Wales and has already seen the likes of Gwennan Hopkins, Sian Jones, Molly Reardon, Catherine Richards and Mollie Wilkinson play in the tournament and then make their Wales debuts in the recent Six Nations campaign.

“It has already proved its value from a performance point of view and players and coaches will see it as a pivotal step in the pathway to professional and international recognition. We are highly ambitious around the Celtic Challenge and our two teams – Gwalia Lightning and Brython Thunder. We believe it has just scratched the surface and has an exciting future.”

Litterick makes comeback

Welsh-qualified prop Rhys Litterick will make his return from injury this weekend in Cardiff RFC’s Premiership semi-final against Llandovery.

The 25-year-old, who recently signed a long-term deal at the Arms Park, has been out since January with a thumb injury after a strong start with Cardiff Rugby.

Ahead of the repeat of last year’s Premiership final against the Drovers, which Cardiff lost, coach Steve Law hasn’t too many regional players to call upon as Matt Sherratt’s side prepare to travel to South Africa next week.

“There’s a couple of regulars unavailable,” said Law. “The Hudd brothers (Craig and Nathan) and Alun Rees aren’t going to be there.

"The Hudd brothers are on a stag and Alun is at a wedding. We’ve covered Alun (with Efan Daniel). There’ll be enough quality, but not as much synergy.

"They’ve allowed Lucas de la Rua to play. I don’t think they’ll take him to South Africa. They’ve allowed Rhys Barrett to play although he might go to South Africa. We’ve got Rhys Litterick which is excellent as they want him to have game time.”

However, on his return from injury, Litterick’s minutes will have to be managed in the semi-final.

“Yes, that is the pitfall,” added Law. “That’s been relayed to us, that he can only play so many minutes. It’s a 23-man game now. That’s where good squads help you.

“I don’t believe in making substitutes for the sake of it. Unfortunately, Litterick might be playing well but he’ll be coming off at a certain time.”

Itoje avoids ban

By PA Sport Staff

England forward Maro Itoje has avoided a ban after being cited for a dangerous tackle during Saracens' victory over Gallagher Premiership title rivals Bath.

The Saracens lock is free to play with immediate effect after the citing was dismissed by an independent disciplinary panel, the Rugby Football Union said. The news is a major boost for second-placed Saracens ahead of their final two regular season games against Bristol and Sale Sharks.

Itoje made an upright tackle on Bath number eight Alfie Barbeary during the first half of Saracens' 15-12 win at the Recreation Ground, making head contact in the process. Referee Luke Pearce yellow-carded him, viewing the fact it was not direct head-on-head contact as mitigation for not showing a red.

Panel chair Philip Evans KC said: "The panel heard and considered evidence from Maro Itoje and the Bath player and were able to examine the footage of the incident many times and from many different angles.

"In particular, the panel watched the footage from the rear view of Itoje which, when considered alongside the rest of the footage, demonstrated it was more likely than not that contact was not initially with the head or simultaneously with the head and the body. Instead, contact with the head appears to come later and can properly be described as more glancing than direct in nature.

"In all of the circumstances, the panel did not conclude that a high degree of danger was created and therefore the on-field decision stands. The player is free to play with immediate effect."

2024-05-01T16:16:36Z dg43tfdfdgfd