Here are the latest rugby headlines on Thursday, January 25.
Rees-Zammit will probably be ‘ultimate athlete’
Two-time Super Bowl champion with the New York Giants and now one of many International Player Pathway’s ambassadors Osi Umenyiora has backed Louis Rees-Zammit to shine in NFL, branding him the “ultimate athlete”.
The Wales winger, 22, is in his first week on the IPP programme in Miami in his bid to make it in American soccer after beautiful the rugby world final week together with his resolution to walk away from the sport with the world seemingly at his ft.
READ MORE: First photos and video of Louis Rees-Zammit enjoying American Football as he turns up in his Wales equipment
READ MORE: New Wales captain left shaking by Warren Gatland as he exhibits profitable mentality
Umenyiora says the previous Gloucester man has his work minimize out for him Stateside and predicts he should change his physique fairly considerably however backed him to make an influence.
“I think he’s going to gain muscle and weight for sure,” Umenyiora advised The Telegraph. “Rugby involved a lot more distance running. It’s constant. The NFL is stop-start; bursts. He’s probably going to gain muscle when he starts doing the explosive lifts we do. His body is going to change quite a bit, I’d assume. If he can maintain his speed while adding 10, 15, maybe even 20 pounds, I think he is going to be the ultimate athlete out there.”
New Cardiff homeowners vow to remodel membership
Cardiff Rugby’s new homeowners have vowed to remodel the membership right into a European power, promising they’re going to signal new gamers, retain expertise and make important funding in all operations.
Phil Kempe and Neal Griffith now have a 84.55% stake within the membership, via Helford Capital. The takeover of the membership went unconditional at a normal assembly on Tuesday with 99.9% voting in favour of a deal that sees Cardiff Athletic Club sustaining a minority fairness stake.
The new homeowners say Cardiff is “undeniably one of many greatest rugby manufacturers on the planet”.
An announcement from the brand new males in cost learn: “Stabilising the corporate has been the rapid precedence and the short-term plan stays on placing strong foundations in place to ship sustainable success.
“A big a part of the membership’s technique stays focussed on growing rugby expertise from inside and funding will subsequently be made in amenities, the participant pathway and academy system. Cardiff are lucky to already boast an distinctive pathway – solely Leinster produce extra gamers throughout the three high leagues in Europe – and we’re decided to harness and unleash its full potential, first by growing numbers and useful resource, whereas additionally introducing scholarship alternatives.
“This is a big a part of the imaginative and prescient for the longer term, however we’re additionally aware of the necessity to complement home grown expertise with abroad expertise to assist individual improvement and collective competitiveness. Progress is already being made when it comes to recruitment and retention for the 2024-25 season, whereas the recruitment course of will probably be strengthened to make sure all additions are the fitting match for Cardiff when it comes to capability, age-profile and character.
“In addition to this, within the quest to offer one of the best surroundings to play or work in rugby, we’ll steadily introduce different technique of funding in expertise, whether or not that’s via amenities, CPD or normal wellbeing.
“Significant off-field assist may also be made available to make sure ALL departments have the human useful resource, know-how and instruments to ship industrial success and unrivalled experiences.
“We will now embark on an inclusive course of to build a long-term technique to make sure Cardiff is market chief in all areas of the business. With collective effort, we’re assured we will ship the Blue and Blacks again to being a aggressive power in Europe.
“Cardiff is undeniably one of many greatest rugby manufacturers on the planet and it boasts a novel and unrivalled historical past. It is time for the membership to reside as much as that wealthy historical past and that is the start of our journey to get there.”
Netflix rugby sequence will get combined evaluations
The new Netflix Six Nations documentary has aired to combined evaluations.
Six Nations: Full Contact has been the topic of a giant publicity push by all of the competing nations over the previous 24 hours amid hopes the Netflix remedy with assist develop the game and appeal to a brand new viewers.
While the sequence is undoubtedly properly made, not everybody has been satisfied after it started streaming on Wednesday. The Guardian and Telegraph have been each crucial of the documentary, whereas WalesOn-line gave it three stars out of 5, concluding it did not fairly hit the heights it might have. You can learn our evaluation right here.
Under a headline of “This PR spin wants kicking into contact”, the Telegraph wrote: “This just isn’t a lot the view of a fly lurking on the dressing-room wall, extra that of the general public relations govt fastidiously curating issues from the nook. This is rugby introduced because the ultimate in gladiatorial fight, all slo-mo crunches and pitchside pyrotechnics, thumping tackles and superbly spun passes – with the occasional swear phrase thrown in to insist on authenticity.”
The Guardian described it merely as “a desperately dated rugby highlights package deal”.
There have been a few extra optimistic takes although, with MailOnline concluding: “The highlight Six Nations: Full Contact gives on the emotional facet of these on the high of recreation is eye-opening and can assist carry followers nearer to the game and the characters inside it.
“It can also be an exciting watch. As with different documentaries like Drive to Survive, Break Point and Full Swing, Six Nations: Full Contact builds rigidity all through every episode leaving viewers desirous to know what occurs subsequent.
“Even having watched final 12 months’s Six Nations and understanding the result of every recreation, I nonetheless discovered myself gripped ready in anticipation of the subsequent scene.”
All eight episodes at the moment are available to observe on Netflix.
WRU scrutinised by MSs
MSs scrutinised representatives of the WRU following allegations of bullying, sexism and sexual harassment in Welsh rugby.
Delyth Jewell, who chairs the Senedd’s tradition committee, raised considerations about repeated warnings of a looming disaster being missed.
Nigel Walker, the WRU’s govt director of rugby, recognised that the union failed to affix the dots between individual incidents. He advised the committee: “I believe a few of our insurance policies and processes weren’t match for objective….
“When you have a television programme which lays bare the ills of an organisation, all in 30 minutes, you’d be rather foolish not to take heed.”
Llŷr Gruffydd, the Plaid Cymru MS for North Wales, requested the witnesses to characterise the ambiance amongst workers working on the WRU in the present day.
Abi Tierney, who has solely been in submit as chief govt for 13 days, advised MSs that workers are optimistic that the evaluation will enable the WRU to attract a line beneath the scandal.
“There is a real sense of hope and looking forward,” she stated. “But that is balanced with a real sense of tiredness – they went through a lot last year.”
Ms Tierney stated she has been impressed by folks’s dedication, ardour, sense of objective and an actual willpower to show it round.
