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Jazz stars as Bluebirds return to winning ways

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HAVERFORDWEST County returned to winning ways in the JD Cymru Premier in emphatic fashion with a comfortable 6-1 victory over Cefn Druids at The Rock on Saturday (Apr 9).

Wing-back Jazz Richards netted a hat-trick, with Jordan Davies converting twice from the penalty spot after Ryan George had opened the scoring.

Ioan Evans’ free-kick had reduced the deficit to 3-1 in the first-half, but that was as good as it got for the already-relegated Ancients.

Both teams were reduced to 10 men in the closing stages, with defenders Alaric Jones and Nacho Torres both dismissed for second bookable offences.

The result, a second consecutive 6-1 win over the Druids, sees County close the gap on seventh placed Cardiff Metropolitan to just a point, after the Archers drew 1-1 with Aberystwyth Town.

Manager Nicky Hayen made four changes to the team that lost 1-0 to Aber on Tuesday, with Jones, George, Kieran Lewis and Henry Jones all coming into the starting lineup, with Jack Wilson (suspension), Kurtis Rees, Corey Shephard (injury) and Alhagi Touray Sisay dropping out.

After a relatively low key start, the Bluebirds took the lead after 21 minutes when Davies’ cross in from the left picked out George inside the area, and the wing-back made no mistake from close range to direct his header past Rhys Williams and into the net.

It was 2-0 just 10 minutes later. After winning the ball back high up the pitch, Henry Jones played Ben Fawcett into space inside the area, and the striker’s ball across the face of goal found Richards at the far post – and he tapped into an empty net to double County’s advantage.

Things got even better for Hayen’s side when they were awarded a penalty four minutes later, after Torres bundled Fawcett over inside the area. Davies sent Williams the wrong way with his spot kick, rolling the ball into the left corner to make it 3-0.

The Ancients pulled a goal back shortly after when Evans’ free-kick from just outside the area sent Lee Idzi the wrong way.

However, the Bluebirds ended the first-half in fine fashion with Davies scoring from the penalty spot for the second time in eight minutes after the forward was brought down by Phil Mooney, before Richards swept home from Davies’ cross to make it 5-1 at the interval.

County came out after the restart with the same intent, as they looked to add more goals, with Henry Jones firing a shot over the bar and Davies denied a hat-trick by a good save from Williams.

The Bluebirds continued to push forward in search of a sixth goal of the afternoon, and they nearly found it when substitute Touray Sisay – who had come on to replace Lewis – was picked out by a pinpoint pass from Fawcett, but he was denied by an outstretched leg from Williams.

The striker had another chance to get on the scoresheet not long after when fellow substitute Danny Williams’ through ball sent him racing through on goal, however he was thwarted by Williams once again in a one-on-one situation.

County were reduced to 10 men with 10 minutes remaining when Jones was shown a second yellow card after remonstrating with referee Ryan Kenny.

The Bluebirds were able to end the afternoon on a positive note though, when, in stoppage time, Williams was clattered inside the area by Torres, who was also shown a second yellow card.

The ball was handed to Richards to give the former Wales international the chance to seal his hat-trick, and he duly obliged with an excellent spot kick which found the side netting of the goal to round off a wonderful afternoon for himself and the team.

Haverfordwest County are next in action on Good Friday (April 15), when they host Barry Town United at the Ogi Bridge Meadow, kick-off is at 14:30.

Sport

This weekend’s Division 4 West rugby roundup

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THE latest fixtures in Division 4 West delivered intense clashes, narrow escapes, and exhilarating victories as teams showcased their determination and skill. Here’s a breakdown of the matches and standout moments.

Dreigiau Emlyn 7-10 St Davids

St Davids claimed a narrow 10-7 win over Dreigiau Emlyn in a hard-fought match. Celt Davies put Dreigiau Emlyn on the scoreboard with a try, converted by Llew Morgan. St Davids responded with tries from Ethan Griffiths and Dan Murphy, with Bob Froy converting one. Despite Dreigiau Emlyn’s strong defensive stand, St Davids held on for a slim victory.

Llangwm 23-21 Pembroke Dock

In a thrilling contest, Llangwm edged out Pembroke Dock by just two points, finishing 23-21. George James led Llangwm’s scoring with a try, two conversions, and three penalties. Gethin Thomas added a try, pushing Llangwm into a narrow lead. Pembroke Dock fought back with tries from Harry Owen, Danny Wilkes, and Morgan Rogers, all converted by Ben Hathaway. However, Llangwm’s precise penalty kicks clinched the close contest.

Llanybydder 24-31 Pembroke

Pembroke emerged victorious in a high-scoring 31-24 match against Llanybydder. Llanybydder displayed resilience with tries from Arwel Williams, Matthew Rollings, Ifan Mason-Evans, and Griff Morgans, two of which were converted by Rollings. Pembroke’s offense proved too strong, with tries from Robin Badham, Jack Oliver, Fraser James, Dai Rogers, and Toby Edwards, alongside three conversions by Josh Greenwood. Pembroke’s offensive depth secured the win in this lively encounter.

Neyland 20-23 Narberth Athletic

Narberth Athletic pulled off a close 23-20 victory over Neyland, with Shane Rossiter at the heart of the action, scoring all of Narberth’s points through three tries, two penalties, and a conversion. Neyland responded admirably, with tries from Luke Griffiths-Dawes (2) and Josh Watts, while Oli Rothero added a conversion and a penalty. Rossiter’s consistent performance under pressure proved decisive, securing Narberth Athletic’s hard-earned win.

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WRU to apologise over contract dispute but denies sexism claims

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THE WELSH RUGBY UNION has announced it will apologise for its handling of contract negotiations with the senior women’s team but refutes recent allegations of sexism.

WRU Chair Richard Collier-Keywood and Chief Executive Abi Tierney acknowledged significant failings in the process, admitting that it is “absolutely clear” the governing body owes an apology to the players.

WRU Chair Richard Collier-Keywood acknowledged ‘failings’ (Pic: BBC)

The BBC reported this week that a leaked email showed players were threatened with exclusion from both WXV2 and next year’s World Cup as talks deteriorated. On August 2, players were given a “final offer” ultimatum with a strict three-hour deadline. If they didn’t sign, matches against New Zealand, Scotland, and Australia were set to be cancelled, and contracts withdrawn.

This episode surfaces amid recent claims of sexism and inequality, less than a year after an independent review condemned the WRU’s internal culture following a BBC Wales investigation.

“This is not a good day for us; we totally accept that. We should have done better and didn’t, but we’ve learned our lessons and will keep trying to improve,” said Collier-Keywood.

The WRU is expected to publish recommendations from a review of the negotiation process later this month, which has been fast-tracked following a Telegraph report on Thursday.

Key findings of the report

The WRU has disclosed early findings, which include:

  • A failure to recognise the growth and change in the women’s professional game.
  • An error in issuing the three-hour signing deadline.
  • Strong differences on how to develop women’s rugby in Wales.
  • Players were inexperienced in negotiations and left isolated.
  • Players considered striking before a match against Scotland on September 6.
  • Poor communication and lack of transparency escalated tensions, worsened by inappropriate behaviour at various stages.

The report states that sexism was not a factor behind the failings.

“There are sweeping criticisms in the report along with clear recommendations for change,” Collier-Keywood said, emphasizing the need for an apology and further engagement with the national team.

‘Sexism not apparent’

Independent board members Alison Thorne and Claire Donovan, who conducted the review, stated that while inappropriate behaviour was noted, sexism was not evident.

“After more than 50 hours of discussions with everyone involved, I did not sense that sexism was part of the issue,” said Donovan. Reflecting on her own 15-year rugby career, she acknowledged the past prevalence of sexism but said the grievances in this case appeared to stem from “a lack of respect and understanding of power dynamics.”

The WRU has also committed an additional £6 million toward women’s and girls’ rugby over the next five years, raising the total investment to £26 million.

Accusations of ‘blackmail’

Despite the WRU awarding 37 full-time contracts, Jess Kavanagh, a former Wales wing, criticised the WRU, suggesting the contract process bordered on “blackmail.” She questioned if the WRU had genuinely learned from past mistakes.

“We’ve heard apologies for years about various issues in the WRU, but apologies mean nothing until we see real change,” Kavanagh said. “Being forced to sign a contract under threat – that’s blackmail. In 2024, that should not happen in any workplace.”

Performance impact

Wales’ performance has suffered during the dispute, with the team finishing at the bottom of the 2024 Women’s Six Nations, managing only one win against Italy. Collier-Keywood acknowledged that the tension surrounding contracts may have contributed to the poor performance.

“There was unnecessary stress, which I believe affected performance. People were distracted, and that’s on us,” he stated.

The contracts were eventually signed just before Wales traveled to South Africa for WXV2 in September, although they lost their opening two matches.

The Welsh government, previously critical of the WRU over a misogyny scandal last year, expressed concern over these latest issues, calling for an urgent meeting with the WRU.

A spokesperson added: “We expect our national sporting bodies to lead by example.”

Government response

On Monday (Nov 5) Jack Sargeant, Minister for Culture, Skills & Social Partnership made a statement in The Senedd. He said: “Today, I met with the Chair of the Welsh Rugby Union, Richard Collier-Keywood, Chief Executive Officer, Abi Tierney, and Nigel Walker, Executive Director of Rugby. This meeting was arranged urgently following media focus over the weekend regarding allegations of sexism faced by the women’s national team in their contract negotiations.

“I expressed my disappointment that Welsh rugby was in the headlines for the wrong reasons, especially in the context of recent history. The aim of the meeting was to seek clarity around the circumstances that have taken place in relation to contract negotiations for women’s players and how improvements to existing process can be taken forward more positively in future.

“The WRU is in the process of concluding an internal review and has already accepted some failings of process and areas for improvement have been identified. I have not yet seen a draft of the review, but a summary has been published by the WRU. The WRU will be looking to meet with the players shortly to issue an apology for those aspects of the process that fell below the standards we would all expect.

“Over coming days, I will be seeking to understand various perspectives on this process and to satisfy myself that lessons are being learned. I am offering to meet with the players to understand directly from them the nature of their concerns and see how we can help all parties move forward constructively. I will also be seeking a meeting with the review’s authors.

“I want to see Welsh rugby, at all levels, grow and thrive. I am committed to working closely with the WRU and the players to deliver a successful sustainable game in Wales which provides better outcomes for everyone.

“I will keep members updated as we make progress matters over the coming weeks.”

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Swansea sign free-agent defender Cyrus Christie

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SWANSEA CITY have bolstered their defence with the signing of 32-year-old Cyrus Christie on a contract until the end of the season.

The former Hull City defender, who has been a free agent since his departure at the close of last season, has been training with Swansea since early October. Head coach Luke Williams views Christie as a versatile addition, capable of covering any position across the backline.

Christie returns to Swansea for a second stint, having previously impressed during a loan spell in the second half of the 2021-22 season. During that period, he made 23 appearances and scored three goals after joining from Fulham. While former Swansea boss Russell Martin had shown interest in making Christie’s move permanent, the Republic of Ireland international ultimately opted to sign with Hull City.

“He is experienced at this level, a powerful athlete who can both defend and attack, so I am really happy,” Williams commented. “We lack some Championship experience, and Christie provides a physical presence that’s especially valuable in the absence of players like Ben Cabango and Harry Darling.”

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