The latest rugby news from Wales and beyond today
These are your rugby headlines for Wednesday 1st April.
Wales target Jenkins joins Leicester
Welsh midfielder Joe Jenkins has signed for Leicester Tigers, English club PREM have announced. Jenkins is regarded as a huge talent and is a player that the Welsh Rugby Union has scouted for the year.
The former England U20s center was born in Halifax but is eligible to represent Wales through his father, who hails from Llanharan. He impressed during his 33rd appearance for Bristol Bears but his progress has been limited by injury problems.
Jenkins attended Monmouth School and was initially involved with the Dragons before being snapped up by Bristol. He became the youngest Bears player to start in the Gallagher Premiership against Saracens in November 2022, aged just 18.
Leicester head coach Geoff Parling said: “Joe is a strong body with a lot of potential. He made his PREM debut at the age of 18 and although he is still performing well, he knows there is more to come from him.
“We are still open that we want to move the ball more and Joe will add another dimension, while it is also a good age to build understanding and cohesion with our exciting back line.”
Jenkins said: “After I met Geoff, it was clear that moving to Leicester was the right rugby move for me to continue as a player.” I believe that the way Geoff wants his centers to play will suit my style of play.
“I am very excited about the coming seasons and playing a big part in the future success of Leicester.”
He joins Wales internationals Tommy Reffell, Olly Cracknell and Aaron Wainwright in the upcoming squad.
Back in 2023 Wales U20s head coach Byron Hayward said Jenkins wanted to wear red at senior international level.
“I talked to Joe’s dad back in November because he’s definitely a player we like,” Hayward said.
“He said Joe felt compelled to go to England because he was coming through their U18s program, and they’ve got him back from a knee injury which is totally telling. I understand and admire his honesty.
“He is 100% Welsh and he assured me that Joe wants to play for Wales at the highest level and he sees himself as Welsh. However, at this point in time he felt loyal to England because they looked after him.”
WRU EGM Resolution
Welsh rugby union clubs will meet later today to decide whether to go ahead with the EGM scheduled for April 13. The chaotic meeting was called in a bid to sack WRU chairman Richard Collier-Keywood and halt the union’s plans to restructure the game in Wales.
However, following Friday’s announcement that Collier-Keywood will stand down in July, it is understood that the EGM request may now be withdrawn. Part of a similar process to remove Professional Rugby Board chairman Malcolm Wall had already been called off after he resigned last month. You can read the inside story of how Collier-Keywood was forced out here.
Two other proposals on how councilors are elected to the 12-strong WRU board are still on the table but require 75% of votes to pass.
The Central Glamorgan Union (CGU), which is leading the push for an EGM, will meet to discuss the vote on Wednesday. They were also calling for a halt to the WRU’s plans to reduce the number of professional sides from four to three.
The intentions of the WRU board regarding the proposal are not clear, but the whole board supported them and CEO Abi Tierney confirms that the plan is the best for Welsh rugby. The departure of Collier-Keywood may lead to a period of reflection now in the search for a new seat, with little chance of happening until a new candidate is in place. You can read the latest on the whole situation here.
The CGU must now decide whether to proceed with the EGM or suspend the proceedings and see how things develop. There is nothing to prevent an EGM from being called in the future if enough parties remain unhappy with how the situation progresses from here.
The Springbok will miss the Wales game
RG Snyman suffered a serious ACL injury, ruling the Springbok out of the 2026 squad.
Snyman tore the ACL in his right knee in Leinster’s game against Glasgow Warriors. He has torn his ACL twice in the past, although the current injury is to the other leg.
He will now miss South Africa’s summer schedule at the Nations Championship, including the Test with Wales in Durban.
With an ACL injury time frame of six to nine months, the fall could also be a push for the 31-year-old’s return to action.
“It’s sad for us and for him,” Leinster’s Jacques Nienaber said at Tuesday’s press conference.
“He had a couple [of ACL injuries] when he had Munster, but he showed [he can come back from injury] from time to time.”
It’s a big blow to Leinster coach Leo Cullen, who will be without the two-time World Cup winner for their last-16 Champions League tie with Edinburgh Rugby at the Aviva Stadium this Sunday and the rest of the URC and European campaigns.
Itoje supports Borthwick
England captain Maro Itoje has thrown his support behind Steve Borthwick under pressure and says the buck stops with the players on the field.
The Six Nations ended with England in fifth place – their worst finish since 2000 – after four defeats. After defeating Wales in the opening weekend of the tournament, England went on to lose to Scotland, Ireland, Italy and France in a frenzy in Paris.
The review continues in the corridors of power at Allianz Stadium Twickenham, with RFU boss Bill Sweeney giving confirmation on Borthwick’s future.
However, Itoje said the players must also stand up to the criticism of the recent campaign.
“I take responsibility with the big players. We need to make sure the team is ready to go. There is no need for a revolution,” Itoje said. The Times.
“Steve didn’t want us to play the way we played. That wasn’t part of the plan. That wasn’t part of the way he coached all week. But unfortunately we couldn’t handle it. We finished too many games with a man in the hole. And we weren’t executing.
“We were going into opposition 22 but we weren’t converting. We weren’t giving more concessions. [and 12 straight Test wins]. The freedom around us was destroyed when we were in control. We didn’t do all those things the way we should have done. ”
van der Merwe joins Glasgow
By Gavin McCafferty, Association of Journalists
South African midfielder Ruwald van der Merwe has admitted he has realized ambition he never thought possible after agreeing to join Glasgow on a two-year deal.
The 27-year-old winger will join Franco Smith’s Warriors ahead of next season from the Pumas, who captained him to last year’s SA Cup glory.
He will follow some famous but unrelated names when he moves to Scotland. DTH van der Merwe has scored 54 tries twice for the Warriors and Duhan van der Merwe has been a huge success for Edinburgh and the national team.
He said: “I am very happy and very grateful to have signed for Glasgow Warriors.
“I’ve followed the club for a long time and I never thought I’d get the chance to be part of a top team. I’m looking forward to giving my best and contributing as much as I can.
“I spoke to Franco before I signed, who told me a lot about the environment and his coaching style.
“What really stood out was how you take the individual seriously and focus on improving the areas of your game that need improvement.
“I spoke to (flanker) Henco Venter, who had nothing but good things to say about the club and life in Glasgow, which made the decision even better for me and my family.
“The fans can expect physical strength from me. Coming from South Africa, that’s something I’m proud of.
“I enjoy carrying hard, using a combination of power and speed, freeing up my hands for possession and getting involved in defense and in the time limit.
“I want to make an impact in all areas and add as much as I can to the team.”
Head coach Smith added: “Ruwald is a player we’ve had our eye on for a long time, as we’ve identified him as someone we believe can bring real value to what we’re looking to build here.
“He is a strong player who brings real passion to everything he does and is delighted to be a Glasgow Champion from next year.”
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