Archive May 27, 2025

Ex-Wales coach Gatland takes up role in Uruguay

By in News, Sports News
Images courtesy of Getty

After wrapping up his second spell as Wales head coach, Warren Gatland has begun a consulting role in the Uruguayan rugby team.

The Super Rugby Americas (SRA) play-off finals will feature the 61-year-old New Zealander joining Uruguay’s professional club Penarol.

After a record-breaking run of 14 Test match defeats, Gatland quit his position as Wales’ head coach in February, two games before the 2025 Six Nations.

Penarol, one of the semi-finalists for the SRA, made the announcement via social media that he would be “Welcome Warren Gatland.”

The legendary New Zealand coach will work with Penarol as an advisor to head coach Ivo Dugonjic and the Penarol staff to put all of his knowledge to use, according to the Montevideo-based club.

Along with a world-class international career that began in 1998 under the leadership of Ireland, Gatland is one of rugby’s most successful coaches. She has also had stints at Connacht, Wasps, Waikato, and Super Rugby side Chiefs.

Four years later, he helped the British and Irish Lions win the series against Australia in 2013 and draw against the All Blacks in 2014.

He led the team to three Grand Slams and two World Cup semi-finals during his first tenure as head coach of Wales, which he did from 2007 to 2019.

After a record-equal 14 matches without defeat, Wales even climbed to the top of the world rankings for the first time in August 2019. Gatland won 70 games in his first year in charge, with 53 defeats and two draws, giving it a 56% success rate.

However, he presided over the statistically worst Wales team in their 144-year international rugby history, with 14 successive Test losses, after returning following Wayne Pivac’s dismissal in 2022. In 26 matches, Gatland’s success rate was less than 25%, with only six victories and 20 defeats in its second.

The team still needs to stop a losing streak that began with their October 2023 victory over Georgia. Wales’ record run of Test defeats has been extended to 17 under caretaker Matt Sherratt.

With Scotland’s defense coach and former Ospreys boss Steve Tandy as a top target, the search for a full-time replacement for Gatland is currently under the direction of recently appointed Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) director of rugby, Dave Reddin.

Penarol are the top SRA club and became Uruguay’s first professional rugby team when it was founded in 2019. A victory over Argentina’s Pampas in their final regular-season game will earn them a home semi-final spot.

related subjects

  • Welsh Rugby
  • Rugby Union of Wales
  • Rugby Union

Hamas agrees to a Gaza ceasefire, sources say; US and Israel reject offer

By in News, World News

According to Al Jazeera’s sources, Hamas has consented to the United States’ request for a ceasefire, but an American official rejected it and called the deal being discussed “unacceptable” and “disappointing.”

Israeli officials added that no Israeli government could accept the proposal, according to the Reuters news agency, who denied the report on Monday.

The conflicting reports came as Israeli forces continued to bombard Gaza’s besieged enclave with vicious fire and severely restrict the entry of aid.

According to medical sources, at least 81 people were killed in Israel’s attacks on Monday alone, many of whom were children.

According to Al Jazeera’s sources, Hamas and Steve Witkoff, the US’s Middle East envoy, met in Doha, Qatar, and agreed to the draft agreement. They claimed that the agreement includes a 60-day ceasefire and the release of 10 captives who were detained in Gaza in two stages.

The terms of the agreement and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza would be guaranteed by US President Donald Trump. According to the sources, the agreement would permit the entry of humanitarian aid without conditions starting with the agreement.

Witkoff, however, disputed the claim that Hamas had accepted his offer for a captcha and truce, telling Reuters that what he had witnessed was “completely unacceptable”.

Additionally, a US source close to Witkoff claimed that the Palestinian group’s agreement was “disappointing” and Hamas’ claims were “inaccurate.”

new red lines

The US official, who was cited by Al Jazeera as saying that the proposed “temporary ceasefire agreement” with Israel is the only one at hand, according to Kimberly Halkett of Al Jazeera’s reporting from Washington, DC.

She said that this would allow for the return of half of the dead and half of the living captives.

The White House believes that this would lead to diplomatic discussions that could lead to a permanent ceasefire. She continued, “And this is the deal that Hamas should take,” according to the source.

Hamas did not respond right away.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to bring back the 58 Israeli prisoners who are still incarcerated in Gaza, of whom 20 are reportedly still alive, in a recorded message posted on social media.

“We will achieve it tomorrow if we don’t today, but tomorrow we will do it,” he says. If not tomorrow, follow that day. Netanyahu stated, “We are not giving up.”

The living and the dead will all be returned, he continued.

The proposed agreement was not mentioned by the Israeli leader.

Netanyahu has long vowed to keep the war until “total victory” is achieved against the Palestinian group, according to Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut, a reporter from Amman’s capital.

Salhut claimed that the Israeli premier has even drawn new conclusions about what would ultimately bring an end to the conflict.

“That includes the return of Israeli prisoners, the demilitarization of Hamas,” according to the exile of military and political leaders. Additionally, Trump’s plan for Gaza is being implemented. The White House even reversed its decision several months ago because of this plan, she said.

Netanyahu claims that is what he needs in order for the war to end.

Hamas has also stated that it is willing to immediately release the prisoners in exchange for a permanent ceasefire. In accordance with an Arab League-backed $53 billion plan for the reconstruction of the enclave, it has also stated that it is willing to hand over control of the Gaza Strip to an interim government.

However, the Palestinian organization has vowed to release its leaders from Gaza, saying that as long as Israel continues to occupy Palestinian territory, they must lay down arms or expel them.

“Doha is everything!”

Palestinians in Gaza expressed apprehension over any agreement to end Israel’s relentless bombardment and blockade, which has resulted in famine for the entire population.

From Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary said, “All Palestinian eyes are on Doha.”

Palestinians have been attacked in their homes, schools, makeshift tents, and also in so-called safe humanitarian zones, according to Khoudary, who claims that they are unable to even provide one meal for their families since Israel resumed the war.

“Palestinians here are saying that they have no other choices and that they are attempting to survive the Israeli airstrikes and the widespread starvation that has been theirs.”

Two weeks after putting a total blockade on the enclave, Israel resumed its occupation of Gaza on March 18.

According to Gaza’s health authorities, at least 3, 822 Palestinians have died as a result of Israel’s renewed offensive, and 53, 977 people have already died overall. Some 122, 966 people have been wounded.