Abject failure becoming the norm – where does Welsh rugby go from here?

Picture agency for Huw Evans
  • 1071 Comments

It’s been quite challenging to predict when Welsh rugby will actually reach its lowest level recently.

Another depth is plumbed every time we believe a new low has been reached in recent years.

Wales’ most recent low is Saturday’s 73-0 home humiliation against world champions South Africa, which ended their previous best season there.

One Welsh rugby expert said, “it can’t get worse than this, can it?” while watching England play their victory song at the Principality Stadium in March. They had already lost to their hosts 68-14.

It turns out to be.

On a Cardiff autumnal Saturday night after the embarrassing England embarrassment, the Springboks squad belted out their celebration song.

Following the Springboks’ 96-13 hammering in Pretoria in 1998, this 11-try demolition was the second worst defeat in Welsh rugby history.

    • 20 hours ago
    • 19 hours ago
    • 22 hours ago

Another horribilis for Welsh rugby

It seems pointless to debate whether Welsh rugby was more degraded by the loss to England or South Africa.

The same holds true for the national men’s side’s year of 2024 or 2025. The norm is abject failure.

Since the World Cup quarter-final defeat by Argentina in Marseille in October 2023, Welsh rugby has sunk significantly.

In the two years that followed, Wales have lost 20 out of 22 matches.

Wales lost all 11 Test matches in 2024, while Wales lost all 11 games this year, with the only exception of Japan, where they lost nine.

Even though 2025 has experienced some sort of success, it is undoubtedly worse than 2024.

Wales have lost at home twice in a row, lost 50 points in four games to England, Argentina, New Zealand, South Africa, and has three head coaches, Matt Sherratt and Steve Tandy.

Wales lost to France in Paris on their final day of the Six Nations in a 43-0 start to the year in January.

WRU are questioned about upcoming changes.

Dave Reddin with his arms foldedPicture agency for Huw Evans

They claim that being stronger only results in greater strength when it is said that “what doesn’t kill you”

Terry Cobner, president of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), expressed those views in his South Africa programme notes.

Welsh rugby is on life support now that the most recent capitulation and its 11th home Test defeat in 12 games have been capitulated.

Less than 24 hours after Welsh rugby’s most recent humiliation, the WRU annual general meeting (AGM) will take place on Sunday. It might turn out to be lively.

The WRU’s recent reshuffle against the Springboks may prove necessary.

    • October 26
    • two days ago

Since then, the WRU has suggested reducing Wales’ professional sides from four to three, but no concrete plans have been made regarding how.

The WRU hopes a consensus decision can be reached before the end of the year as negotiations with Ospreys, Scarlets, Cardiff, and Dragons continue in December.

The process will go through a tender if it isn’t finished, which could take six months.

In the spring, Wales will be attempting to avoid a third straight defeat in the Six Nations, so it might still be going on.

The process is being led by WRU’s rugby director, head of elite performance Dave Reddin, chair Richard Collier-Keywood, and chief executive Abi Tierney, who has only recently returned from cancer treatment.

With doubts over their futures, the faith in this trio’s capacity to initiate and implement change is being scrutinized.

Reddin was captured smiling as Wales lost to South Africa by 59-0.

Tandy has a case for the defense.

Steve TandyPicture agency for Huw Evans

Tandy’s appointment was Reddin’s first major responsibility, and it was a baptism of fire in the new head coach’s inaugural campaign.

The 45-year-old former Ospreys boss has lost to Argentina, New Zealand, and South Africa, as well as a pointless victory over Japan thanks to a late Jarrod Evans penalty.

Tandy, a former Scotland and British and Irish Lions defense coach, will be particularly concerned with his special area, despite there being some indications of attacking intent.

In their four November matches, where they were consistently out-muscled and overpowered, they have conceded 27 tries and 200 points.

In time for the Six Nations, Tandy will require the appointment of a renowned defense coach.

Lake remarked, “We must not be in this position once more.”

JavaScript must be enabled in your browser to play this video.

Dewi Lake, the skipper of Wales, stated that his country must not go back to that position after the South African defeat.

What’s worrying about how much harm young, unproven Welsh players are doing?

They worry about their own futures as well as what they are exposed to on the global stage.

James Hook, the ex-Washington fly-half, says the players shouldn’t be subjected to harsh criticism.

Hook told BBC Radio Wales, “It’s not the time to pick out individuals or flaws in how we attacked or defended.”

“Everyone is aware of the current state of Welsh rugby, both on and off the field, because there is a lot of uncertainty, which affects these players.

Lambs to the slaughter

Given that this fixture attracted the lowest crowd of just over 50 000 for a match between these two countries in Cardiff since 1999, questions have been raised as to why the WRU decided to put this together.

Due to the fact that the match was outside World Rugby’s authorized Test window, Wales had to field a weakened side with only 13 of their England and France-based players.

The absurdity of the situation is best captured by the likes of Tomos Williams, Dafydd Jenkins, and Louis Rees-Zammit excelling in their clubs on the same weekend as their Wales team-mates were being humbled in Cardiff.

South Africa also lost players through club duty, but they still managed to recruit a sizable pool of talent, with their bench alone having won more Test caps than Wales’ entire matchday squad.

The World Cup match was the conclusion of a somewhat difficult autumn campaign, Hook said.

It’s difficult to blame any of those Welsh players for what happened, to be honest.

The brutal truth is that the majority of the players in Wales are currently being exposed and not up to international standards. More than anyone else, they experience the pain of terrible defeats.

related subjects

  • Welsh Rugby
  • Rugby Union of Wales
  • Rugby Union

Abject failure is becoming the norm – where does Welsh rugby go from here?

Picture agency for Huw Evans
  • 283 Comments

It’s been quite challenging to predict when Welsh rugby will actually reach its lowest level recently.

Another depth is plumbed every time we believe a new low has been reached in recent years.

Wales’ most recent low is Saturday’s 73-0 home humiliation against world champions South Africa, which ended their previous best season there.

One Welsh rugby expert said, “it can’t get worse than this, can it?” while watching England play their victory song at the Principality Stadium in March. They had already lost to their hosts 68-14.

It turns out to be.

On a Cardiff autumnal Saturday night after the embarrassing England embarrassment, the Springboks squad belted out their celebration song.

Following the Springboks’ 96-13 hammering in Pretoria in 1998, this 11-try demolition was the second worst defeat in Welsh rugby history.

    • 14 hours ago
    • 13 hours ago
    • 16 hours ago

Another horribilis for Welsh rugby

It seems pointless to debate whether Welsh rugby was more degraded by the loss to England or South Africa.

The same holds true for the national men’s side’s year of 2024 or 2025. The norm is abject failure.

Since the World Cup quarter-final defeat by Argentina in Marseille in October 2023, Welsh rugby has sunk significantly.

In the two years that followed, Wales have lost 20 out of 22 matches.

Wales lost all 11 Test matches in 2024, while Wales lost all 11 games this year, with the only exception of Japan, where they lost nine.

Even though 2025 has experienced some sort of success, it is undoubtedly worse than 2024.

Wales have lost at home twice in a row, lost 50 points in four games to England, Argentina, New Zealand, South Africa, and has three head coaches, Matt Sherratt and Steve Tandy.

Wales lost to France in Paris on their final day of the Six Nations in a 43-0 start to the year in January.

WRU are questioned about upcoming changes.

Dave Reddin with his arms foldedPicture agency for Huw Evans

They claim that being stronger only results in greater strength when it is said that “what doesn’t kill you”

Terry Cobner, president of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), expressed those views in his South Africa programme notes.

Welsh rugby is on life support now that the most recent capitulation and its 11th home Test defeat in 12 games have been capitulated.

Less than 24 hours after Welsh rugby’s most recent humiliation, the WRU annual general meeting (AGM) will take place on Sunday. It might turn out to be lively.

The WRU’s recent reshuffle against the Springboks may prove necessary.

Former England captain Gwyn Jones remarked that Welsh rugby leaders should initiate immediate significant change rather than waste a crisis.

Since then, the WRU has suggested reducing Wales’ professional sides from four to three, but no concrete plans have been made regarding how.

The WRU hopes a consensus decision can be reached before the end of the year as negotiations with Ospreys, Scarlets, Cardiff, and Dragons continue in December.

The process will go through a tender if it isn’t finished, which could take six months.

In the spring, Wales will be attempting to avoid a third straight defeat in the Six Nations, so it might still be going on.

The process is being led by WRU’s rugby director, head of elite performance Dave Reddin, chair Richard Collier-Keywood, and chief executive Abi Tierney, who has only recently returned from cancer treatment.

With doubts over their futures, the faith in this trio’s capacity to initiate and implement change is being scrutinized.

Reddin was captured smiling as Wales lost to South Africa by 59-0.

Tandy has a case for the defense.

Steve TandyPicture agency for Huw Evans

Tandy’s appointment was Reddin’s first major responsibility, and it was a baptism of fire in the new head coach’s inaugural campaign.

The 45-year-old former Ospreys boss has lost to Argentina, New Zealand, and South Africa, as well as a pointless victory over Japan thanks to a late Jarrod Evans penalty.

Tandy, a former Scotland and British and Irish Lions defense coach, will be particularly concerned with his special area, despite there being some indications of attacking intent.

In their four November matches, where they were consistently out-muscled and overpowered, they have conceded 27 tries and 200 points.

In time for the Six Nations, Tandy will require the appointment of a renowned defense coach.

Lake remarked, “We must not be in this position once more.”

JavaScript must be enabled in your browser to play this video.

Dewi Lake, the skipper of Wales, stated that his country must not go back to that position after the South African defeat.

What’s worrying about how much harm young, unproven Welsh players are doing?

They worry about their own futures as well as what they are exposed to on the global stage.

James Hook, the ex-Washington fly-half, says the players shouldn’t be subjected to harsh criticism.

Hook told BBC Radio Wales, “It’s not the time to pick out individuals or flaws in how we attacked or defended.”

“Everyone is aware of the current state of Welsh rugby, both on and off the field, because there is a lot of uncertainty, which affects these players.

Lambs to the slaughter

Given that this fixture attracted the lowest crowd of just over 50 000 for a match between these two countries in Cardiff since 1999, questions have been raised as to why the WRU decided to put this together.

Due to the fact that the match was outside World Rugby’s authorized Test window, Wales had to field a weakened side with only 13 of their England and France-based players.

The absurdity of the situation is best captured by the likes of Tomos Williams, Dafydd Jenkins, and Louis Rees-Zammit excelling in their clubs on the same weekend as their Wales team-mates were being humbled in Cardiff.

South Africa also lost players through club duty, but they still managed to recruit a sizable pool of talent, with their bench alone having won more Test caps than Wales’ entire matchday squad.

The World Cup match was the conclusion of a somewhat difficult autumn campaign, Hook said.

It’s difficult to blame any of those Welsh players for what happened, to be honest.

The brutal truth is that the majority of the players in Wales are currently being exposed and not up to international standards. More than anyone else, they experience the pain of terrible defeats.

related subjects

  • Welsh Rugby
  • Rugby Union of Wales
  • Rugby Union

Behind-the-scenes on fight night

What exactly happens during a big boxing event?

After 20 years, boxing returned to BBC linear television, giving viewers exclusive access to fight night, from ringwalks to ringside views, ringside celebrations, and dressing room parties with the teams.

MORE: Clarke defeats TKV to win the British title.

Wild rules at Adam Peaty’s engagement party and why it was all caught on camera

Members of Adam’s family will not be present because they have been prohibited from the ceremony. However, Holly Ramsay will wed Adam Peaty in Bath next month in front of the entire Ramsay clan.

Adam Peaty is at war with his family, and it was apparently at the engagement party where it all started to go wrong.

The Olympic swimmer and Holly Ramsay should be in a happy place with only one month until their wedding day. Instead, they have gotten so stale that the majority of Adam’s family has been turned away from the ceremony because they have gotten into a feud with him.

The Ramsay clan and Adam’s now-divorced mother Caroline were present at the couple’s lavish engagement party in London last December, according to reports.

According to reports, the party was filmed as part of Gordon’s fly-on-the-wall docuseries, Being Gordon Ramsay. The celebrity chef, 59, was filmed over nine months as he opened five new restaurants in London, alongside juggling his personal life.

Holly and Adam with their families in happier times will be portrayed in scenes from the show. However, problems were already brewing behind the scenes.

READ MORE: Adam Peaty’s ‘blacklisted’ family from brothers’ ‘demons’ to ex drug dealer boyfriendREAD MORE: Adam Peaty’s coach reveals the heartbreaking chat she was forced to have with his mum

Adam’s family attended the engagement party when things were much better, according to a source close to the source. From there, things started to go wrong.

His mother confronted Gordon at the event because she was upset that some members of the family weren’t present. They added that “in addition to the stringent regulations, guests were required to sign non-disclosure agreements and hand in phones while the party was filmed.”

Mother Caroline described how disappointed she was that the Peaty family’s entire family had been cut out of the event in an explosive interview. You know how significant family is to you, as it is to me, she told the Daily Mail. My sisters have attended every event in Adam’s life, but they don’t come to the party.

There was nothing horrifying about those messages, she explained, adding that she assured Gordon at the party that Adam didn’t take kindly to me sending them.

Caroline explained how more words were exchanged because she wanted to wear a cream dress on the day of the wedding. Caroline was not invited because the tensions had reached boiling point before the hen arrived. Holly’s aunt, Louise Williams, publicly criticized Holly for not inviting her, calling the decision “divisive and hurtful” for which Caroline publicly thanked her.

According to a source close to the Peaty family, the tension may be brought on by the Peaty family’s differing working-class backgrounds and the Ramsay family’s more affluent lifestyle.

The glitzy world of showbiz, is a world away from Adam’s more humble upbringing in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire as one of four growing up on the ‘poverty line’.

Caroline would drive Adam 40 minutes from their home to the Derby pool if he wanted to realize his dreams at 4 am. She would drive him home, have a quick breakfast, and then work as a nursery manager from 8 am to 5 pm until her two-hour wait for his morning session to come to an end. She would then drive him back to the pool for evening training sessions, frequently arriving home by 8 or 10 o’clock.

Surprisingly, Adam is honest about growing up in resentment. He stated in an interview with The Guardian, “I have been driven by suffering since I was a child. Although I am a working class person, there are millions of other people working as well. They are unable to afford luxury items because they live paycheck to paycheck.

You had to fight for what you had because I had two brothers and one sister and because I was the youngest, so I always had hand-me-downs. Because my parents have sacrificed so much for me, I don’t want to sound harsh.

Adam and Holly met in 2021 on the set of Strictly Come Dancing, on which the swimmer was a contestant alongside her younger sister, Tilly. The pair began dating in 2023 and announced their engagement in September 2024.

The Peaty family reportedly invited only Bethany, Adam’s sister, to the couple’s wedding. Adam said in a statement addressing the feud last week that: “Over the past few days, many reports and comments have been made about Holly and I’s private life.

Bethany, my sister, has also been targeted. This has been largely unilateral and intrusive in many cases. Reading it was deeply unsettling and upsetting, especially given the false foundation we were targeted on.

Its encouragement by members of my family “makes it worse,” I say.

Given the ongoing police investigation into serious matters that emerged long before recent events, Bethany, Holly, and I cannot go into specifics.

Continue reading the article.

For those of you who have met me personally, you are aware of how diligently I work to make my own contribution to improving the world. Even in these challenging times, I am continuing to learn about myself and how to become the man I want to be: a respectable partner, father, businessman, friend, and athlete.

Prince Harry’s awkward Christmas encounter while festive shopping with Meghan

Harry had an awkward moment when he was assembling a Christmas tree as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex celebrated their first Christmas in California after quitting the position.

With December just around the corner, millions of people are preparing for the festive season by putting up their Christmas decorations. And while Prince Harry and Meghan Markle now reside in California, they are keeping with holiday traditions with their children Archie and Lilibet.

In 2020, as their first year in America came to a close after they quit their royal lives and relocated abroad, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were spotted shopping for a Christmas tree in Santa Barbara. The couple then ran into a young boy who was shopping with his family, with an awkward moment ensuing.

READ MORE: How Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s engagement changed the Royal Family foreverREAD MORE: Fergie’s devastating new life in disgrace and how she could fall even further

Another store salesman claims that Harry mistook the young boy for a member of the staff in the store. One family reportedly remained inside the store even though it was empty, according to reports from the time.

According to shop salesman James Almaguer, the excited child “asked if he worked here” as the duke “ran through the trees to the duke.” He continued, describing Meghan as “very kind” and Harry as “chill lad.” James wrote: “We sold them their Christmas tree at my work today. It was a very, very interesting experience despite being anticlimactic.

Our agent advised them to arrive at a good time rather than shutting it down because we had our lot empty when they arrived. One family was present, and their young, enthusiastic son questioned if Harry had worked there without knowing who they were.

They appear to be very kind people, to be honest. Meghan sounds very kind, and Harry’s performance was sincere and euphoric. I’m so happy that they liked our trees. The best that was available to us. Thank you very much.

Meghan is celebrating Christmas in a unique way this year, as she prepared for her Netflix holiday programme to premiere on December 3. The trailer for the With Love, Meghan Christmas show shows the Duchess talking about “embracing traditions” and “connecting with the people we love”.

While giving the audience a glimpse into her Christmas preparations, Meghan says: “I love the holiday season. It’s about finding time to connect with the people we love. Embracing traditions and making new ones. Let the festivities commence and embrace the special touches that bring you joy.”

Meghan adds that “being a hostess or a host is about making people feel comfortable,” while adding that “you can do things that make people feel seen.”

Continue reading the article.

Meghan will be accompanied by tennis champion Naomi Osaka, chef Tom Collcchio, chef Tom Collcchio, chef Will Guidara, philanthropist Kelly McKee Zajfen, and long-time friend Lindsay Roth. The Duchess will be “sharing her favorite holiday traditions, seasonal crafts, and family recipes with friends old and new,” according to Netflix.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ‘on borrowed time’ as ‘ruthless’ move changes everything

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are “vulnerable” to losing their royal titles, according to royal biographer Tom Bower when Prince William assumes power.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are on borrowed time with their royal titles amid what a royal expert describes as their ongoing betrayals and growing threat to the royal family. Biographer Tom Bower says the “ruthless” and unprecedented act of stripping Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of his Duke and Prince titles should serve as a serious warning to the couple about what their future could hold once Prince William becomes monarch.

King Charles ’s younger brother lost his titles and his Royal Lodge home of 20 years following more revelations about his decades-long friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. “For Harry, it was an unbelievable shock that the King could strip Andrew of his titles, including Prince, and it changes everything,” he tells the Mirror. “He must really fear that William will strip him, Meghan and the children of their titles when he succeeds to the throne.

READ MORE: Smyths Toys issues alert to anyone shopping online this Christmas

They are currently vulnerable and on borrowed time because William is still furious and Kate and William are unsure of what can be done to stop the harm they have caused them.

In Harry’s memoir Spare, Tom claims that many of their repeated betrayals of the royal family are simply too catastrophic to overlook. They go beyond revealing intimate details of Prince William and Kate’s interactions with them.

The pair’s jaw-dropping interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, the year they resigned as working royals, was their biggest success, Tom says, and William is already at risk from the threat of them hurling similar grenades at him in the future.

Meghan and Harry are both making a lot of money, so the threat is that they will act foolishly and harm the royal family.

“They are uncontrolled, so Meghan’s risk is one of writing a memoir or hosting an interview like Oprah Winfrey.” Meghan’s accusations that the royal family is racist continue to permeate the interview’s legacy. Who has any idea what she might say next?”

Meghan’s use of her own royal titles has been a major sticking point since the couple moved to Montecito, California, and started a new life there.

The Palace and the pair agreed that they would stop using their His/Her Royal Highness titles but could still keep them when they left as working royals. It was compared to the time when Andrew, the then-Duke of York, made the deal.

However, it became questionable if Meghan was breaking their agreement when she gave a card with the words “With the Compliments of HRH The Duchess of Sussex” as a gift to IT Cosmetics founder Jamie Kern Lima in April of this year.

The couple’s defense of the monogrammed card, which was defended by “sources close to the couple,” was mentioned in a number of places, claiming that it was a personal gift and not connected to her As Ever lifestyle or any other commercial transactions.

Meghan’s interview with Harper’s Bazaar earlier this month reignited the discussion because the journalist had a strange-sounding encounter in his interview. When the house manager announces “Meghan, Duchess of Sussex,” even though we appear to be the only other two people present, wrote Kaitlyn Greenidge about our meeting with Meghan.

The title has a lot of power over Meghan, according to Tom, whose second tell-all book on the Sussexes will be released next year. He claims that “she uses it ruthlessly and with impunity” and that it is a great trading asset. She simply uses it to give herself the status she craves, not because she cared about the royal family.

Meghan didn’t realize that his uncle had lost his title until Harry explained that, he said, “and that is a reality.” I don’t believe she or any of us even realized how brutally ruthless they were. I can only imagine her contemplating, “What are we going to do? ” Who is she because she doesn’t have any titles? However, whenever she uses the title, she betrays the royal family.

The bombshell statement from Buckingham Palace about King Charles, 77, formally stripping his brother of his “style, titles and honours” came a few weeks after Andrew, 65, relinquished his Duke of York title.

Epstein was found dead in his federal prison cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial, but the statement read, “These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him.”

Continue reading the article.

However, Tom says it won’t be easy to remove Meghan and Harry’s titles and that King Charles won’t be putting their names on the papers. The royal family finds it hard and rocked by the Sussexes’ titles. Even if it would appear like sour grapes, Meghan’s status can only be undermined by her removal of her title.

“And it won’t take place in Charles’s lifetime.” There is no justification for him to take advantage of William’s pressure, and they haven’t done anything embarrassing with it other than using it to trade on. They are only currently under no obligation to remove their titles. I believe it will be inevitable, but they would have to be very cautious with how they do it.