Category Sports News

Ospreys and Scarlets have accused the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) of making a flop following its decision to abandon its four professional sides with equal funding.

WRU bosses claim they now intend to implement a new two-tier funding structure, which Ospreys and Scarlets claim has “created more destabilizing and debilitating uncertainty in our game.”

By the deadline of 8 May, Ospreys and Scarlets had not agreed to Welsh rugby’s new Professional Rugby Agreement (PRA).

Dragons and Cardiff, who had received a formal notification that they intended to go into administration last month, signed the agreement.

Ospreys and Scarlets claimed to have contacted the WRU to request assurances that the acquisition would not “disproportionally benefit Cardiff and disadvantage the independent clubs.”

WRU have given a two-year notice to the current agreement that supports the Welsh professional game after Ospreys and Scarlets failed to do so.

That current PRA expires in 2027, despite the new five-year agreement’s promise to replace it.

The WRU stated in a statement on Sunday that it had made the “difficult but necessary decision” to issue the formal two-year notice to terminate the current PRA agreement in order, particularly, to proceed with its debt refinancing, because those clubs had not signed by the deadline.

The organization’s announcement came as a result of reports that it plans to remove a team from its professional ranks.

Ospreys and Scarlets have released a statement outlining their opinions.

The WRU’s statement read, “We are concerned and depressed to read the WRU outlining a sudden change in its strategy of four professionally managed, equally funded clubs in Wales.”

“This U-turn has now made our game more destabilizing and incapacitating,” according to the questions being posed by stakeholders from our clubs and local communities regarding the future structure and landscape for professional rugby in Wales.

The “One Wales” strategy and the new PRA (2025) have both undergone dramatic and unintentional changes.

“This contradicts recent commitments made to Welsh rugby fans and clubs.

We all care about the future of professional rugby in Wales.

The two Welsh regions demanded that the WRU provide “more detail and clarity” with the decision.

We want to know the “occasion” it wants to take advantage of, and let them know how they plan to implement a new system and model for Welsh rugby.

We require a unified position and coherent strategy to keep developing as professional clubs in Wales.

We as professional clubs share the same enthusiasm, determination, and hope for a better and more sustainable future for our sport in Wales, which has experienced significant change in recent years.

Jannik Sinner’s 26-match winning streak was ended by Carlos Alcaraz in the Italian Open final, 7-6, 6-1.

Sinner hoped to become the first Italian men’s singles champion since Adriano Panatta in 1976 when he competed in his first tournament since receiving a three-month doping ban.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz was a class above in the second set, only needing 33 minutes to defend the title after edging a tense tie-break.

In the first set, Sinner scored two set points before falling wide in the backhand to let defending French Open champion Alcaraz go.

The 22-year-old Spaniard won the match with a cross-court volley at the net to seal the title.

Alcaraz expressed his satisfaction with his first Rome title, saying, “hopefully it won’t be the last one.”

“First of all, I want to let you know that I’m really happy Jannik is back at this incredible level.

I have to congratulate him because I know it wasn’t easy for him to come back after three months and make the final is insane.

“I’m proud of myself for how I mentally handled the match.” I believe I played fairly well from the beginning until the end.

Sinner won the China Open final against Alcaraz in October, continuing his winning streak.

There have been some difficult months, according to Sinner.

Jannik Sinner’s 26-match winning streak was ended by Carlos Alcaraz in the Italian Open final, 7-6, 6-1.

Sinner hoped to become the first Italian men’s singles champion since Adriano Panatta in 1976 when he competed in his first tournament since receiving a three-month doping ban.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz was a class above in the second set, only needing 33 minutes to defend the title after edging a tense tie-break.

In the first set, Sinner scored two set points before falling wide in the backhand to let defending French Open champion Alcaraz go.

The 22-year-old Spaniard won the match with a cross-court volley at the net to seal the title.

Alcaraz expressed his satisfaction with his first Rome title, saying, “hopefully it won’t be the last one.”

“First of all, I want to let you know that I’m really happy Jannik is back at this incredible level.

I have to congratulate him because I know it wasn’t easy for him to come back after three months and make the final is insane.

“I’m proud of myself for how I mentally handled the match.” I believe I played fairly well from the beginning until the end.

Sinner won the China Open final against Alcaraz in October, continuing his winning streak.

There have been some difficult months, according to Sinner.

After coming back from 12th place on the grid to finish fourth in the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton asserts that Ferrari has “more to come” from them.

The tifosi, a seven-time champion, described the race as “a highlight of the year so far” and claimed there were “lots of positives to take” from it.

He finished ahead of his team-mate Charles Leclerc, who finished sixth for the first time this year.

The team did a fantastic job of strategy and pit stops, and the setup was fantastic. The car felt fantastic.

We put a lot of pressure on ourselves because of our ongoing struggles with the car this year, and especially because of our qualifying.

“I can’t recall the last time I participated in a race like that as it progressed.” There was undoubtedly one last year, but this one was unique because I drove a red car. It was a really wonderful feeling to finally feel that way about the car.

Hamilton began on the hard tyre, ran long, and was then assisted by two safety cars before moving on. For the final restart, he moved up to seventh place and started in his final position.

When I got on the medium tyres and a great call at the end, Hamilton said, “Bit by bit strategy started to work out and the car really came alive.”

The 40-year-old British driver said that this was his first time racing in Italy.

He said, “It was just really very reminiscent of when I was growing up watching it sitting at home on my couch, having a bacon sandwich, watching Michael Schumacher here racing with Ferrari and seeing the connection.”

“It was quite an incredible feeling to realize that I’m now connected to them in one of the two Ferraris.” It’s unbelievable how passionate I am about it.

Hamilton’s best qualifying result of the year so far in a grand prix came despite Ferrari’s worst qualifying result of the year, with Leclerc and Hamilton starting 11th and 11th.

Hamilton was considering the famed race on the streets of the principality ahead of F1’s scheduled Monaco weekend.

“Getting the tires to work in one lap will still be a question.” I believe we could be in a good position if that is resolved next week, he said.

Leclerc, who won in Monaco last year, fears that a “very difficult weekend” will result from the Ferrari’s weakness in slow-speed corners.

He claimed that “Monaco is exposing quite a few weaknesses of our car.”

Leclerc continued, “I don’t believe the situation we are in is a silver bullet.” Simply put, we need to work and try to understand where this qualifying issue originates. The Saturdays are what are currently causing us to slow down.

It’s obvious that we are attempting to get the most out of the Saturday car, according to team principal Frederic Vasseur. What we didn’t improve on the qualifying set-up the previous two weekends.