The latest rugby news from Wales and around the world

These are your latest rugby headlines on Tuesday, April 7.

Henry Pollock issued warning

England star Henry Pollock has received words of warning from legendary former hooker Brian Moore, with the young British & Irish Lions tourist told he could suffer a “brutal fall” in fortune if he stops delivering on the rugby field.

The 21-year-old Northampton Saints back-row has enjoyed a sensational rise over the last couple of years, becoming one of the most talked-about players in rugby with his impressive performances on the pitch matched by his confident and often provocative persona.

He has now signed with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Talent Agency, with the boxing promoter vowing to make the England international “the biggest star in rugby” as well as a mainstream celebrity.

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Moore has now had his say on the signing and, while admitting that the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan, Anthony Joshua and Luke Littler have profited hugely from working with Hearn, there is a “crucial difference” between them and Pollock, with “stars in a [rugby] team not getting there or staying there on their own”.

Warning Matchroom to take that factor into account while managing Pollock, Moore wrote in his column for The Telegraph: “Intra-team dynamics are subtle and varied and team members do not always act logically.

“As others have found out in rugby, cricket and football, if you are labelled, promoted and accept the mantle of superstar, you can be the target of jealousy from team members who know that they have contributed to your success but have not been recognised.

“You might posit that such feelings are the problem of the individuals who hold them and, intellectually, you might be correct, but that is not always how the world of team sport works.

“Pollock needs to be diligent in maintaining his relationships with his colleagues and to be generous with his acknowledgement of his team-mates’ assistance,” he continued. “As Danny Cipriani found out, once there is a feeling of separation in a dressing room, it can be hard to recover, even if you are only one part of the problem.”

Moore added that while Pollock shows plenty of promise, he “cannot show a résumé that backs up extravagant claims of superstardom”, with the pundit and commentator arguing that he should be carefully introduced to the celebrity world.

As for what the youngster must do on the pitch, he continued: “If Pollock delivers and keeps delivering, the world is at his feet.

“Colleagues and fans will overlook most things if he produces for the cause. Slip below this and the fall will be brutal.

“Once you deliberately cross the hyper-exposure line you can forget about privacy and this, unfortunately, extends to your family and friends, however unfair this might be,” Moore added.

“I wish Pollock well, and rugby will only benefit if he succeeds, but I am also cognisant of what could go wrong for somebody who is still only 21 years old.”

England great set for shock move

Former England captain Courtney Lawes is reportedly set to join PREM Rugby side Sale Sharks after confirming his exit from French second-tier outfit Brive.

The 37-year-old flanker has spent the last two seasons playing in the Pro D2 but it was announced on Monday morning that he would leave the club at the end of the current campaign before returning to English rugby from next season.

Lawes had long been linked with a move to Leicester Tigers, but RugbyPass reports that he is instead set for a surprise switch to Sale, with Sharks boss Alex Sanderson keen to bring big names to the club ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

The 105-cap international is set to join Wales stars Nicky Smith, Tomas Francis and Christ Tshiunza in Greater Manchester next season, with England duo Alex Lozowski and Joe Marchant among Sanderson’s other new signings.

Announcing his departure from Brive on Monday, Lawes said: ““I’m having an experience in Brive that I’ll never forget, both on and off the pitch.

“I’m going to give it my all until the end of the season to finish this adventure with CAB in the best possible way. My family and I have been very warmly welcomed in Corrèze and we will always have Brive at heart.”

Brive president Thierry Blandinières added: “We are very proud to say that Courtney Lawes will have been a Brive player for two seasons.

“He arrived here with humility and ambition and has shown the full extent of his talent since his first day in Brive. He gave everything for the club and he will continue to give everything until the end of his adventure in Black and White.”

Wales U18s side named

Wales U18s boss Richie Pugh has named his sideto face France in the second round of this year’s Six Nations Festival in Vichy.

Pugh’s side got their campaign off to a flying start last week as they recorded an impressive opening round win against Scotland, but now face a daunting task as they take on the tournament hosts at Stade Municipal Louis Darragon later today.

“The boys showed good game understanding when they came under a lot of pressure against Scotland,” said the U18s boss. “There was a good bit of grit shown in the second half when we were under a lot of pressure to stop Scotland from scoring, so it was pleasing they got the result they deserved.”

“Playing France in France, boys don’t get that many opportunities to do that across their career, so it is great to experience that. We know it is a strong dangerous French side, Georgia did cause them problems at times when they played the other day but the focus is on us.

“We’re making changes across the team to freshen up the group and we’re ready to go,” Pugh added. “They are quick turnarounds here.

“Our big focus is on us but being fully aware of what France are going to want to do and what fires them up in terms of their looseness and how they move the ball with their offload game. We’ve got to play our game and minimise the French threat.”

Wales U18: 15. Dylan Quin (Gower College, Ospreys), 14. Jac Williams (Llandrillo, RGC), 13. Harry Kinsey (Ysgol Glantaf, Cardiff Rugby), 12. Will Adams (Ysgol Glantaf, Cardiff Rugby), 11. Harvey Bryant (Cardiff & Vale/ Cardiff Rugby), 10. Madoc Evans (Preseli, Coleg Sir Gar, Scarlets), 9. George Thomas (Coleg y Cymoedd, Cardiff Rugby); 1. Logan Goodluck (St Davids, College, Llandrillo, RGC), 2. Cole Lacey (Coleg Sir Gar, Scarlets), 3. Sam Bryant (Hartpury College, Gloucester), 4. Harvey Thomas (Llandovery College, Scarlets), 5. William Carroll (Bridgend College, Ospreys), 6. Will Watkins (Y Pant, Ysgol Glantaf, Cardiff Rugby), 7. Jac Cloke (Coleg Sir Gar, Scarlets) (capt), 8. Mosese Tuliakiono (Radley College, Gloucester)

Replacements: 16. Tiaan Hall (Coleg Gwent, Dragons RFC), 17. Bryan Kamanga (Llandovery College, Cardiff Rugby), 18. Isaac Jones (Ysgol Glantaf, Cardiff Rugby), 19. Harri Lewis (Llandovery College, Cardiff Rugby, 20. Alfie Prygodzicz (Ysgol Glantfaf, Cardiff Rugby), 21. Alfie Luger (Llandovery College, Scarlets), 22. Will Ford (St Cenydd, Dragons RFC), 23. Owen Lewis (Coleg y Cymoedd, Cardiff Rugby), 24. Ryley Fussell (Coleg y Cymoedd, Dragons), 25. Sam Morgan (St Cenydd, Coleg Gwent, Dragons RFC), 26. Rhys Owen (Coleg Sir Gar, Scarlets)

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“Today is a landmark day for workers.”

Sick pay regulations are changing for millions of workers from today (Tuesday, April 7).

Under the previous rules, you would only qualify for statutory sick pay when ill for more than three consecutive days. But from today, sick pay will be available from the first full day of absence from work.

The lower earnings threshold to qualify for statutory sick pay has also been scrapped. You previously had to earn on average at least £125 a week, before tax.

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Statutory sick pay is paid at 80 per cent of your average weekly earnings, or £123.25 a week, whichever is lower. It can be paid for up to 28 weeks. Many employers operate enhanced sick pay schemes and pay considerably more than this.

Up to 9.6 million workers are set to benefit from stronger statutory sick pay, according to new analysis published by the TUC. The new rules form part of the Employment Rights Act which came into force from April 6, reports the Mirror.

Further new measures coming into effect from today include day one paternity rights. Employees previously had to work for their employer for 26 weeks up to any day in the “qualifying week” before becoming eligible for paternity leave.

The “qualifying week” is the 15th week before the baby is due. Statutory paternity leave in the UK is one or two weeks and is paid at a weekly rate of £194.32, or 90% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.

You may receive more if your employer operates an enhanced company paternity scheme. You will also be able to request unpaid parental leave from day one of your job from today.

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “Today is a landmark day for workers. After years of campaigning from unions and workers, the first individual rights from the Employment Rights Act are coming into force – and they will change lives up and down the country.

“Sick pay for all, paid from day one of illness is a huge step forward. For too long, low-paid workers – especially women – have missed out on any form of sick pay.

“And even those who were eligible for statutory sick pay had to wait four days before they could claim it. That left many with no choice but to go into work when ill – risking spreading and prolonging their illness.

“That’s why today’s changes are much needed. Stronger parental rights will also be a boost – particularly paternity leave available for dads from day one in a job.

“Change can’t come soon enough for workers. It’s now vital the government to get on with delivering the rest of the Employment Rights Act in full.”

Police were called to Runshaw Hall Lane, close to its junction with Holt Brow, Euxton at 3.18pm on Easter Sunday following reports a Yamaha FZ1 motorbike had come off the carriageway.

The rider, a man in his 30s, suffered a number of serious and life-changing injuries. He was taken to hospital where he remains in a serious but stable condition.

No other vehicle is believed to have been involved.

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Sgt Mark Park, said: “This collision has left the rider in hospital with some extremely serious injuries, and my thoughts are with him and his loved ones.

“Work is ongoing to establish the full circumstances which led to the collision, and I would ask anyone who was in the area at the time, and saw anything that could help, to contact the police as soon as possible.

“I would also ask anyone with dashcam footage which captured the Yamaha prior to the collision to make contact with us.”

Anyone who may have information on the incident is asked to e-mail sciu@lancashire.police.uk or call 101 and quote log 798 of April, 5.

The race report from Suzuka actually mentioned that more than half Aston Martin’s deficit to the front was caused by the chassis.

That information came from a very senior and knowledgeable figure over the course of the Japanese Grand Prix weekend.

It also tallies with what other teams are seeing on the GPS data to which all have access, in terms of the cars’ speed on different parts of the track.

The exact split in terms of the losses that can be attributed to car and engine at Aston Martin-Honda is not known, and it’s probably not possible to know, as of course the behaviour of the engine can also have an impact on the cornering performance of the car.

It’s worth adding that, while it’s true that much of the public focus has been on the Honda engine, and especially the severe vibrations that have been causing reliability problems, team principal Adrian Newey has been clear that the car is also lacking.

It’s also the case that it’s not clear where the vibrations are coming from – are they intrinsic to the engine, or is there something about the way the engine is mounted to the chassis that exacerbates them?

In Australia, Newey said that on the chassis side “we’re maybe the fifth best team, so sort of potential Q3 qualifiers on the chassis side, but with the potential to be up front at some point in the season”.

On average over the four qualifying sessions of the first three races, including for the sprint in China, the Aston Martin is 3.6 seconds off the pace.

The fifth fastest team on average are Alpine, at 1.268secs off the pace, followed by Haas at 1.567secs.

So Aston Martin are about 2.3secs off qualifying in the top 10, with the majority down to the chassis and the rest the engine.

In other words, put a Mercedes engine in the car, and it would be about where Alpine or Haas are. Exactly as Newey suggested.

Given the Aston Martin’s troubled birth – effectively starting again when Newey arrived in March last year, a delayed entry into the wind tunnel until April, and a consequent compressed development programme – that sounds entirely feasible.

The car is overweight, and is especially poor in high-speed corners.

The fundamental point, though, is that it doesn’t really matter where exactly the deficit lies between car and engine. Both Aston Martin and Honda are a long way from being competitive, both know that’s the case, and both have a lot of work to do.

No player in Europe comes close to matching Harry Kane’s goalscoring record this season – but could an untimely ankle problem scupper his Ballon d’Or chances?

The Englishman has scored 53 times in 45 appearances for club and country this term but knows goals alone won’t be enough to land the award, which is why he will be desperate to be fit for Bayern Munich’s crunch Champions League game against Real Madrid on Tuesday (20:00 BST).

Kane, who missed Saturday’s dramatic 3-2 victory at Freiburg because of the injury, ended his trophy drought by winning the Bundesliga last season, but more domestic honours in Germany won’t secure him football’s most prestigious individual prize.

Rightly or wrongly, the Ballon d’Or isn’t simply a case of rewarding solo brilliance. It is increasingly a prerequisite to also being part of a team that lands one of the game’s biggest titles – the Champions League, World Cup or a continental equivalent such as the European Championship.

Kane will get two bites at the cherry this year, captaining England at the World Cup in the summer, but his first – and arguably best – chance comes with Bayern.

The Bavarians have been in scintillating form this season, winning 37 of 43 games, but will need their talisman fit and firing as their European credentials are tested in a quarter-final first leg at the Bernabeu.

“I could score 100 goals this season, but if I don’t win the Champions League or the World Cup, you’re probably not going to win the Ballon d’Or,” Kane said in November. “It’s the same with any player. You have to be winning those major trophies.”

History suggests he is right. Since 2006, almost 80% of Ballon d’Or winners have claimed the accolade in a year when they also lifted either the Champions League or a major international tournament, such as the World Cup, Euros or Copa America.

Only two players have defied that trend in the past two decades and both are all-time greats who can be considered outliers. Lionel Messi won the award in 2010, 2012 and 2019 despite Champions League semi-final exits for his Barcelona side, with Cristiano Ronaldo taking the prize in 2013, when Real Madrid bowed out of the competition at the same stage.

You can see that especially clearly in the kinds of businesses now emerging from the corridor. This is not just a story about general tech optimism. It is about serious, research-led sectors where Britain genuinely has depth. AI is an obvious example, but so too are life sciences, healthtech, quantum, deeptech and data infrastructure. These are fields where brilliant science on its own is not enough. Founders need capital, commercialisation support and a network that understands how to turn complex ideas into scalable companies.

Greens co-leader Gillian Mackay wants more bosses to offer a four-day working week to help boost staff productivity and wellbeing.

More Scots workers should be offered the chance to do a four-day week without a loss of pay, the Greens have said.

Co-leader Gillian Mackay said her party wanted the next Scottish Government to commit to rolling out a reduced working week to more public sector agencies.

A pilot project launched in 2024 saw two quangos – South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) and Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB) – trial a four day working week for all staff.

It saw 259 employees implement a 32-hour working week for a year without any loss in pay or benefits for staff, while committing to maintaining standards of service.

Staff at the two organisations reported less work-related stress and greater satisfaction with their jobs and work-life balance.

Almost all workers (98 per cent) at SOSE believed the four-day week trial improved motivation and morale, while there was a decrease in workers taking time off sick and a 25 per cent fall in those taking sick days for psychological reasons.

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The SNP Government said last year it would use the findings to inform its wider public service reform programme – but stopped short of rolling out a four-day week more widely.

Mackay said: “Too many people feel trapped in a system where life revolves around work. Our economy has been built on a broken idea that people exist to work, instead of work existing to support people’s lives.

“The Scottish Greens believe that work should give us the means to live, not take over our lives entirely. That’s why we are committed to rolling out the four-day work week across as much of Scotland’s public sector as possible.

“A four-day week – without loss of pay – would transform how we work, helping people spend more time with their families, support their communities and live fuller, happier lives.

“We’ve already seen the benefits it has through recent successful trials, and we want to build on them.”

She added: “The four-day work week is also good for wider society as well. At a time when our NHS and mental health services are under pressure, reducing work-related stress and exhaustion helps to ease that pressure.

“That’s why we want to work with trade unions and employers across Scotland to promote and normalise the benefits of a four-day working week, with no loss of pay.”

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Alison Hammond has said she was approached to become a host of Strictly Come Dancing – but turned the offer down.

The presenter, who rose to fame as a contestant on Big Brother and is now known for hosting This Morning, was one of the names speculated to be in the running to replace outgoing Strictly hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly.

Winkleman and Daly announced last year that they were stepping down from their position as presenters of Strictly; in recent years, the popular BBC series has been at the centre of a number of scandals.

Speaking to the Radio Times, Hammond confirmed that she had been contacted about the vacant Strictly role, but was unable to accept it.

“I have, actually,” Hammond said, when asked about being approached for Strictly. “You didn’t expect that answer, did you? I can’t lie, I’m incapable.”

“I’m so busy, babes, that I’m not sure it’s going to happen,” she continued. “It’s unrealistic. I’m so happy they considered me but, like Traitors, I can’t do it because everything clashes.”

Hammond is juggling a number of other projects, including a presenting role on The Great British Bake Off and the forthcoming Channel 4 series Your Song.

She continued: “I would have loved to have done it – anybody that gets it, they’re going to land the perfect job. But I’m so happy with everything I’ve got. What would I drop, to do Strictly?”

A number of other names have also been mooted as potential Strictly hosts, including Zoe Ball, Rylan, and Fleur East.

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Asked about the speculation in January, Ball told The Times that Daly and Winkleman would be a “tough act to follow”.

“I think everyone’s name is being thrown into the mix,” she said.

“Obviously, there’s part of me that would love to do it. But I will still be watching, whoever hosts it.”

Another possibility is dancer Janette Manrara, one of the current hosts of Strictly spin-off series It Takes Two.

Asked about the possibility by Woman and Home magazine this year, Manrara responded: “To be honest, I keep giving the same answer: who doesn’t want that job? If you love fun, family entertainment that makes people’s hearts smile, it’s the dream job. So, I think anybody that is in my field would love to do it, so we’ll just see. We’ll see what happens!”

The series will return to BBC One later this year.

Tony, who built a career as a radio sports reporter and is now a press officer for QPR, has been so determined to complete the challenge that he went part-time at work this season to be able finally finish his adventure.

He has also had to manage his personal life around his football trips, including marrying his wife in summer to avoid missing matches.

In 2023, he was presented with a trophy to mark his achievement of attending every one of QPR’s home matches for the past 50 years.

“I actually almost missed my daughter being born”, he says. “My wife went into hospital six days beforehand so I slept on a chair in the hospital for five nights and all the time I’m thinking, ‘QPR are at home in a few days’.

“In the end, my wife had the baby, then I ran out of the hospital into my car and made it to Loftus Road just in time.”

Tony’s love of watching football at all levels means he has attended games in some unusual circumstances, including way below even non-league.

“I got a special invitation to go inside Feltham Prison in 2011 to watch a match as the only spectator,” he says.

“The prison team was in a league alongside companies with shift workers and obviously couldn’t play away games!

“I had to get there an hour before kick-off, had my phone taken off me, got searched and then three prison guards took me and the away team through to a nice little ground in the prison with proper dugouts.

“It was just after the London riots so the prison team was full of good young players and they won the match.”

There was no programme or ticket to show for the trip and no half-time brew but the exit was memorable.

“On the way out, some of the prisoners came out of their cells and started lambasting the away side for losing the game,” Tony says.

“One of their guys replied ‘lost the match but at least we’re going home, lads’ and we were then rushed out of there very, very quickly.”

A child was struck by a bottle and at least nine police officers were injured during disorder before the match at Windsor Park

An MLA in South Belfast has called for a “managed response” to avoid a repeat of disorder before a football match in the city last week.

A child was struck by a bottle and at least nine police officers were injured during disorder before the Irish Cup semi-final football match on Friday, April 3.

A fan parade of around 200 supporters, which was approved by the Parades Commission, resulted in fireworks, flares, and bottles being thrown ahead of the match between Cliftonville and Dungannon Swifts at The National Stadium in Windsor Park.

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A 19-year-old man has been charged with riotous behaviour, doing a provocative act, possession of fireworks/flares at a regulated match, indecent behaviour and attempted criminal damage. He is due to appear before Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Friday, May 1.

Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster on Monday, DUP MLA, Edwin Poots, said residents “may have to block the road” next time. He said local residents were “hugely angry” but added it was “not something new” as during last year’s final, also between Cliftonville and Dungannon Swifts, disorder broke out in the area.

Mr Poots said: “We have been engaging with the police over the past two years. The last time Cliftonville came to Windsor Park there were complaints the police were too heavy handed and that they were too restrictive to the Cliftonville football supporters.”

He said that for “some bizarre reason” the policing effort was reduced on Friday.

“On this occasion, they let off fireworks, they threw bottles, they threw eggs, they chanted IRA slogans and sang sectarian songs,” he continued.

“I’ll make it very clear: the local community are not going to accept it anymore. If that involves them having to come out and sit on the road in large numbers and ensure that these people will not be able to access Windsor Park, that’s what’s going to happen.”

Alliance MLA, Paula Bradshaw, said the provocative behaviour should be met with a managed plan to ensure there is no repeat. The South Belfast MLA has said there is “no justification” for residents taking matters into their own hands.

She added: “Provocative comments are no way to respond to provocative behaviour. What is required after a minority of fans let themselves and the game down on Friday night is a managed response to ensure there is no repeat.

“People living locally have every right to be disgusted by anyone acting or chanting provocatively. However, there is no justification for taking matters into their own hands. Public authorities must have a comprehensive plan to address this situation and provide assurance that any attacks on public servants or sectarian chanting and provocative behaviour will be robustly dealt with.

“I understand the local frustrations regarding what appears to have been an inadequate response to the situation on Friday. However, I am also concerned about the nine police officers who were injured during the incident. No public servant deserves to be assaulted or abused.

“I will work with the authorities to ensure such behaviour is prevented from occurring again in the area, but I will also reinforce that it is for the police and other authorities to deliver this assurance.”

Speaking on Saturday, PSNI South Belfast district commander Superintendent Finola Dornan said during the procession “provocative conduct” and “heavy use of pyrotechnics and fireworks” was observed.

“While the majority of football fans attending Friday evening’s match behaved in a peaceful manner, a number of people chose to engage in disorderly behaviour and provocative conduct,” she said.

“During an approved public procession ahead of the match, which involved approximately 250 people, our officers witnessed provocative conduct and the heavy use of pyrotechnics and fireworks – despite various warnings being issued against this.”

She said there appeared to be a number of potential breaches of the Parades Commission determinations in relation to the procession which will be investigated.

She added: “The vast majority of fans were there to enjoy the match, however there was completely unacceptable behaviour from a proportion of fans both before and after the match, at what should have been an enjoyable and safe event for all attending.

“Police will not tolerate disorder or criminal behaviour of any kind and, as always, we will continue to work with football clubs to address any inappropriate behaviour linked to people attending matches and ensure that the local community is kept safe.

“We will therefore be conducting a thorough evidence-gathering operation in the wake of last night’s occurrences.”

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