It is believed that this is the first time a licensing amendment of this kind has been applied within the city

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A popular Portuguese restaurant in Peterborough has been told it can no longer play loud music late at night. Restaurant O Sado, on Lincoln Road, had the conditions of its premises licence modified by Peterborough City Council at a Licensing Sub Committee meeting on Friday (March 6).

The venue will now only be allowed to play ambient music, live or recorded, from 8am until 11pm from Monday to Sunday. It is believed that this is the first time a licensing amendment of this kind has been applied within Peterborough.

The application to review the restaurant’s current licence was made by the council’s Pollution Control Team, a branch of the authority’s Environmental Health department.

They told the sub-committee that the long-established restaurant had been the source of numerous noise nuisance issues stemming from the playing of loud music from mid-2024 onwards.

The meeting also heard how the premises continued to cause noise issues, even after the Pollution Control Team had served noise abatement notices and installed noise monitoring equipment.

Pollution Control Officer Georgina Flack confirmed the restaurant had “caused noise nuisance while operating within current opening hours”.

“We received complaints regarding loud amplified music late at night and early in the morning,” she said. Ms Flack went on to say that the music could be heard “at least 30 metres away” from the restaurant premises.

She suggested that, even though the restaurant operates as a café, it is “more of a nightclub on Friday and Saturday nights.”

The owner of Restaurant O Sado, Dora Marques, was present at the meeting. She was joined by her sister, Vera Marques who helps run the restaurant, and her solicitor, Kashif Khan. Dora Marques accepted the council’s evidence and apologised for the noise nuisance issues.

She explained that some of the noise could be attributed to people not using Restaurant O Sado who would congregate outside the property late at night. Vera Marques said the much-loved venue “is a place where the [Portuguese] community gathers at weekends”.

“When we received the abatement order we tried our best to control it [the music],” she added. “We will do our best to reduce any noise.”

Mr Khan explained that Dora and Vera Marques were often away at weekends – the time when the bulk of the noise complaints were made – tending to their ill father.

Mr Khan disputed claims that the venue was anything like a nightclub, calling it a “relaxed environment” and “culture hub” that serves as “a meeting place for the Portuguese community.”

He did however acknowledge that the presence of a DJ on Friday and Saturday nights increased noise in and around the venue.

Mr Khan said Dora Marques was prepared to remove the use of DJs entirely, and get rid of any sound equipment that produces heavy bass. These assurances however were not enough for the sub-committee.

“We are of the opinion that there may have been different ways in dealing with the situation, thus our decision is to modify the conditions,” said chair of the meeting, Cllr Chris Harper.

Cllr Harper also stated that the new conditions will insist all music played at the venue must be background noise only, “i.e. it is possible to hold a conversation at normal volume with the music playing”.

Within the first hour of this year’s Cheltenham Festival – by the time the Skybet Supreme and Singer Arkle have been run – the die will be cast and the tone set for the week.

Will the week belong to Willie Mullins – let’s hope his horses are moving better than he is with his chronic back problem – or Nicky Henderson, both of whom fire aces at those races? Gordon Elliott or Dan Skelton? The Irish or the British? The bookmakers or the punters?

And, given that it seems to be the sole metric by which the Jockey Club is judged, will anyone have paid to come and watch it? No one can deny that with strong attendances elsewhere – indeed, a record one at this course on New Year’s Day – it is an important year for the Festival itself.

About the only question I do know the answer to is that the best way to view the preparations for another Festival are from the back of a horse. Will Do, a 28/1 shot for the National Hunt Chase from the 1st battalion Cullentra House, was my viewing platform on Monday from which my main conclusion was; I wish my lawn was like that.

He was taking it all in and was agog at the watering system in action. He was no doubt as surprised as all of us that after such a wet winter the course still needs a drop of water on it to prevent it becoming too lively.

His message, I think, to me and you was that the ground will be much quicker than it has been all winter. His form has not been great in the mud this season but, maybe this is some misguided loyalty after our hour together, if Will Do will do any talking today, it will be on this ground.

Coronation Street fans are divided, as they believe the new trailer teasing Megan Walsh’s downfall gives away whether she will be the one who dies next month on the ITV soap

Fans think Megan Walsh’s fate on Coronation Street has been given away ahead of a shocking murder.

The character has been grooming her teenaged student in a horrifying abuse storyline. Only teen Sam Blakeman has figured out his school friend Will Driscoll’s inappropriate relationship with coach Megan.

It’s all about to be exposed though, as the Driscolls uncover Megan’s abuse and the fact that Will has been groomed. It comes ahead of a murder on the cobbles, with Megan one of five potential victims.

Fans now think the trailer of the downfall of Megan could give away whether she lives or dies. They’re pretty divided though, as some think it’s a given she dies, as others think it’s too early for her to be the victim.

READ MORE: Coronation Street love triangle erupts – and Maggie’s antics exposedREAD MORE: Emmerdale and Coronation Street tease multiple exits as EastEnders’ Mark exposed

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A fan posted on social media: “Is it too obvious to think she’ll be the one in the body bag?” Another fan said: “I am now thinking it will be Carl. I think Megan and Theo will go to prison and hopefully never to be seen again.

“I think Jodie’s storyline will go on until later this year and she’ll leave to get mental health help. Maggie I reckon will be around for a while longer but I wouldn’t be surprised if Ben ends up dying of a heart attack at some point and she ends up leaving.”

A further post read: “Leanne & Eva v Megan, and Swainey arresting her is exactly what I want to see,” as another said: “Surely Megan can’t be found out too quickly if she’s one of the 5 who might get killed off.”

Others thought maybe she could be killed off. A fan said: “As this is being revealed quite quickly, so a long time before April 23rd, I’m wondering if Megan will end up not being charged as Will won’t testify against her and that could lead to her being the potential murder victim as someone looks to get their own form of justice?”

Another agreed: “That’s a good theory, I wonder who would though. Maybe Maggie as it’s been hinted she’s very possessive and ‘would do anything for her boys.’.” A final post said: “It’s got to be Megan who’s the mystery murder victim. Killed by Maggie ‘You don’t know what I’ve done for my boys. I’ll do anything for my boys’ Driscoll.”

Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok, Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads.

The man, who cannot be named because of a court order, told court this week he wanted to ‘tell the truth for Natalie’ even if he self-incriminated himself about other matters

An ex-partner of Natalie McNally had been “lying and lying and lying again” to police to help himself, Belfast Crown Court has heard.

The man, who cannot be named because of a court order, described Ms McNally as his best friend, and said he had wanted to help police.

He told court this week he wanted to “tell the truth for Natalie” even if he self-incriminated himself about other matters.

However, it was put to him that he reset his phone before being interviewed by police and lied about the level of contact he had been in with Ms McNally.

Defence barrister John Kearney KC put to the man that he had been “doing his best to help himself” and “deliberately left out anything that you thought would be a problem for you”.

“I want to suggest to you what you were doing was lying and lying and lying again,” he said.

The man said there had been “little white lies” to police around contact, but that his statement was “not full of lies”.

“Someone’s just been killed, there are detectives in your house, you don’t know what’s going on, yeah, I got arrested a day later and you can see I addressed all of the lies in it,” he said.

Ms McNally, 32, was 15 weeks pregnant when she was killed at her home in Lurgan on December 18 2022.

Her partner, Stephen McCullagh, 36, of Woodland Gardens in Lisburn, is on trial for her murder. He has denied the charge.

Previously, McCullagh’s trial heard he told police that Ms McNally’s ex had been responsible.

The man responded saying that was “ridiculous” when that was put to him in court on Monday.

He described Ms McNally as his best friend, and insisted that McCullagh was responsible for her death.

A jury of six men and six women has been sworn in to serve during the trial, which is expected to last about five weeks, before Mr Justice Patrick Kinney.

Ms McNally’s family and friends have been watching on from the public gallery during the trial.

The former partner returned to continue his evidence on Tuesday.

He was reminded several times during his evidence of his right not to answer a question if he risked self-incrimination.

“I know, I don’t care, I’m here to tell the truth for Natalie, and that’s what I’m going to do,” he said.

On Monday, the court heard that the man had been watching the World Cup final with his then partner on the night that Ms McNally was killed, and that his then partner had a video of him on that night asleep on the sofa.

On Tuesday, he said he first learned Ms McNally was dead after one of her neighbours contacted him on the Snapchat app to tell him.

“She said she’s been murdered, I think she said Natalie has been stabbed at the top of her stairs,” he said.

He also said he thought the killing might have been accidental, or that she might have miscarried and taken her own life after some negative messaging between them recently.

He was also told by his then partner that police had been to the house to speak to him about Ms McNally while he had been at work.

Mr Kearney KC asked him about how he had factory reset his mobile phone days after her murder.

The man said that had been nothing to do with Ms McNally’s murder.

He said he did it before he spoke to police because he was concerned about drugs he had in his house.

“I factory reset it for a reason… it had nothing to do with deleting messages between me and Natalie.”

He described having two detectives sitting in his flat while he had a “big bag of weed” in a cupboard.

“It was because there would have been messages to do with drugs, and weed in particular,” he said.

Asked why he had not just deleted those particular messages, he responded: “My best friend had just been murdered, detectives were in my house, I wanted to get there quick, I factory reset the phone because I had a feeling they’re going to smell the weed.

“That didn’t happen, in hindsight I didn’t need to do that and I shouldn’t have done it, but I was worried they were going to want my phone.”

Mr Kearney also asked if he had told Natalie’s neighbour that there had been some “nasty” messaging between McNally and himself.

He responded: “I was probably telling her everything, the truth, I had been sending nasty messages, dirty messages, whatever.”

He conceded some of his messages to Ms McNally “weren’t nice”, and that he had taken advantage of her.

“I’m not proud of any of them, this is so difficult to sit here and look at these, the poor girl is dead and this is what we’re talking about, these emails from me, and it’s so bad,” he said.

“I have had a drinking problem, I’m eight weeks sober tomorrow… it’s been a really big issue. I didn’t think it was that bad of an issue but it is, and I have only come to terms with it.

“Back then I was drinking every night, I wasn’t getting any sleep, my head’s been up my ass my whole life, and I’ve sent these horrible messages… I would have been drunk in most of these emails.”

The trial continues.

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When US and Israeli forces launched airstrikes on Iran, the shock waves were felt far beyond the region. As the conflict escalates, understanding who benefits from this crisis might be as important as counting its costs.

The timing could hardly be worse for the UK economy. Official forecasts for GDP growth in 2026 had already been downgraded to 1.1% before a single missile was fired. Predictions that inflation might dip now look optimistic; and expectations of an interest rate cut on March 19 have fallen sharply.

The energy shock is immediate. Tanker traffic in the strait of Hormuz has fallen by around 90%. Qatar, the world’s second largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, halted production indefinitely. Although the UK sources little gas directly from the Gulf, energy markets are global so UK households could see more than £500 added to their annual bills.

Beyond energy, UK stocks have fallen, the pound has come under pressure and the UK government’s £23.6 billion fiscal headroom could erode rapidly.

For defence stocks, however, the picture is different. London-based BAE Systems surged around 6% on the first day of the conflict. And the American defence industry seems determined to quadruple production of some weapons.

Peace benefits ordinary citizens, small businesses, global supply chains and the planet’s climate trajectory. The beneficiaries of war are more concentrated.

One of the most uncomfortable truths about this conflict is that while it inflicts pain on some, it creates windfalls for others. In my co-authored research, we call this the “paradox of incentives”. Determining who benefits is essential to understanding why wars persist long after it may seem rational to stop.

Defence contractors and the arms economy

On Wall Street, defence firms including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and RTX rose between 4% and 6% on the first day of the strikes. The three firms’ combined shareholder gain on that one day was US$25–30 billion (£18.7-£22.5 billion).

In Israel, Elbit Systems briefly became the country’s most valuable listed company, with its shares up 45% since January. In Europe and the UK, defence stocks surged against a falling FTSE 100.

The rally ‘round the flag effect

Wars may also be good for incumbent politicians in the short term. Before the strikes began, the fallout from the release of the Epstein files was reverberating globally, and piling scrutiny on to many with connections to the White House. Within hours of the first strikes, web searches for the Epstein files collapsed.

But perhaps the most counterintuitive application of the paradox concerns Iran itself. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) controls up to half of Iran’s oil exports. Its engineering arm, Khatam al-Anbiya, has become one of the largest contractors in the country, controlling construction, telecoms, agriculture and energy.

Economic sanctions designed to weaken Tehran have actually entrenched the power structures they were meant to erode. As foreign firms exited and domestic companies struggled, IRGC-linked entities used access to informal trade routes, currency controls and security networks to expand their dominance.

At the same time, according to the World Bank, close to 10 million ordinary Iranians fell into poverty between 2011 and 2020 as the sanctions tightened.

The energy windfall

The oil and gas price shock is already providing a windfall in unexpected places. The US could benefit as Europe’s reliance on American energy exports, accelerated by the Ukraine war, grows even more.

For the Gulf petrostates, the picture is nuanced. Saudi Arabia and the UAE together hold a huge share of the world’s spare production capacity. They face real costs from the conflict, but their exposure to the Hormuz closure is lower than neighbours Kuwait, Qatar and Iraq. Both countries built bypass pipelines specifically to export oil without transitting the Strait.

And for Russia, the war diverts price-sensitive buyers such as India and China away from competing suppliers in the Gulf.

The green transition

Higher oil and gas prices make new fossil fuel extraction more commercially attractive. The same crisis that bolsters the case for renewables also makes fossil fuels more profitable. This could slow the transition by redirecting attention back towards oil and gas.

In our research, we argue that breaking the paradox of incentives is possible. But it would require the financial interests of powerful actors like those mentioned above to become aligned with solutions. In the context of this conflict, that principle points towards four routes.

The first would be a windfall tax on companies benefiting exceptionally from wars. The UK already has a precedent: its energy profits levy hits oil and gas profits above a set threshold until 2030. Although this levy has come under fire recently, there is a strong case for extending its principles to defence contractors whose share prices and profits surge during conflicts.

For oil-producing nations, a release of emergency stocks coordinated by the International Energy Agency (IEA) could cap price spikes. This happened in 2022 when IEA member countries released 60 million barrels from strategic reserves. The G7 nations have now said they “stand ready” to do this.

On the political side, democratic accountability, independent economic institutions and a free press all narrow the window within which leaders can exploit wartime popularity. These things can’t always be changed from the outside however, and underline the need for robust domestic institutions.

The green transition paradox is perhaps the hardest to address in the short term, but it is also where the fix is clearest. It has been argued that the more dependent economies become on the profits of war through arms exports, fossil fuel revenues or defence procurement, the harder it becomes to divert funding and attention to climate issues.

The solution is not to stop countries defending themselves – but to ensure that the transition to a green and secure energy system proceeds, precisely because of crises like this one.

The costs of this war are already being counted in energy markets. Before long, they will show up in national and household budgets. What makes this crisis particularly hard to resolve is the paradox at its heart: the actors best placed to end it are among those with the most to gain from its continuation.

According to travel retailer On the Beach, Benidorm is set for the biggest ever Cheltenham Festival with bookings up 65% for the week compared to last year and hotels recording a 225% increase in bookings.

So why are people deciding to watch sport overseas rather than at the event itself?

Those heading to warmer climes point to the lure of sunshine, cheaper food and drink and a more laid-back experience free of crowds and queues.

Stephen Dahl, 39, has been going to Benidorm for the Festival since 2020 after making the switch because of increasing costs.

“We used to go to Cheltenham every year,” Dahl told BBC Sport. “We would always get the lads together, whether we’d run a coach from Liverpool or stay over, it was our thing.

“We were having to stay further and further away from Cheltenham [because of accommodation costs] and then paying £60 for a taxi to a little village, so because of that we started doing the one day because it was getting more and more expensive.”

In the end, they chose to try Benidorm which he says was “not as popular” six years ago as it is now, and despite a small increase in cost since, he believes it is still better value for money.

Dahl has not turned his back on racing – in fact he “goes to more race meetings now” than he did previously – but he says spending “at least £150 a day” at Cheltenham cannot be justified and that is why he cannot see himself ever going back.

And following a surge in popularity in recent years, going to Benidorm has even caught the curiosity of some staunch Cheltenham attendees.

Racing Lee, who presents the Only Fools Love Horses racing podcast, will be at Cheltenham for the first two days of the Festival, but is then flying out to Spain to experience Thursday and Friday – Gold Cup Day – with his friends in Benidorm.

It will be Lee’s first time going abroad for the Festival after attending for 14 years, and he has decided to split his week because he could not bring himself to “miss it all”, but he also wanted to “try the alternative and see what others are talking about”.

“The overall Festival experience is like no other,” he says, “but when things are half the price elsewhere? Sometimes you have got to take the value!”

Lee paid £300 for his two nights in Cheltenham when he booked in September and it was around the same price for three nights in Benidorm, booking in January.

“Benidorm offers value, but Cheltenham offers the true atmosphere,” he added. “So each to their own and here’s to a great Festival wherever you may be watching!”

In an ironic twist, despite a dry and mild afternoon in Cheltenham on the first day of the meeting, those who had flown out to Benidorm sat beneath grey skies and dodged occasional showers.

There are two legs to this tie, of course, with Galatasaray facing the prospect of a fan-less trip to Anfield next week. And, despite the result of their previous visit to the Turkish capital, it was Liverpool who finished the league phase with a superior record. Arne Slot’s crew coasted into third place to secure automatic progression to this stage, winning six of their eight European outings. Meanwhile, Okan Buruk’s team dipped to 20th in the table but earned their last-16 place by beating Juventus 7-5 on aggregate in a knockout play-off.

CHAMPION HURDLE RESULT: The grey claimed her biggest success at Cheltenham where she had already won the Mares’ Hurdle twice and the Triumph Hurdle in 2023

Willie Mullins’ star mare Lossiemouth sealed her place in the history books when she landed the Unibet Champion Hurdle to record her fourth win at the Cheltenham Festival.

The grey was undefeated at the fixture, landing the Mares’ Hurdle two years running after victory in the Triumph Hurdle in 2023 and had appeared to be headed for a Mares’ Hurdle hat-trick until connections made their minds up at the weekend to take a different path.

One of three Mullins-trained runners and the choice of stable jockey Paul Townend she never looked in any sort of trouble, in first-time cheekpieces, as she inflicted a six-and-a-half-length defeat on Brighterdaysahead as The New Lion came home in third.

READ MORE: Evan Williams to cease being licensed trainer after conviction for assaulting dog walkerREAD MORE: How to buy Grand National 2026 tickets: Prices, race schedule and offers

A year ago in the same race Townend had approached the last hurdle with the Champion Hurdle apparently in the bag on State Man only for that horse to take a dramatic fall and hand victory to Golden Ace.

“Lossiemouth deserves it,” said Townend. “She travelled much better, sweeter and kinder today. She tries so hard that you know very early in the race whether she’s going or not.

Mullins said: “She’s a star mare to come back four years on the trot, never mind win. That puts her in a league of her own. She’s nearly getting into Quevega territory.

“It was an open race, and when I put cheekpieces on the other morning, I thought, Wow, that’s the old Lossiemouth and Paul felt the same.

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“How quick was she to flip her front feet out and get away from the hurdle with so much momentum, and then quicken up the hill as well. I mean, she is just so good, and we’ve all sort of worried two miles is really too sharp for her, but her jumping today was as quick as we’ve ever seen it.

“To win the Champion Hurdle definitely outranks everything else she’s done. But to come back here with four years in a row is an achievement in itself but then to win four years is, she’s gone Triumph, Mares’ twice and then this and it’s been superb.

“Just 12 months ago State Man would have left her for dead.”

East Riding of Yorkshire Council said its animal health officers had been involved with Malcolm Metcalfe, 64, since 2021.

When they visited the farmer’s lands together with officers from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) between July 9, 2024, and September 3, 2024, they repeatedly found decomposing animal remains, sheep carcasses, sheep lying down and inadequate water supplies.

The problems continued despite Metcalfe being served with legal orders compelling him to remove the carcasses and get a vet to investigate the high mortality of his stock.

A post‑mortem examination on one lamb found severe parasitic gastroenteritis, which a vet said a “competent stockkeeper should have recognised and acted upon the condition sooner”, a council statement said.

Checks also identified multiple unconfirmed sheep movements recorded on the national database.

Metcalfe’s mitigation was that he was sorry for his actions, which were out of character and linked to his health.

His defence team said sheep farming was all he has known and remains his only source of income, but he now recognises he is no longer able to keep sheep.  All the sheep now belong to his sister.

Malcolm Metcalfe, 64, now of Sledgate Garth, Rillington, pleaded guilty to eight animal health and welfare offences at Beverley Magistrates Court.

He was given a six-month prison sentence suspended for two years and banned for five years from owning, keeping, transporting, participating in the keeping, and being party to an arrangement under which he is entitled to control or influence the way in which sheep are kept, for five years. He was also ordered to pay £1778.01 in prosecution costs and a £154 statutory surcharge.

Cllr Lyn Healing, East Riding of Yorkshire Council cabinet member for communities and public protection said: “Everyone responsible for keeping livestock must uphold the highest standards without exception. Anything less puts animal welfare and public health at risk and undermines the integrity of the livestock sector.”

“Our animal health officers will rigorously investigate incidents of this kind, and East Riding of Yorkshire Council will not hesitate to take formal enforcement action wherever it is required.”

Welsh Rugby Union CEO Abi Tierney says she is determined to see through the radical restructuring of the professional game as she warned legal actions against the union risk “destroying” the game.

The WRU is under fire from all angles due to its plans to cut the number of professional men’s clubs from four to three. As part of their plans the WRU is also in the process of selling Cardiff Rugby to Ospreys owners Y11 Sports & Media.

According to Swansea Council, which has launched legal action against the WRU, such a scenario would see the Ospreys becoming a semi-professional Super Rygbi Cymru outfit.

Despite the vociferous criticism and an upcoming extraordinary general meeting of the WRU, Tierney is adamant the plans are the right ones.

“Yes, I am absolutely committed to that being the right thing to do,” said Tierney.

“I think the consultation, the level of engagement and the depth in which we went through that process.

“The other bit for me is none of the vocal minority have come up with an alternative either.

“Four clubs not funded to the level to be competitive and not being able to do the investment into the pathway.

“So, basically the alternative feels like it is continuing as we are which I didn’t think was the right answer.

“If people agree that we need to do something different then let’s go through this.

“It is going to be really painful going through it but we will come through the other side in a much stronger place as a result and let’s get some stability because that’s the other thing we need in Welsh rugby.”

Tierney revealed the current legal actions the governing body is facing, from Swansea Council and the Scarlets, are draining money, time and energy out of the game.

“I just think we risk destroying ourselves,” she said. “And actually, if we could put all of that energy and all of that money into pulling together and being a stronger union, because we are union, we’re a union of clubs, then to me, all that passion and all of that kind of hurt and anger could go into making rugby better.”

Here is every word from WalesOnline’s wide-ranging interview with Tierney.

What is the latest on Y11 buying Cardiff?

“So we’re still in a period of exclusivity with Y11 and in the process of assessing that. No decisions have been made yet.”

If Y11 do succeed in buying Cardiff would that mean an end to the Ospreys?

“We have made it clear they are two separate processes and we have to make a decision on Cardiff from a Cardiff perspective.

“We will do that. We are dealing with the Cardiff deal separately.

“We did an open, transparent bid process for Cardiff. Y11 was the best bid based on what we received when going through the process of looking at that. Once we know that outcome, there’ll be two outcomes.

“One is either we recommend to the board that we proceed with Y11 buying in Cardiff, or we say we don’t. And then at that point, we’ll make a decision on what happens next, but there’ll be a separate process.

“So just by Y11 buying Cardiff, doesn’t mean that off Ospreys go.”

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You are facing an EGM in the near future with your chair Richard Collier-Keywood facing a vote of no confidence. What are your thoughts on that?

“Firstly, the EGM is a process that as a national governing body we respect. We’re currently putting in place the process to allow the EGM to happen, so it will happen.

“We consulted on this plan for Welsh rugby. The current way of doing what we’re doing isn’t sustainable.

“We can see that in terms of performance on the pitch nationally and the performance of our regional teams. And so therefore, if the EGM motion was to be carried, and you get a new chair as a result of that, and that chair doesn’t support this plan, then you know you’d have to come up with an alternative plan.

“Is that keeping four teams where you don’t have the funding to fund them at the level that enables them to be competitive and produce the players we need for a strong national team? That’s the alternative.

“Having been here for two years now, having developed the plan that we developed, and did that through one of the biggest consultations in Wales, I believe it is the best plan.

“It’s hard. It’s really difficult.

“And I know it’s difficult and it has impacts that people are upset about, but it is the best plan for Welsh rugby.

“I think we’d be back doing it in two or three years’ time, if it was delayed now. We’d continue to see a deterioration in performance over that time.”

Is there a way of keeping four teams and putting the necessary investment (28m over five years) into the pathway?

“You wouldn’t be able to do that, and you wouldn’t be able to put the investment into the teams either.

“The £28million of investment that we’ve talked about in the pathways and in the national academy, we wouldn’t be able to afford to do that.”

The WRU have come under intense scrutiny from politicians over your plans. Has that put any doubts in your mind?

“It’s difficult. This was always going to be difficult.

“So, you can have support, a general support that we need to change. Everybody said that as part of the consultation that we couldn’t keep doing what we were doing.

“There was a view that going to three teams was the best answer as part of that.

“At the point, when actually then people start to realise what that might mean for their team or their location, that’s when it gets really difficult.

“It doesn’t mean it’s not the right answer. But to reiterate, we haven’t made a decision on what the three teams are going to be.

“We just need to take each step at a time to work out. There’ll be an east, a west and a central licence.”

Richard Collier-Keywood recently said there is no plan B. Is that true?

“It’s got headlines. It was over an hour-and-a-half’s discussion.

“We’ve got a plan A which is four to three teams. Do we constantly look at the risks involved in that and think about what contingency plans are? We absolutely do.

“I think what we’re saying is we’re not running parallel plans here. We’re absolutely focused and determined on Plan A. Yeah.

“We’ve got a risk register. We look at all the different things.

“If we end up with four teams, you know what that means in terms of finance and performance etc. There’s 20 or 30 different scenarios you constantly work through.”

Were you expecting an injunction and legal action from Swansea Council?

“I think the hard bit of it is that we haven’t made a decision yet. Therefore, a lot of it has pre-empted a decision.”

Are the politicians just electioneering ahead of the Senedd elections in May?

“I couldn’t possibly comment. I don’t know.

“I haven’t asked them that question, so you’d have to ask them that question.”

How damaging is all of this legal action to Welsh rugby?

“I’m a historian by training. I look at the last 20 years in Welsh rugby and the fighting that’s gone on.

“I just think we risk destroying ourselves. And actually, if we could put all of that energy and all of that money into pulling together and being a stronger union, because we are union, we’re a union of clubs, then to me, all that passion and all of that kind of hurt and anger could go into making rugby better.

“Then, of course, you’re absolutely right. So yes, it is damaging, and it’s money, but it’s also time.

“It’s the energy it takes of teams to do it, when, while we’re doing that, we’re not focusing on rugby. I won’t comment on the costs.

“You’ll see them in the annual report. But they’re very significant. That isn’t going into rugby.”

Yourself, Richard Collier-Keywood and Dave Reddin have been criticised for not understanding Welsh rugby because you were born and reside England. How do you respond to that?

“I’ve been really clear I’ve considered myself Welsh. I’ve always considered myself Welsh.

“So I don’t think it’s actually from my perspective, not necessarily factually correct. But also, I just think actually, you should recruit people based on their ability to do a job.

“But I think what’s really important is, as part of that, that you understand, value and live and breathe the culture that you work within.

“And that is important, and that can be done whether you’re whatever nationality you are.

“So, it’s about appreciating, valuing and being passionate about culture. And I think that’s what’s important, not about personality or about where you were born.”

Did you expect the job to be as hard as this?

“You do this job, and you know that people care passionately about rugby in Wales. You know that if you take on the job at a time when things are difficult, then you’re going to have to make difficult decisions.

“I know that’s part of my job. I accept challenge, but I think when it goes as far as it has with some of the players at the moment in terms of the level of abuse they get, then it’s not acceptable.”

What has stopped you from just walking away from Welsh rugby?

“I ask myself every day am I doing the right thing?

“I have Welsh rugby in my blood and I loved it. The privilege of this job still outweighs all of that.

“Do I believe we are doing the right thing for Welsh rugby now to put it on a sustainable footing? Yes.

“If I was to go and they brought somebody else in, you end up with that delay.

“I look at myself and ask are we doing the right thing for the right reasons even though it’s really difficult and do I have the courage to keep doing it? I do.”

How do you go about rebuilding trust and getting people on board with your plan?

“I agree with what you’ve just said and it is something I think a lot about.

“As a governing body if you don’t have the trust to deliver that’s really really difficult.

“So how do you go about rebuilding it? All you can do is just keep being honest, talking to people, answering the challenges, front up and have those difficult conversations.

“You just have to keep focused on building it.

“We need to remind people why we are doing this.

“I think it is by having the difficult conversations not just with the people who agree with what you are doing but the people who don’t agree.

“We need to do that every day but it takes time to do that.

“There will absolutely be an opportunity at some point where we can win some hearts and minds to try to win back some of that trust.”

How would you sum up how tough the last year has been for you?

“Simon (press officer) asked me a question earlier where he said: if you were going to sell this job to someone else what kind of person would do this job?

“I said ‘well, actually one of the hardest bits is you actually have to be thick skinned and you have to be…

“I’m somebody who is really open and I lead from my heart as well as my head. It has been the hardest part because I care so much about it and that’s actually why I do the job.

“That’s what gets me up in the morning because actually I do care passionately about it. It then makes it so much harder when it is as hard as it is.

“To sum it up I’m going to use an analogy and I’m not trying to be flippant here.

“Have you ever watched that programme on an assault course over water.

“They are climbing up some inflatables but when they get to the top a lot of oil gets poured on and you fall off it.

“You walk across planks and somebody comes and pours oil over you. Every day feels like I am on that gameshow

“They are fighting on quite a lot of different fronts which is quite tiring.

“You need to be incredibly resilient to then want to get up in the morning after a day where you’ve been whacked, metaphorically, and then you get up the next morning and go at it again.”

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Did you know how bad this job could get before taking it on?

“This is a conversation I was having last night with the chair of the IRFU. He’s worked in really difficult circumstances.

“He took on Bank of Ireland as chair post the financial crash and he said the stakeholder management in rugby is the hardest he’s ever had to deal with.

“I think it is harder in Wales because there is even more passion around it.

“There are so many complex stakeholders. You’ve got your politicians, you’ve got your players, your participants, your sponsors and your fans.

“It’s a really complex set of stakeholders so trying to move all of them, manage them and engage with them is hard because they’ve all got different agendas.

“I mean agendas in a positive way. They all care about different things and want different things so it is a very complex stakeholder.

“I think I underestimated just how complex the stakeholders are when I took on the job.”

Do you ever wake up and wish you’d never taken this job?

“Yes, there are times.

“I’m going to be really honest there are times when I think that but it doesn’t last very long because something will happen that is so inspiring that has happened in the community game.

“One of the clubs will win and you remember why you do it.

“I’d be a really hard nosed person if I said there hasn’t been times where I ask myself whether it was the right decision.”

If Richard Collier-Keywood loses his vote of no confidence does that automatically mean your restructuring plans stop?

“Well because one of the recommendations is to pause the restructure of the professional game.”

But it isn’t one of the motions put forward?

“No, it isn’t. We are talking about going to four to three over a period of time.

“We are not doing it overnight so if you think that a new chair comes in we still wouldn’t be at a point where we’ve completed the restructuring.

“So, they still would have the ability to stop it at that stage.

“Also, because the board all voted unanimously for it I would imagine some of them would consider their positions as well.”

Where are you with the licences and the control debate?

“We are still talking to the clubs about that at the moment.

“We’ve got meetings in a week or two’s time to keep going on that. There’s no definitive answer yet but we are aiming to get that agreed for the next season.”

Where are you with the URC?

“We’ve got to go through the process but they are being supportive and constructive.

“They are looking at different ways they would support us to put in an alternative team.”

But you are sticking with 4 teams for the 2026/27 season?

“Yeah, we’ve always said that. We are committed to having four sides for next season and it may even be until 2028 because it may take that long.”

You are 100% committed to the plan to go to three sides in the long-run and won’t change your minds?

“Yes, I am absolutely committed to that being the right thing to do.

“I think the consultation, the level of engagement and the depth in which we went through that process.

“The other bit for me is none of the vocal minority have come up with an alternative either.

“Four clubs not funded to the level to be competitive and not being able to do the investment into the pathway.

“So, basically the alternative feels like it is continuing as we are which I didn’t think was the right answer.

“If people agree that we need to do something different then let’s go through this.

“It is going to be really painful going through it but we will come through the other side in a much stronger place as a result and let’s get some stability because that’s the other thing we need in Welsh rugby.”

What is your view on amateur clubs having such a big say over the professional game? Would that happen anywhere else?

“Firstly, I wouldn’t call them amateurs. If you look at the volunteers at the clubs most of them are professionals.

“When I meet them and talk to them they are hugely passionate about Welsh rugby and care about Welsh rugby.

“I respect this process. I think it is really important that our shareholders, our clubs, have the ability to… it includes the regional clubs.

“We’ve got to listen but I’m confident we go through the EGM process, we use it as a chance to reiterate why this plan works and that we get a vote of confidence out of that and we keep going.”