Here are your rugby evening headlines for Wednesday, May 27.
Wales Sevens international joins Pontypridd 24 hours after car stole
Former Cardiff Rugby wing Aled Summerhill has joined Pontypridd just 24 hours after appealing for help following the theft of his car from outside his home.
The former Wales Sevens international has signed for Ponty ahead of the 2026/27 season, returning to a club where he previously made 47 appearances earlier in his career.
The move comes after Summerhill revealed on social media that his grey Mercedes A-Class had been stolen overnight from his driveway in the Tonyrefail area.
In a post which drew widespread support, the 31-year-old wrote: “Left us the babies nappies from the car though.”
South Wales Police later confirmed they were investigating the theft.
Now, Summerhill has been handed some positive news lift after completing a return to Sardis Road.
The Rhondda Valley product came through the Cardiff academy system and first played for Pontypridd between 2013 and 2018, scoring 19 tries in 47 games.
He went on to make 95 appearances for Cardiff Rugby across more than a decade, scoring 32 tries, while also representing Wales Sevens, Wales Under-18s and the Barbarians.
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Speaking after re-joining Pontypridd, Summerhill said: “Ponty is a club that means a lot to me and I will be forever grateful for the opportunities I had to develop here as a youngster.
“I am looking forward to linking up with the squad in pre-season and playing in front of the great supporters once again.”
Pontypridd head coach Kristian Parker described the signing as a “major coup”.
“We are absolutely thrilled to bring in a player with the experience, skill set and quality that Aled possesses,” he said.
“A Rhondda boy through and through, Aled jumped at the opportunity to return to Sardis where he plied his trade in his younger years and made such a strong impression in the black and white jersey.”
Summerhill left Cardiff at the end of the 2023/24 season after being offered reduced terms amid Welsh rugby’s financial uncertainty.
Since leaving professional rugby, he has also taken up a role with the WRU as a regional engagement officer in the Rhondda area.
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Lions make historic announcement
The British and Irish Lions have made a historic announcement by naming former England captain Jo Yapp as the first-ever head coach of the women’s team ahead of their inaugural tour to New Zealand in 2027.
Yapp becomes the first person to take charge of a women’s Lions side, with the landmark tour representing a major moment in the continued growth of the women’s game across England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland.
The former scrum-half won 70 caps for England and captained the Red Roses to the 2006 World Cup final before moving into coaching.
She has since built an impressive coaching CV with England Women Under-20s, Worcester Warriors and the Barbarians, while most recently leading Australia to the knockout stages of the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup before returning to England as head of women’s pathway.
The Lions Women will begin their first ever tour with a warm-up fixture against a Black Ferns XV in Whangarei on September 4, 2027, before playing three Tests against New Zealand in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
Speaking after the announcement, Yapp said: “To lead the first ever British and Irish Lions women’s team is an incredible honour and something I’m immensely proud of.
“The Lions represents the very best of our sport and this tour to New Zealand is an opportunity to create something truly special and help shape the future of women’s rugby for years to come.
“I know from experience how challenging it is to face the Black Ferns on home soil but that challenge is exactly what makes this Tour so exciting.”
British and Irish Lions chief executive Ben Calverley described Yapp as an “outstanding candidate” and said the appointment marked “such a step forward for the game”.
The focus will now turn to who could join Yapp’s coaching team, with Welsh figures likely to be in contention.
According to the BBC, former Wales captain Rachel Taylor, who has previously worked alongside Yapp with the Barbarians, could come into the frame, while current Wales head coach Sean Lynn may also be considered.
The inaugural women’s Lions tour is expected to be one of the biggest moments yet for the women’s game, with players from all four unions coming together under the famous red jersey for the first time.
Tshiunza gets boost after injury scare
Wales star Christ Tshiunza has been handed a timely boost after Exeter Chiefs boss Rob Baxter confirmed the forward has avoided a serious injury scare.
The 24-year-old Wales international sparked concern last week after pulling up awkwardly late on in Exeter’s defeat to Harlequins, having only recently returned from a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Tshiunza had already endured a frustrating campaign after breaking his foot on the opening weekend of the season before suffering a further setback in his recovery which ruled him out of the Six Nations.
It was the second time in two years the versatile forward had suffered a broken foot, following a similar injury after the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
There were fears Tshiunza had suffered another blow after appearing to strain his hamstring while making a try-saving recovery tackle in the closing stages against Quins.
But speaking ahead of Exeter’s huge Premiership clash with Leicester Tigers, Chiefs director of rugby Baxter eased those concerns and confirmed the Welshman should be fit to feature.
“Christ just, like I say, got some bruises, banged around a bit, but he’s okay as well,” Baxter said.
The former Cardiff Met student is set to leave Exeter at the end of the season to join Sale Sharks, but will hope to finish strongly after an injury-hit year threatened to derail his progress once again.