The latest rugby news from Wales and around the world
These are your rugby morning headlines for Thursday, December 4.
Wales star loses his international shirt in a blaze
Wales international Evan Lloyd has spoken of his devastation after Penarth RFC — the club where he grew up playing rugby — was gutted by a fire that destroyed priceless memorabilia, including his own Wales U20s shirt.
The 145-year-old community club was left in ruins after an electrical fault caused a blaze in the early hours of Monday morning, wiping out decades of history. Among the irreplaceable items lost were historic jerseys dating back to the 1920s, a treasured Barbarians Springbok head from 1961 and youth caps from some of the club’s most distinguished players.
Cardiff Rugby and the Welsh Rugby Union have stepped in to support Penarth through the crisis. Cardiff Arms Park will now host Penarth’s Admiral National Leagues Division 1 Cup match against Lampeter on Saturday, with the WRU providing free buses for supporters travelling from Penarth. Cardiff have also waived all staging costs, while bucket collections will run during Cardiff RFC’s Super Rygbi Cymru fixture against RGC 1404.
Lloyd — whose two brothers still play for the Vale of Glamorgan club — visited the site with fellow Wales international Mason Grady and WRU community director Geraint John.
“This was my club all through age-grade,” said Lloyd. “I grew up here, and it holds so many memories. When I first saw the videos I thought it was fake. Then it sank in, it was a massive shock.
“I’m gutted about what’s been lost. My Wales U20s jersey was in there, my brother’s too, and a mate’s Malta shirt. The Barbarians stuff, the old Wales jerseys… you just can’t replace things like that.”
Grady also urged supporters to rally behind the club, saying: “We’re really proud Cardiff Rugby are hosting the Penarth game this weekend. It’d be great to get as many people down there as possible to show their support.”
A fundraiser has now been launched to help Penarth rebuild and recover.
You can support Penarth RFC by donating to their crowdfunder here.
Etzebeth’s ex team-mate brands eye-gouge ‘horrible’
Former South Africa hooker Bismarck du Plessis has condemned Eben Etzebeth’s eye-gouge on Wales flanker Alex Mann, calling the act “horrible” as the Springbok lock awaits the outcome of his disciplinary hearing.
Etzebeth was sent off for the first time in his Test career during South Africa’s win over Wales at the Principality Stadium, with replays showing his thumb make contact with Mann’s eye in the 78th minute. Referee Luc Ramos issued a straight red card, and the 32-year-old faced a disciplinary panel on Tuesday night. A verdict on the length of his suspension is now expected on Sunday or Monday.
Speaking on The Good, The Bad and The Rugby podcast, du Plessis – renowned as one of the toughest front-rowers of his era – said he could not defend what happened.
“There’s no good you can say about that,” he said. “It’s a horrible incident. I’m lucky I don’t have to sit through those meetings… I think he’s in trouble.”
Former England centre Mike Tindall also believes Etzebeth will receive a significant ban, arguing such cases are now so rare that the authorities will “make an example out of it”.
Another ex-Bok team-mate, prop Steven Kitshoff, offered a similarly blunt assessment on the Game Time podcast.
“I can’t defend him,” Kitshoff said. “It’s just a bad moment and incident… You don’t f*** with a player’s eyes in a rugby game. You don’t do it in any sport.”
Etzebeth’s actions have caused widespread backlash, with Mann expected to provide evidence as part of the ongoing disciplinary process.
Jonathan Thomas flooded with support from rugby community
There has been an outpouring of support for former Wales international Jonathan Thomas after he stepped down from his role as head coach of Swansea RFC due to ongoing medical issues linked to head trauma suffered during his playing career.
The 42-year-old, who won 67 caps for his country, had only taken charge ahead of the inaugural Super Rygbi Cymru season.
Thomas, who was forced to retire from playing a decade ago because of head injuries, said recent symptoms had made it impossible to give the job the energy and focus it required. He admitted the decision was “heartbreaking”, but insisted he had to put his health and family first.
“I was incredibly excited to take on this challenge and really proud of the progress the team has made,” he said. “But long-standing issues linked to head trauma have caused concern and I need to prioritise my personal health and get the right support.”
Swansea RFC managing director Keith Colclough said Thomas had “laid a strong foundation” during his short time in charge and had been “brilliant” in helping to drive improved performances this season. He stressed that the coach’s health must come before rugby.
Colclough added: “We are sad to make this announcement, but we fully support Jonathan’s decision. His wellbeing is the priority and we wish him and his family the very best. We look forward to welcoming him back in the future.”
And the rugby community has banded together in solidarity with Thomas, sending their well wishes en masse upon hearing the news.
Broadcaster Phil Steele wrote: “Very best wishes to ‘JT’ I hope he gets his health under control very soon and is able to return to coaching as he has so much to offer the game.”
The official Ospreys Supporters’ Club also issued their heartfelt best wishes, saying: “So sorry to see this about JT. Best wishes to him and hopefully this time will help him recover his health, which has to be the priority.”
While the Ospreys Eyrie Podcast said: “Sad news, best wishes to JT.”
Swansea fan account ‘Black and white’ posted: “That’s a real shame, doing an awesome job with the whites, get well soon JT.”
Samantha Jayne, host of The Black Feather: Ospreys Rugby Fancast, said: “Hope JT is okay. Will be missed by the club.”
The love from the rugby fraternity stretched far and wide, with one account writing: “Get well soon Jonathan. Bristol fan here.”
Prem boss delighted by R360 delay
Exeter Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter says the postponement of the controversial global franchise league R360 is “positive news” for the English Premiership.
The much-hyped cross-border competition, originally slated to launch in 2026, has now been pushed back until at least 2028 after organisers failed to secure World Rugby sanctioning.
The proposal had also faced widespread opposition from leading unions and the British & Irish Lions, who warned that any player involved would be ineligible for international selection.
R360 planned to feature eight men’s teams and four women’s sides playing in an October-to-December window, but concerns grew over its financial model and its attempts to lure top players away from domestic rugby with inflated wages.
For Baxter, the delay is a clear win for established clubs.
“We want the best players playing in England, in the English clubs, keeping our competition as strong as possible,” he told the BBC.
“So from my perspective, I’ve got to say it’s positive news for us as a Premiership club. Most of us had the feeling for a while that it was going to be a struggle for them to take off.
“This postponement doesn’t surprise us and hasn’t affected our planning as much as people might think.”