Here are the latest rugby headlines on Tuesday, July 11.
Williams can’t play in Six Nations
Wales star Liam Williams insists he’s had no conversations about ending his Wales career after the World Cup but revealed he won’t be able to play in next year’s Six Nations after moving to Japan.
The 32-year-old has signed for Kubota Spears and will head to Japan after the conclusion of the tournament in France. He admitted one of the reasons for leaving Wales is the ongoing financial climate that has seen players’ salaries slashed and some still left without contracts, including members of Warren Gatland’s training squad.
“I haven’t really spoken to Gats about that [his international future] to be honest,” Williams told the BBC.
READ MORE: New World Rugby rankings published as All Blacks close in
“I spoke to him about leaving and going to Japan and he was OK with that. I won’t be able to play in the Six Nations next year though.
“Some boys in this training camp still don’t have contracts. It’s a joke and probably be one of the reasons I have left.
“A hundred caps does not pay the mortgage. I am 32 now and have two or three years left, and you need to maximise your earnings in this profession because it is a short career.
“So I am very grateful to be in the position I am when I know some of the guys are working so hard but don’t have jobs currently.”
Wales summer matches set to look a bit different
Crowds at Wales’ World Cup warm-ups against England and South Africa at the Principality Stadium this August are set to be significantly younger than those recorded at previous home Test matches.
More than 20% of tickets sold to date for the matches, which will see Warren Gatland’s Wales face England on home soil on August 5 and the defending world champions on August 19, have been sold in the half-price under-17 categories which apply to every seat in the ground for the Vodafone Summer Series.
In comparison, ticket sales for under-17s for the warm-up games in 2019 accounted for 5% of the total sales.
More middle-tier seats initially reserved for club purchasing also went on public sale last week.
Wales also head to Twickenham to face England on August 12.
“When we sell-out Autumn Nations Series matches, with the likes of South Africa in town, tickets for children normally account for around 12% of the capacity of Principality Stadium,” said WRU interim CEO Nigel Walker.
“For Six Nations matches, where tickets are notoriously scarce, the majority demographic is older again and that can be a concern for our marketeers who are thinking about selling the professional game and sustaining the income that supports the whole game in Wales in the years ahead.
“But, to learn that there is a high demand for summer series matches coming from school children in Wales and their families is incredibly heartening. There are quite a few new and younger faces in this 2023 Welsh Rugby World Cup training squad and maybe this is what is appealing to a younger audience. Whatever the attraction is, we are delighted with the news and it really bodes well for the future of professional rugby in Wales.”
The WRU has launched a new competition for schools attending the Vodafone Summer Series to win up to £1,500 worth of Macron rugby kit for their school teams.
South Africa name formidable team
Springboks giant Eben Etzebeth is back from a shoulder injury to captain a formidable South African team against New Zealand in the Rugby Championship on Saturday.
Jacques Nienaber has named 10 of the 14 players who sat out last weekend’s demolition of Australia in the matchday squad as a number of big hitters take the field.
The likes of Willie le Roux, Makazole Mapimpi, Lukhanyo Am and Cheslin Kolbe all start in a match that could see either side climb to second in the world rankings if they win convincingly.
South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Franco Mostert, 6 Kwagga Smith, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth (c), 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Thomas du Toit, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 21 Duane Vermeulen, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Manie Libbok.
URC fixtures
This season’s full United Rugby Championship fixtures have been revealed.
Due to the Rugby World Cup, the tournament will kick-off later than normal on Saturday, October 21 with the Grand Final on June 22. The Scarlets have by far the toughest start to the season with two away fixtures in South Africa against the Vodacom Bulls and the DHL Stormers, respectively.
Cardiff begin with a home fixture against Benetton while the Dragons host Edinburgh. Fans won’t have to wait long before the first Welsh derby of the season which comes in the second weekend as the Dragons welcome Cardiff to Rodney Parade.
The Ospreys have a tricky trip to face Connacht in Galway to get their season under way, while they take on Zebre Parma in Swansea in the second round of fixtures. Staying true to tradition, the regions will play derby games over the Christmas period with the Ospreys facing the Scarlets in Llanelli on Boxing Day while the Dragons take on Cardiff at the Arms Park on the same day.
