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The latest rugby headlines on Bank Holiday Monday, May 4
These are your headlines on Bank Holiday Monday, May 4
Welsh club win tense encounter to set up mouthwatering final
Ebbw Vale edged out arch rivals Newport 18-14 to set up a mouthwatering Super Rygbi Cymru final against Llandovery.
This was sweet revenge for the Steelmen who lost to Newport in last season’s final.
But they were forced to come from behind in what was a hard-fought affair.
Newport opened the scoring when Josh Skinner touched down off a well-worked driving lineout.
That was the only try of the first half as the Black & Ambers took a 7-0 lead into half-time.
Ebbw Vale drew first blood in the second-half when Corey Lewis scored off a driving lineout.
Newport wing Fin Baker edged the visitors ahead with a try just seven minutes remaining.
But with a little over a minute remaining Ebbw Vale full-back Dylan Edwards scored from a cross-field kick.
Dragons boss in rallying call
Dragons co-owner David Buttress has urged the Welsh Rugby Union to “wake up” after his side fell agonisingly short of reaching the final of the EPCR Challenge Cup.
The Welsh club put in a heroic performance but ultimately slipped to a narrow 18-12 defeat against French giants Montpellier in the semi-finals.
After the game Dragons co-owner Buttress took to social media platform X to urge fans to get behind the Dragons next season.
He said: “We are a lucky club, great support and proper people. Come and join us, buy a ticket, bring the kids, enjoy the craic or sponsor the club. Let’s build this into the rugby club Gwent deserves.
“Uppa Drags. We have so much more to do and perhaps the WRU can soon wake up.”
While his comment was somewhat tongue in cheek it was directed at the WRU after an uncertain season which has seen the governing body attempt to reduce the number of professional sides from four to three.
CEO of English club releases statement after controversial comment
Bristol Bears CEO Tom Tainton has released a statement claiming his recent comments on the club’s marketing strategy got taken out of context.
Tainton told a major sports conference the club takes players’ off-field appeal into account when it comes to recruitment.
He likened the Gallagher Prem club to a “marketing agency that plays rugby.”
This led to a significant backlash from a number of key stakeholders but he has now released a statement to clarify his comments.
“I appeared on a panel at a sports business event earlier this week to talk about PREM Rugby and the future of the league,” said Tainton.
“I was asked a question about how rugby can create star players to help grow the sport. In my response I talked about the positive impact of Louis Rees-Zammit and Ilona Maher at Bears and how a mindset shift is required to create more superstars in the game.
“I suggested that, to successfully achieve that goal, our strategic approach should be more aligned to a marketing agency than a rugby club – a mantra we have tried to adopt at Bristol Bears in our commercial team.
“This comment was unfortunately taken out of context in a news article which has since sparked considerable debate online.
“To reassure our supporters, while we are proud to be different at Bears, our number one priority is performance.
“To win trophies, and to inspire our community through rugby success. That hasn’t – and won’t ever – change.”
