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Here are your rugby morning headlines for Friday, June 26.
Tandy announces Wales coach update
Steve Tandy revealed that his backroom team will not be complete before the summer fixtures with two vacancies still need in need of filling.
New defence coach Peter Murchie linked up with the squad this week while Paul James has been appointed scrum coach.
But Wales still needs a kicking coach and an attacking skills coach. The likes of Leigh Halfpenny, James Hook, Jonny Goodridge and Scott Sneddon have all been linked with the two vacancies.
“We are working on it,” said Tandy. “We want to do he process correctly, go through it and make sure we get it right and have a thorough process.
“There’ll be updates when we get there.
“There’s another two appointments we want to make. When those are ready we will announce it.
“But the process is underway and it is likely to be a little bit too soon for this summer.”
Saracens star goes unpunished
Saracens have confirmed academy player Totoa Auvaa will face no further action following the nightclub incident that saw England cricketers Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson dropped from the second Test against New Zealand.
The Premiership club has completed its own internal investigation after Auvaa allegedly threw a punch at Atkinson during an incident at the Rex Rooms nightclub in Chelsea in the early hours of June 8.
The punch missed Atkinson and instead struck an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) security guard, who required stitches. The security guard chose not to report the incident to police.
The fallout from the evening saw England captain Stokes and fast bowler Atkinson stood down for the second Test while the ECB investigated an alleged breach of team protocols.
Both players returned for the ongoing third Test after the independent Cricket Regulator found there was “insufficient evidence” against either player. A separate ECB investigation also cleared the pair of wrongdoing, although both received written conduct warnings for breaching specific contractual obligations.
Saracens have now reached their own conclusion, saying Auvaa will not face any formal sanctions and hitting out at the ECB.
A club statement said: “Whilst the events that occurred in the early hours of Monday, 8 June 2026 are regrettable for all parties involved, the club remains supportive of the player concerned.
“Having thoroughly reviewed the matter, the club has concluded that no further action is required and now considers the matter closed.”
However, Saracens also criticised the ECB’s handling of the process, claiming it had wanted more time to complete its own investigation before the governing body published its findings.
The ECB’s statement earlier this week referred to “unprovoked attacks” and multiple “incidents” inside the Chelsea nightclub.
Responding after completing their review, Saracens said: “Saracens is satisfied that its independent review was conducted thoroughly and in accordance with the club’s internal procedures and standards.
“The ECB contacted the club as part of its review process. Saracens made clear that it wished to complete its own internal investigation before reaching any conclusions.
“The ECB subsequently concluded its process and issued its statement without any input from Saracens.”
Nations Championship rocked as huge £80m agreement stalls
Rugby’s new Nations Championship will begin without a title sponsor after Qatar Airways put a proposed £80million partnership on hold amid uncertainty caused by the conflict in the Middle East.
According to the Guardian, the state-owned airline remains committed to backing the competition but contracts have yet to be signed and branding will not appear when the tournament kicks off next week.
Senior figures in Qatar are said to have decided that announcing a major new global sponsorship would be inappropriate while uncertainty continues in the region.
The deal, which is expected to run until 2032, could instead be formally launched ahead of the November leg of the competition. Discussions between organisers and Qatar Airways are said to be ongoing.
The Nations Championship features the Six Nations countries, including Wales, alongside southern hemisphere giants South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina, as well as Japan and Fiji.
The tournament has already secured major broadcast agreements, including a £90m UK television deal with ITV, meaning the delay is not expected to create any immediate financial problems for organisers.
Qatar has also been awarded hosting rights for the Nations Championship finals in 2028 and 2032, with Twickenham set to stage the first final later this year.
Teen dies after collapsing in rugby training
A teenage rugby player has died after collapsing during a training session at his school in Malaysia, it has been reported.
The 14-year-old student lost consciousness while attending rugby training at a secondary school in Telok Mas, in Malaysia’s Melaka state, on Wednesday evening.
According to local reports, the youngster had been taking part in the session for around 15 minutes before stopping for a break. He was listening to instructions from his coach during a post-training briefing when he suddenly began experiencing breathing difficulties before collapsing.
The teenager was later pronounced dead.
His granduncle, Yahya Endut, who had helped raise him since childhood, said the family was devastated by the tragedy.
“I was informed that the victim had only been training for about 15 minutes before he stopped to rest,” he said.
“He was sitting and listening to the coach’s briefing before suddenly experiencing breathing difficulties and losing consciousness.”
Yahya said the teenager had no known history of serious illness and had not complained of any health concerns before the incident.
“We never expected something like this would happen,” he added.
Melaka education, higher education and religious affairs committee chairman Rahmad Mariman confirmed the student collapsed during a briefing after training and later died.
Police said they had been informed of the incident and were gathering further details before issuing a statement.
Rugby is one of the most popular participation sports among young people in Malaysia, with thousands of registered players across school and youth programmes. The sport has experienced significant growth in recent years through investment in development pathways and school competitions.
The teenager’s death has sent shockwaves through the local community.
