Sports
Welsh Rugby Union to appoint women’s lead in 2025

The yet-to-be appointed new coach of Wales women will report into a women’s rugby lead, a role the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) intends to establish in 2025.
That new role is being created in the wake of Nigel Walker’s departure as the governing body’s executive director of rugby. Before his exit, Ioan Cunningham left his role as Wales women head coach.
The governing body stated: “The high profile role will directly manage the Wales women head coach as well as set and implement strategy for the women’s and girls’ game across Wales and form an integral part of the WRU’s high-performance team”.
Walker stepped down following what the WRU described as a “meticulous and far-reaching review” into the high-performance element of the men’s game, with Warren Gatland continuing as head coach of the Wales men’s side despite a record 12-Test losing run.
Walker, chief executive Abi Tierney and chair Richard Collier-Keywood have overseen a turbulent period in the WRU’s history, with Welsh rugby’s governing body saying in November it would apologise for its handling of contract negotiations with the senior women’s team after admitting “serious failings”.
Collier-Keywood said that Walker, who was involved in the initial negotiations, had accepted “things should have been done better”.
The row came less than a year after a damning independent review into the WRU’s culture following a BBC Wales investigation found it was sexist, misogynistic, racist and homophobic, with those aspects not properly challenged.
The WRU has now published its full report into its governance of the women’s game.
As a result, the governing body also announced:
Changes to the way future negotiations are constructed, maximising transparency and enabling all parties to be properly represented. This includes the idea that players may need and require independent third-party involvement during negotiations and an acknowledgment that pathway players need to also be provided for in future.
A central premise is to be established where contracted players are treated as primary employees of the WRU, even where other club or employment contracts are also present.
To assess values and culture in the Women’s squad, reset professional working practices and put in place engagement work (‘Have a Voice’ sessions have already started) which helps support the mental and physical well-being of all colleagues
To continue to benchmark the WRU’s progress against other governing bodies, rugby leadership and performance management
Sports
Havertz online abuse has terrible consequences – Arteta

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says the online abuse of striker Kai Havertz and his wife has “terrible consequences” and needs to be “eradicated from the game”.
Havertz was criticised for his performance in Sunday’s FA Cup defeat by Manchester United, after he missed a glorious chance to win the game in normal time and then had his penalty saved in the shootout as United won 5-3 on penalties following the 1-1 draw.
The German’s wife Sophia shared screenshots of the “shocking” abuse she received on social media amid the game, including threats to the couple’s unborn child.
Arsenal have reported the abuse to the police and are working with a specialist data firm to identify the culprits, but Arteta says more must be done as he spoke before Wednesday’s north London derby against Tottenham.
“It’s incredible, honestly,” he said. “We really have to do something about it, because accepting that and hiding this has terrible consequences.
“It’s something we have to eradicate from the game because it’s so cynical and dependent to a result of an action.
“There is no other industry like this. When we played Ipswich on December 27, we won 1-0 and Kai Havertz scored. The whole stadium after that is singing the ‘Waka, Waka’ (his chant). That was 20 days ago. Where is the perspective?
“We are all responsible. That’s a really serious matter. It affects me. It affects him and everybody that is in the industry.
“We can accept it and say ‘that’s our job’, but there are certain limits and the line has to be drawn. We put a lot of attention on technology and what is next in football.
“What is next in football is that this should be prohibited. It cannot happen. That’s it.”
Meta, who own Instagram, removed the content for violating its policies.
Sports
I will not be the coach of a Red Bull team – Klopp

Jurgen Klopp says he has made a “clear commitment” that he will not become manager at one of the Red Bull clubs after starting his role as the organisation’s head of global soccer.
The former Liverpool manager was named in the role last year before officially starting at the beginning of 2025.
He has not had a managerial role since leaving Anfield last summer following a highly-successful nine year spell.
Klopp’s new role sees him take more of an oversight role across a number of clubs including RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg and New York Red Bulls.
But when asked at a media conference on Tuesday whether he might be tempted back into day-to-day management if a role at one of the clubs becomes available, Klopp said emphatically said “no”.
“I will not be the coach of a Red Bull team,” he said. “That is a clear commitment. As much as you can give a guarantee, I will not be a coach at all.
“I am probably the only person in this room who will be asked where are you in five years, I don’t have a clue.
“But I will not be a replacement of one of the Red Bull coaches.
Sports
Rising star Fonseca knocks out ninth seed Rublev

Joao Fonseca had a Grand Slam debut to remember as he knocked out ninth seed Andrey Rublev in the first round of the Australian Open.
The 18-year-old Brazilian thrilled the crowd as he caused the biggest upset of the tournament so far with a 7-6 (7-1) 6-3 7-6 (7-5) victory against Rublev.
Fonseca was playing in his first main-draw match at a major, having come through three rounds of qualifying without dropping a set in Melbourne last week.
The victory extends his winning streak to 14 matches – but who is tennis’ latest rising star?
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