Illtud Dafydd

It' interesting and often happens. It's a shame but it's the way sproting orgs have been going for the past decades, in-house, more control, even if it mean less exposure

Lions had special moments but lacked consistency needed to be ranked among greats | Robert Kitson Andy Farrell’s team deserve place in history after a 2-1 series win but return from Australia nursing nagging regrets

"The only sadness was that, media access-wise, the Lions comms strategy made the Kremlin press office look relaxed and open-minded"

www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/a...

Biarritz Olympique : bientôt de nouveaux partenaires financiers, assure le président du club, Cyril Arrosteguy - ici Le président du directoire du Biarritz Olympique s'explique sur le départ à venir du directeur sportif, James Coughlan, et sur sa stratégie pour relever les finances du club, qui a échappé à la rétrog...

Further upheavel at Biarritz

Ex-Munster No 8 James Coughlan will leave his role as director of rugby in the coming weeks/ months

"I think we're overstaffed in terms of our budget"

www.francebleu.fr/sports/rugby...

"A full-time head of recruitment is needed at a club like that"

Underlines the hap-hazard feeling of this season's signings by Racing

It will be interesting to see what new president Arnaud Tourtoulou changes at the side

He admits to having 50% fluency in French

"I got close, the weight of the job, then having a French lesson, there was no space in the head"

One of the main reasons it failed to work out at Plessis-Robinson for him

EP1: Stuart Lancaster: Leadership, Failure & Desire to Get Better Podcast Episode · Human Alchemy · 31/07/2025 · 57m

I'm barely 10 minutes into this one-hour podcast with Stuart Lancaster

Really interesting stuff on his time at Racing 92

You get the impression the 'culture' in the squad was way off during his tenure

#Top14

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/e...

🚨 How did the deal between Evenepoel, Soudal Quick-Step and Red Bull happen? Behind the scenes on the biggest cycling transfer of the season

🚨 How did the deal between Evenepoel, Soudal Quick-Step and Red Bull happen?

Behind the scenes on the biggest cycling transfer of the season

dnlbenson.substack.com/p/how-did-th...

📸 @swpixtweets

Schmidt given Wallabies selection carte blanche as RA declares Giteau Law 'redundant' - 'no impediment to Joe' Rugby Australia has responded to an exodus of major talent offshore by declaring the prohibitive Giteau Law is "redundant". While coach Joe Schmidt remains…

This explains the influx of Wallabies to the #Top14 for the coming season

But when do they get a holiday if they play a full French club season, July games then The Rugby Championship?

www.theroar.com.au/2025/08/05/s...

Remco Evenepoel to ride for Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe starting 2026 A new chapter begins for one of the most defining riders of his generation: Remco Evenepoel will wear the Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe jersey from the upcoming season onward.

Big

www.redbullborahansgrohe.com/en/news/2508...

Third-tier Narbonne already have 1,000 season ticket holders

They start their #Nationale season at Massy on August 22

Paris-Roubaix + Tour de France winners in same year

1905 Louis Trousselier 🇫🇷
1910 Octave Lapize 🇫🇷
1970 Eddy Merckx 🇧🇪
1981 Bernard Hinault 🇫🇷
2025 Pauline Ferrand-Prévot 🇫🇷

Les Bleues' squad for #RWC2025

A warm-up with England on August 9 then their opener against Italy on August 23

Placines is Biarritz through and through.

Still plays with the Basque flag on his scrum cap and judging by his performance against them this season, he REALLY hates Bayonne.

This is cool for Biarritz and Placines

The back-rower was born in the Basque town and made his senior debut with them in 2013

#ProD2

Arrivées, Départs The ins and outs for the new season is the focus for Jouez: The French Rugby Dispatch

The big names, the youngsters, the good business, the bad business and even looking ahead to 2026/2027!

#Top14 #ProD2

illtuddafydd.substack.com/p/arrivees-d...

Perpignan away

Out with the stripes

#Top14

Fender's €100,000 move to Grenoble is off, the Ospreys rejected the deal, according to Midi Olympique

#ProD2

Aurillac confirm fly-half Ugo Seunes' departure to Racing 92, who have yet to confirm his arrival

According to Rugbyrama, the Parisans have paid €200,000-€250,000 for the 24-year-old as his contract in the Cantal was until 2028

#Top14 #ProD2

Not being JIFF makes it tough for LRZ in France, but as medical cover could be the back door in for him

#Top14

Arrivées, Départs The ins and outs for the new season is the focus for Jouez: The French Rugby Dispatch

La ROGchelle have done some serious business before the new season

More on the comings and goings on this week's Jouez: The French Rugby Dispatch

#Top14 #ProD2

open.substack.com/pub/illtudda...

"It's progressing, but nothing formal"

FFR vice-president Abdelatif Benazzi on the talks about a France-Lions game in 2029

To @en.afp.com

Pau home/ away

The white patch on the green jersey represents the Bearn department where the club is located

#Top14 #HonhaSection

Montpellier home/away

Hummel already have Agen in #ProD2

#Top14

« Nous voulons continuer de passer par Montmartre » : l’organisation du Tour souhaite pérenniser la rue Lepic INFO LE PARISIEN. Après la réussite de la dernière étape du Tour 2025 ce dimanche, Amaury Sport Organisation souhaite inscrire ce nouveau pa

Oui, oui, oui

www.leparisien.fr/sports/cycli...

And Toulon's away jersey

#Top14

Romania lock Adrian Motoc joins Nice from Biarritz on a three-year deal

The 29-year-old was one of the Basques' highest paid players on €114,840 a year in 2023-2024 with his contract there up next season

#Nationale #ProD2

And now he's drinking whiskey with Alex Cuthbert and Simon Zebo

NLG loves rugby, as mentioned on this week's Substack

#NoPyroNoParty

Alessandro De Marchi: I’m relieved to not be cycling for ... 39-year-old Italian says he would have struggled to cycle for Tour de France team

“We have to show that as a cycling world we care about human rights and international law violations.”

A rare statement from a sportsperson on the subject

observer.co.uk/news/sport/a...

Cawlach pur de