Gareth Anscombe Exclusive: I Can't Wait To Play In Japan . . . But I Haven't Closed The Door On Wales
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
Gareth Anscombe has spoken about his excitement over a new rugby challenge in Japan, but insists he aims to continue his international career.
Talking exclusively to Sportin Wales, the World Cup-bound Wales No.10 revealed he has signed a two-year deal with Suntory Sungoliath and will relocate to Japan after the tournament.
He becomes the latest high profile player to leave Welsh domestic rugby as the regional game re-sets its financial structures after a chaotic season.
Anscombe – a co-founder of Sportin Wales magazine alongside Wales teammate Alex Cuthbert – says he is looking forward to continuing his successful top level career with the five-times Japanese champions.
“I am really excited about the challenge of playing in Japan and for a great club like Suntory, who have always been among the leading clubs there,” he said.
“It’s a new country, a fascinating new culture, and a fresh rugby stimulus for me, so it’s all very appealing.
“It had always been on my to-do list to play in a very different rugby setting and now I’ve got this opportunity, I feel incredibly grateful.
“I am looking forward to getting out there in November for the start of their next season, settling in and trying to learn the language, which is important in the position I play where good communication with everyone is vital.”
Anscombe has won 39 Wales caps, so he is well above the Welsh Rugby Union 25-cap threshold that enables players based outside the country to continue to be selected.
His club commitments for Tokyo-based Suntory will mean he is likely to be unavailable for the 2024 Six Nations, but he has no plans to retire from international rugby.
The 32-year-old added: “I’m probably not going to be available for the Six Nations, but I’d be very keen to have a conversation with Warren Gatland about what role I could play.
“There is a Wales tour to Australia next summer and I would love to be in contention for that. Playing for Wales means a massive amount to me and I want to be able to have the honour of that opportunity for as long as possible, however that works out.”
New Zealand-born Anscombe played Super Rugby for the Blues in Auckland, before moving to Wales in 2014 when he joined Cardiff.
Qualified to play for Wales through his Welsh mother, he made his Test debut in 2015 and was a key player in the squad that won the Grand Slam in 2019.
Anscombe moved to the Ospreys that same year, but suffered a serious knee injury that ruled him out of the 2019 World Cup.
He fought his way back to fitness and then overcame a shoulder injury suffered last November, before returning for the Ospreys and the Barbarians before the end of last season.
It was during his week with the Baa Baas before they played at Twickenham that Anscombe was able to pick the brains of Australia coach Eddie Jones, a consultant to Suntory Sungoliath.
“I had a conversation with Eddie, who obviously knows a great deal about rugby in Japan, and I’ve also spoken to a few New Zealanders who have either already played there or are considering it.
“The club rugby in Japan is really taking off and it’s a country where the game generally is booming.
“I loved watching the Japan team at the last World Cup. I thought they were by far the most exciting team in the tournament.
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Michael Jenkins Leads The Way As Three Welsh Throwers Excel at World Para Athletics Championships
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
Welsh athletes proved their quality a year out from the Paris Paralympics by producing three top six finishes at the weekend in the World Para Athletics Championships in the same city.
Pride of place went to Michael Jenkins, who won the men’s F38 shot put silver on his senior Great Britain debut.
Another Welsh thrower, Harrison Walsh, finished fifth in the men’s F64 discus, while rookie Funmi Oduwaiye finished fourth in the F64 Shot Put in her first tournament at this level.
In Jenkins’ event, the world record was broken six times during the competition – once briefly by Jenkins – before he finished with a European record to add to his medal.
The seven feet tall thrower from Pembrokeshire said: “It’s surreal and my heart is pounding. I’m sure it will be for the coming days – it’s incredible and I’m very proud.
“Going out there, I did have a lot of expectations – I wanted to push it, I wanted to smash my own best, and as a minimum I wanted to get the European record – that was my main goal going in.”
Jenkins, who trains in Cardiff under Ryan Spencer-Jones, had gone into the event with a best throw of 15.30m – but every one of his efforts would have beaten the previous world record.
The 19-year-old shattered his best with his opening throw of 16.46, repeated that in round three after a second round foul.
In the fourth round, Jenkins sent the shot soaring out to 16.94m before producing a monster effort of 17.14m in the penultimate round which was a world record.
But Jose Gregorio Lemos of Columbia took gold with a world record breaking throw of 18.26m as Jenkins finished with an effort of 16.77m.
Jenkins added: “The really strong competition definitely helped push me – I don’t think I would’ve got that 17-metre throw without the pressure of the other athletes trying to raise the distance.”
The weekend of success for Welsh able-bodied athletes also included a new Welsh record and one near miss that still delivered a gold medal.
Melissa Courtney-Bryant smashed the 20-year-old Welsh 1500m record with a stunning display at the Diamond League meeting in Chorzow.
The Welsh ace clocked 3:58.01 to take a huge 1.94secs off the mark set by Hayley Tullett in Paris in 2003.
Courtney-Bryant’s time was more than two seconds quicker than her previous best (4:00.45) set in Nancy, France, in June this year.
Jeremiah Azu stormed to victory in the European Under 23 Championships in Finland.
The 22-year-old triumphed in Espoo in 10.05secs – just 0.01 secs off the Welsh record he set in Manchester last weekend.
Azu became the first Brit in history to retain a Euro U23 title in any event having won in Estonia in 2021.
DARTS
Gerwyn Price vowed to improve after he moved into the second round of the World Matchplay by beating Stephen Bunting 10-3 in Blackpool.
After Bunting won the first two legs, Price hit back to level things up before sweeping to victory, claiming each of the last seven.
The Welshman, runner-up to Michael van Gerwen in last year’s competition, said: “I was 2-0 down, could have been 3-0 down – it was a slow start. I didn’t play brilliant, but I did what I had to do.
“I was up and down. It was just first-round jitters. Getting through the first round is always tough, but I’ll be better next round.”
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Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
If you had been looking for Wales football heroes to take over from Gareth Bale, then Nathan Broadhead would probably have been low down your list.
Yet cometh the very late hour, cometh the young man in Croatia as Broadhead grabbed the equaliser to earn his country a 1-1 draw in their first qualifier for Euro 2024.
Aaron Ramsey hadn’t scored, Kieffer Moore had hardly had a kick, but when the ball was flicked on to the far post, Broadhead – a 24-year-old, who plays League One football with Ipswich – reacted like a veteran international striker to deliver a priceless point.
The question for Wales now is can they carry on the momentum by beating Latvia at home on Tuesday night.
After all, the Latvians are considered the weakest team in the group and any point gained unexpectedly in Croatia would be handed back immediately if Wales don’t get all three points at the Cardiff City Stadium.
In Saturday night’s game, Wales could well have gone further behind after they went 1-0 down in the first-half to a goal from Andrej Kramaric.
But what will have encouraged the 2,000 members of the Red Wall who made the trip to the city of Split – as well as those watching on TV back home – was the positive nature of the Welsh response.
Manager Rob Page sent on fresh legs in the form of Broadhead, Sorba Thomas, Wes Burns and Tom Bradshaw and their energy proved decisive as the Croatians tired.
Some of the Welsh fans pictured celebrating at the end were also supporters of Barry Town United and it was a memorable weekend for them.
Earlier on Saturday, their club had hammered Pontardawe Town, 5-0, to confirm themselves champions of the JD Cymru South.
It will means a quick return to the JD Cymru Premier for Barry, who were relegated last season but will now go back up after a dominant campaign in the second tier of Welsh domestic football.
Eye-opening achievement of the weekend should go to Wrexham, whose crowd of 9,511 for their match at home to Connah’s Quay Nomads was a record for a women’s fixture in Wales.
They won 2-1 at The Racecourse in the Genero Adran North, 24 hours after their men’s team had beaten York City, 3-0, to stay top of the National League and on course for automatic promotion back to the Football League.
In the Genero Adran Premier, Cardiff City Women clinched their first title for 10 years after overcoming The New Saints, 3-1.
It was a weekend when most of the rest of Welsh football put their feet up, because of the international matches.
Cardiff City and Swansea City were able to get some extra training done ahead of their crunch Welsh derby meeting in the Championship this weekend, while Newport County’s planned League Two fixture against Harrogate was postponed due to international call-ups.
In the JD Cymru Premier, The New Saints had already sewn up the league title, but anyone thinking they might relax was proved wrong as they hammered Cardiff Met, 7-1 at the weekend.
In the only other fixture, Penybont maintained their position in third place, even though they were held, 2-2, at home to Bala Town.
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Mark Jones Waits For Big Call On His Future As Wales U20 Coach
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
Mark Jones has turned around the fortunes of the Wales U20s team, but he spent the weekend wondering if he will continue in the role.
As Wales’ youngsters returned from the World Rugby U20 Championships in South Africa, their caretaker head coach has admitted his own future is uncertain.
Having picked up the head coaching reins when Bryon Hayward stepped down a month before the tournament, he helped to transform a team who lost every game in the Six Nations, into a side that picked up two wins and ended sixth overall in South Africa after losing their final match against Australia.
His three-month contract will end once he has completed his report on the tournament and he will be back on the job market. Will the WRU offer him a longer-term opportunity with their age grade sides?
“You’ll have to ask the powers that be what happens to me next. I’ve just been focusing on the final game and finishing as high as we possibly could,” said Jones.
“I’m in the profession of coaching, that’s my living. The fact I enjoy it makes it even more rewarding.
“I’ve got to put food on the table, so I’ll be looking for a new job as soon as this one finishes. I don’t know where that will be.
“I’ll have to check off the wife’s to do list when I get home, but my bags will remain packed so I’m ready to go where the right job comes up.
“I took on the job with Wales at short notice for three months. It excited me and I’ve loved doing it. It has been the people who have made it exciting for me.
“The World Cup could have been anywhere, but with this group of players and staff it has been great.”
While Wales continue their World Cup preparations and get ready for three matches in August, their pool opponents Australia did not enjoy the best of weekends.
The Wallabies suffered a dramatic 34-31 loss to Argentina on Saturday, which followed a 43-12 defeat to the Springboks the week before.
As he plots a recovery in time to face Wales in France, Australia coach Eddie Jones admitted: “At the moment, it seems like we’re miles away from where we need to be. But all this is going to make us harder and more hungry to get it right.
“We’re a team that needs to change. We know that. And that’s the reason I’m here in the job.”
Also changing are the Dragons, who are trying to broaden their appeal and tap into new relationships that might lift their profile.
At the weekend, they announced a partnership with former PDC World Darts champion Gerwyn Price.
The 2021 world champion hung up his rugby boots in 2014 to take up a career in darts and has taken the sport by storm since.
But Price, known as The Iceman, is a long-standing Dragons supporter and former semi-professional player himself. He will now don the team’s logo on his shirt.
The deal will see Price sport the Dragons logo on the back of his darts shirt while the Dragons will, in turn, support him with the Iceman’s logo featuring on the arm of the club’s new home, away, and European jersey this season.
“It’s fantastic to link up with Dragons. I’d have liked to have come down here and played for a few seasons, so it’s nice to be involved in this way and really show my support for the team,” Price said in a statement on the Dragons’ official website.
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Cardiff City Fans Pencil in The Date . . . St. Aaron’s Day As Ramsey Returns
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
If you had been looking for Wales football heroes to take over from Gareth Bale, then Nathan Broadhead would probably have been low down your list.
Yet cometh the very late hour, cometh the young man in Croatia as Broadhead grabbed the equaliser to earn his country a 1-1 draw in their first qualifier for Euro 2024.
Aaron Ramsey hadn’t scored, Kieffer Moore had hardly had a kick, but when the ball was flicked on to the far post, Broadhead – a 24-year-old, who plays League One football with Ipswich – reacted like a veteran international striker to deliver a priceless point.
The question for Wales now is can they carry on the momentum by beating Latvia at home on Tuesday night.
After all, the Latvians are considered the weakest team in the group and any point gained unexpectedly in Croatia would be handed back immediately if Wales don’t get all three points at the Cardiff City Stadium.
In Saturday night’s game, Wales could well have gone further behind after they went 1-0 down in the first-half to a goal from Andrej Kramaric.
But what will have encouraged the 2,000 members of the Red Wall who made the trip to the city of Split – as well as those watching on TV back home – was the positive nature of the Welsh response.
Manager Rob Page sent on fresh legs in the form of Broadhead, Sorba Thomas, Wes Burns and Tom Bradshaw and their energy proved decisive as the Croatians tired.
Some of the Welsh fans pictured celebrating at the end were also supporters of Barry Town United and it was a memorable weekend for them.
Earlier on Saturday, their club had hammered Pontardawe Town, 5-0, to confirm themselves champions of the JD Cymru South.
It will means a quick return to the JD Cymru Premier for Barry, who were relegated last season but will now go back up after a dominant campaign in the second tier of Welsh domestic football.
Eye-opening achievement of the weekend should go to Wrexham, whose crowd of 9,511 for their match at home to Connah’s Quay Nomads was a record for a women’s fixture in Wales.
They won 2-1 at The Racecourse in the Genero Adran North, 24 hours after their men’s team had beaten York City, 3-0, to stay top of the National League and on course for automatic promotion back to the Football League.
In the Genero Adran Premier, Cardiff City Women clinched their first title for 10 years after overcoming The New Saints, 3-1.
It was a weekend when most of the rest of Welsh football put their feet up, because of the international matches.
Cardiff City and Swansea City were able to get some extra training done ahead of their crunch Welsh derby meeting in the Championship this weekend, while Newport County’s planned League Two fixture against Harrogate was postponed due to international call-ups.
In the JD Cymru Premier, The New Saints had already sewn up the league title, but anyone thinking they might relax was proved wrong as they hammered Cardiff Met, 7-1 at the weekend.
In the only other fixture, Penybont maintained their position in third place, even though they were held, 2-2, at home to Bala Town.
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Rising Welsh Star Mimi Xu Has A Head for Figures . . . And Finals
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
TENNIS
Mathematical teen Mimi Xu confirmed yet again that she knows how to nail the right formula on a tennis court as she produced one of the shocks of the week at Junior Wimbledon.
The 15-year-old from Swansea sprang a surprise by knocking out sixth-seed Kaitlin Quevedo in the girls’ singles.
Xu, who is based at the LTA’s National Academy in Loughborough and completed her GCSEs this summer, downed her highly-rated American opponent in straight sets at the All England Club.
She had previously accounted for Romania’s Cara Maria Mester.
Her run came to an end when she came unstuck 6-3 6-2 against the Czech Republic’s Nikola Bartunkova.
Nonetheless, it was a fine effort from the multi-talented youngster who is an avid musician, boasting grades seven and five in piano and violin, and cites Maths as her favourite subject at school.
Another Welsh talent, Viktor Frydrych, from Colwyn Bay, was also in action at SW19.
He defeated Australian Charles Camus 7-5, 7-6 in the boys’ singles before bowing out over three sets to American Darwin Blanch.
ATHLETICS
Sabrina Fortune earned reward for determination and perseverance by striking gold at the Para Athletics World Championships in Paris.
The Welsh shot putter had been bitterly disappointed to finish fifth at the Paralympics in Tokyo in 2021.
But the 26-year-old retained her F20 world title with a superb performance in the French capital, setting a new championship record with a winning throw of 14.01m.
Afterwards, the jubilant north Walian told the BBC: “It has been hell since Tokyo to get back, but no matter how hard it gets, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel and this gold medal is special.
“I struggle in hot conditions but we have worked hard and done it correctly this year. Even though it has been hot out here, I have an ice towel and an ice vest [so I have] been able to cool down and relax and that worked.”
She described the triumph as an “incredible” experience.
There was joy for Hollie Arnold, too, after she claimed her fifth consecutive F46 javelin title at the championships.
The 29-year-old, who has represented Wales in the Commonwealth Games, produced her golden throw of 41.06m in the fourth round.
Like Fortune, she had been underwhelmed by her effort at the Tokyo Paralympics, when she returned home with a bronze.
But her latest show amounted to a wonderful return to her form.
“I was heartbroken after Tokyo but that just ignited the fire within me,” she said.
“Coming here to retain my title and throw the furthest I have since 2019, I am so happy.”
Arnold, who was born without a right forearm, hails from England but moved to Wales at a young age.
Her previous golds were won in Lyon in 2013, Doha (2015), London (2017) and Dubai (2019).
DARTS
Another sportsperson with an exceptional ability to throw is in action this weekend, in the shape of Welshman Gerwyn Price at the World Matchplay darts in Blackpool.
The Iceman, as the former world champion is known, will be a major contender in the event at the Winter Gardens.
He has already captured two Euro Tour titles in 2023 and was in the final of the Premier League Darts.
Llanelli’s Jonny Clayton is also expected to mount a strong challenge.
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Final Test For Mark Jones' Young Wales U20 Stars
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
The final examination of the term for Wales’s young rugby players is set to bring a number of new and challenging questions.
Mark Jones’ side face Australia in the fifth-place playoff on Friday (1pm UK time) in the U20 World Rugby Championship in South Africa.
Wales emerged with flying colours from their meeting with Georgia and their renowned maul in the ranking match in Paarl, played on a pitch that resembled a chocolate blancmange. Wales won 40-21 via a display that pleased the coaches.
But the young Wallabies have different strengths, including an ability to play a wide game.
In four games so far in the tournament, Australia’s wings have scored six tries, three of them from the impressive Darby Lancaster.
They also name the highly rated Queensland Reds playmaker Harry McLaughlin-Phillips at full-back against Wales. He has a reputation for being able to open defences, whether from No. 15 or fly-half, where he sometimes plays.
Wales at least know what’s coming.
“We’re expecting a much more expansive game,” said head coach Jones.
“Not that Georgia aren’t an expansive team, but the conditions in Paarl were quite difficult under foot and the ball was a little bit greasy, so we couldn’t move it into space.
“The pitch is going to be wider, drier and the weather prospects a bit better overhead. I think Australia will look to move the ball to the edge a lot more efficiently than Georgia, so they provide a different challenge.
“But I’m confident if we get the defence right like we did against Georgia, we can deal with it.”
Wales have attacking threats themselves, of course.
Their half-backs Archie Hughes and Dan Edwards have looked quite the part, with Edwards’ game-control against Georgia outstanding and Hughes never less than alert, while Louie Hennessey has been a strong-running centre, Lewis Lloyd a lively and industrious hooker and Morgan Morse to the fore every time he has taken the field.
Rare is the game when 18-year-old back-rower Morse doesn’t come up with something special.
Against Japan, he nailed down a Welsh victory with hard carrying that yielded tries, while against Georgia he stopped an opponent with a thudding tackle late on and somehow managed a turnover a split-second later despite being under ferocious pressure himself.
Plenty of positives for Jones, then.
That said, the Australia game will be a good yardstick for his side, who were mediocre against France, much better against Georgia and somewhere in between against New Zealand and Japan. They will want to improve their scrummaging.
The last match will help frame the verdict on the class of ’23.
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Cool Connor Keeps The New Saints In European Contention
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
Anyone wanting to know how The New Saints’ hopes of progressing in the Champions League are somehow still alight need look no further than “the best goalkeeper in Welsh football’s top division by a million miles”.
Step forward, Connor Roberts.
The shot-stopper who doubles up as one of his club’s academy coaches prevented a difficult situation becoming an impossible one with two remarkable injury-time saves against BK Hacken in the opening leg of the first-round qualifier in Gothenburg.
Hacken will take a 3-1 lead into next Tuesday’s return clash at Park Hall but they will be vexed that their margin of victory wasn’t greater at the Bravida Arena Stadium.
Saints, by contrast, will be clinging to the hope that an against-the-odds upset might just be possible, particularly if they can nick an early goal in the second leg.
They have Roberts to thank for keeping them just about in the tie.
The man TNS head coach Craig Harrison has described as Welsh Premier League’s best keeper by a million miles first denied Even Hovland in the 92nd-minute by clawing away a bullet header that had ‘back of the net’ scrawled all over it.
As Hacken upped their quest for the fourth strike that would have surely pushed TNS towards the exit door, Roberts delivered yet again to deny Franklin Tebo from point-blank range.
His efforts mean all hope hasn’t been taken away from the Welsh champions.
They made a terrible start that saw them fall 2-0 behind inside the opening 13 minutes, with Ibrahim Sadiq and Mikkel Rygaard striking for the hosts.
Harrison’s side got themselves back into the game when Declan McManus headed home from a Jordan Williams’ cross in the 32nd-minute, only for Hovland to restore Hacken’s two-goal cushion.
TNS were better after the break, when they effectively parked the bus, often with the entire side behind the ball.
Ryan Astles and Joshua Daniels stood tall for them, but Hacken were more composed and skilful on the ball and the challenge facing the Welsh Premier League team next week is a major one.
In the Europa Conference League clash at the Dunraven Brewery Field, Penybont drew 1-1 with FC Santa Coloma, of Andoora.
The visitors took a first-half lead from Mario Mourela’s free-kick, which defeated home keeper Alex Harris.
In front of a crowd of 1,400, Chris Venables levelled matters during a lively second period that saw both sides create opportunites.
Elsewhere in the Conference League, Connah’s Quay Nomads slipped up in Iceland as they lost their first leg tie against KA Akureyri, with goals from Hallgrímur Mar Steingrímsson and Daniel Hafsteinsson securing a 2-0 success for the hosts.
And Haverfordwest County came unstuck 1-0 on the road against North Macedonian team Shkendija.
The match saw the west Walians make their return to European football after a 19-year-absence.
But a strike from Adenis Shala won Shkendija the spoils on the night.
The Conference return legs take place next Thursday.
FOOTBALL TRANSFERS
Wales captain Aaron Ramsey is set to complete a dramatic return to his boyhood club Cardiff City.
The midfielder underwent a medical with Erol Bulut’s team on Thursday.
The potential move is being touted as one of the biggest Welsh football club transfers in history.
Wrexham have also been active in the transfer market, signing defender Will Boyle from Championship club Huddersfield Town for their return to the Football League in the 2023-24 season.
He will join for the club’s pre-season tour of the USA.
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Unveiling the Game-Changing Innovation: Goal Light Tech Founder Michael Press Shares His Journey and Vision
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
In this insightful Q&A, we had the privilege of sitting down with Michael Press, the visionary behind Goal Light Tech.
As the founder and CEO of this ground-breaking company, Michael shares his journey, inspiration, and the incredible impact his innovative technology is making in the world of sport.
Discover how Goal Light Tech is transforming the way fans experience live sporting events, bringing the thrill and excitement of the game right into their homes.
Can you tell us a little bit about the journey of Goal Light Tech?
Sure, absolutely! So, before working for CSM in Dubai, I used to work for a sports branding company. My role involved setting up stadiums and organizing sports events worldwide. It gave me first-hand exposure to the process of building stadiums and implementing fan engagement strategies. It was during this time that I got the idea for Goal Light Tech from looking at how cricket had started using lights on the stumps to show the bails had been removed. I thought, why not apply a similar concept to rugby? Being a huge rugby fan myself, I wanted to improve the fan experience in the sport.
How did Goal Light Tech progress from the initial idea?
Well, I discussed the idea with my tech director, who is based in Las Vegas, and together, we brainstormed a plan to get things rolling. We noticed that as stadiums kept getting bigger, it became challenging for fans to see if a kick or a drop goal was successful from certain parts of the ground.
There is always that secondary cheer from a portion of the crowd who couldn’t witness the action. I believe that sports should create memorable moments for everyone, regardless of where they are sitting. That’s what fuelled our determination to make Goal Light Tech a reality.
What were the challenges faced during the approval process?
Ah, it was quite a journey to gain approval from World Rugby. We had to go through extensive testing, and needed to ensure that our technology wouldn’t impact the ball’s rebound or speed. World Rugby was particularly concerned about any potential deflection. However, we developed the Wrap system, which cleverly follows the curvature of the post without affecting the ball’s trajectory.
Eventually, we obtained the green light from World Rugby and successfully showcased our technology at the following events…
- Hong Kong Sevens in 2018
- World Nine’s tournament in Australia
- Sevens World Cup in Cape Town
- European Champions and Challenge Cup in Marseille (Heineken Cup Final)
- Big game 13 and 14 in Twickenham where it reacts with DJ’s playing pre Match
Are there any additional features or sports you are considering?
Absolutely! Our system is highly versatile and can be configured to cater to various sports that involve posts. We’ve already had the pleasure of showcasing Goal Light Tech in events like the State of Origin in Australia, which was truly amazing. We’ve also ventured into football, although it’s mostly been for invitational one-off games. However, achieving FIFA approval would open up even more possibilities for us. Additionally, we’re exploring potential applications in Gaelic Football, American football, hockey, and lacrosse.
What’s next for Goal Light Tech?
Well, we have a couple of exciting things lined up. We are involved in Soccer Aid at Old Trafford, which will be broadcasted on ITV. It’s a fantastic opportunity for us to reach a broader audience. As for advertising, we primarily focus on social media to share updates and engage with our audience.
Soccer Aid has a unique aspect with a constant cyan blue light that changes when a goal is scored, adding a nice touch. Looking ahead, we’re also in we’re just talking about planning to the Olympics. Super cool. And we’ll show innovation in the Olympics.
And what does the future hold?
We have several exciting projects in the pipeline. Currently the focus is on our involvement in the 2023 Paris Olympics Sevens event, which is really exciting, but hopefully there will be more events popping up in the coming months.
Goal Light Tech is primarily a Sevens product, and we’ve already established ongoing contracts with the Hong Kong and Dubai Sevens events. But we are aiming to continue growing and enhancing our product.
Interestingly, we’ve also begun discussions about exploring ways to improve the experience for visually impaired fans. It’s something we didn’t initially consider, but as we expand, we want to ensure inclusivity and accessibility for all.
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Wales’ Fastest Man Of All Time . . . Jeremiah Azu Smashes Christian Malcom’s 22-Year Record
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
ATHLETICS
Wales has a new fastest man in the history of the nation.
Step forward, Jeremiah Azu.
The 22-year-old broke Christian Malcolm’s 100 metre record – set in 2001, the year Azu was born – on day one of the UK Athletics Championships on Saturday.
Thunderstorms had been forecast for Manchester, but it was Azu and new British record-holder Zharnel Hughes who provided the lightening on the track in the shadow of the Etihad Stadium.
The pair literally went face to face in the final stages of their semi-final which saw Hughes just edge the win in 10.06, but it was Azu’s time of 10.08 which broke the Welsh record of 10.11.
And Malcolm was there amongst the cheering crowds along the home straight to see his record fall.
In fact, the former Great Britain star and Welsh sprinting legend had predicted Azu would be the man to better his mark when the young Cardiff athlete won the UK title at the same stadium 12 months ago.
Welsh Athletics chief executive James Williams said: “It was an amazing run to break the record and nice to see previous record holder Christian Malcolm going straight to Jez’s family to congratulate them. What a class act.”
Azu later ran 10.28 to finish fourth in the final won by Zharnel Hughes, in monsoon conditions.
Pembrokeshire Harriers’ Heather Warner took gold in Sunday’s 5km walk final.
It was a Welsh one-two in the event, with Azu’s Cardiff Athletics team-mate Bethan Davies taking silver.
In the shot put, another Welsh athlete took gold with Adele Nicoll proving her progress, while there was bronze for Melissa Courtney Bryant in the 1500m.
NETBALL
Wales beat Scotland 56-52 in their final warm-up match before they leave for the Netball World Cup in South Africa.
Welsh Feathers led 30-25 at half-time and kept their noses in front, despite Scottish Thistles having the better of a tight second-half at Cardiff’s House of Sport.
The hosts were captained by the experienced Nia Jones and included Christina Shaw, Ella Powell-Davies, Clare Jones, Bethan Dyke, Phillipa Yarranton and Georgia Rowe in the starting line-up.
Wales and Scotland both qualified for the 2023 Netball World Cup in Cape Town after securing the top two places at the European Qualifier in Glasgow.
Welsh Feathers begin their campaign against South Africa on 28 July, before facing Jamaica and Sri Lanka in Group C.
GYMNASTICS
Elizabeth Popova marked her first Rhythmic British Championships as a senior gymnast with a five-medal haul in Telford.
The Welsh Commonwealth games star took bronze in the senior all-around competition on Saturday, scoring 103.950 overall across her four pieces of apparatus, which included 27.500 with the hoop, 27.700 with the ball, 26.050 with the clubs and 22.700 with the ribbon.
Then, returning on Sunday, she went even better to add two golds and two silvers in the apparatus finals.
It comes a week after Popova added the Welsh senior rhythmic all-around and all four apparatus titles to her list of honours.
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Wales Youngsters Now Gunning For Their Best Finish At U20 World Championships For 10 Years
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
Mark Jones believes his Wales team are on course for their best finish in a decade at the World Rugby U20 Championships in South Africa.
A team that was whitewashed in last season’s Six Nations have bounced back and underlined that recovery with an impressive six-try 40-21 victory over Georgia at the weekend.
The victory means Wales have qualified for a fifth-place shoot-out against Australia, which if they win would give them their best finish at this tournament since they were runners-up in 2013.
Skippered by Ryan Woodman, a Dragons star of the future, Wales produced their most effective and disciplined performance so far.
Jones said: “We’re so excited to be playing Australia. We wanted to be in the top four, but we deserve to be in this fifth-place play-off final.
“Now it is a case of how well we recover and what we learn from the game against Georgia. What a great opportunity to go into a big game against one of the best rugby nations in the world.”
Wales will meet the Aussies on Friday, so have a few days to patch themselves up after a bruising clash against the tough-tackling Georgians.
Jones added: “We haven’t played Australia yet, but we know they have just beaten New Zealand. We felt we should have done that as well in our opening game.”
The Georgians had impressed everyone by beating Argentina and Italy, as well as pushing host nation South Africa all the way, in their pool matches.
It meant they were guaranteed their highest ever finish at the tournament even before they met Wales for a place in the fifth place final.
They hung in during a tight first half which Wales edged 7-6. Then, there was no stopping the Welsh youngsters as they plundered five more tries to earn themselves a clash with Australia.
As Wales look forward to their battle against the Aussies, the senior squad are also thinking about their own clash against the Wallabies at the September World Cup.
Warren Gatland’s players have continued their training camp in Fiesch in Switzerland.
Wales’ head conditioning coach, Huw Bennett says: “Coming to Fiesch is definitely a highlight of our pre-season.
“It’s something we’ve planned for a long time and we’ve had a good block of training so far.
“It’s our third time coming to Fiesch for an altitude camp. It’s a method of ‘live high, train low’, so we live at altitude at 2,400 metres up.
“Up there you get the natural adaptations of living at altitude, like increased hemoglobin mass and better transport of oxygen around the body. By training low, it means you don’t compromise on the intensity of your training.”
“There are other benefits as well and we feel it works very well.”