Matt Bush is World Champion Again in Mexico
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PARA-TAEKWONDO
Welsh Para star Matt Bush struck gold at the World Para-taekwondo Championships in Mexico at the weekend.
Bush, 34, overcame the USA’s Evan Medell in his final to clinch his second world title having been Britain’s first male Para-taekwondo world champion in 2019.
Wales’ Beth Munro took silver in Veracruz after losing a hard-fought final against Silva De Moura of Brazil.
Munro was also a silver medallist at the 2020 Olympics, but Bush missed the delayed Games in Tokyo in 2021 with a knee injury.
CYCLING
Welsh riders Luke Rowe and Josh Tarling helped ensure Great Britain finished the 2023 UEC Road European Championships at the top of the medal table.
GB came away with two gold and two silver medals, concluding the event with a valiant effort from the elite men’s road race squad, although they were unable to get among the medals in that final event.
In a thrilling race, the British squad of Lewis Askey, Sean Flynn, Rowe, Mark Stewart, Tarling, Ben Turner, Ethan Vernon and Sam Watson were in the mix from the start.
A breakaway of five riders saw the first significant move of the day, with recently crowned elite men’s ITT European champion Tarling involved.
The quintet managed to get a strong 90-second lead up the road.
A crash in the peloton saw a number of riders, including Rowe and Vernon needing bike changes, allowing the lead group to extend their lead to almost two minutes.
ICE HOCKEY
The Cardiff Devils suffered defeat as they warmed up for their Elite League season opener at home to Glasgow Clan.
The Devils lost 4-2 at Coventry Blaze in their second Challenge Cup game.
Ian McNulty gave Blaze the lead, but Trevor Cox levelled for the visitors, who had beaten Guildford Flames 4-2 at home in the competition on Saturday.
HOCKEY
Swansea Hockey Club lost their first National Hockey League Division One North match of the season at home to Durham University.
Swansea went down 2-0 at Ashleigh Road Playing Fields and now face a trip to play Wakefield in round two.
In the Men’s Premier Division, Cardiff and Met earned a first win of the season with a 3-2 triumph away at Reading.
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The Bulut Train Rides On As Erol Takes Cardiff City Up To Seventh
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The transformation of Cardiff City continues with the club now up to seventh place in the Championship table.
Manager Erol Bulut believes his players are reaping the rewards for their hard work after they climbed to the fringes of the play-off spots.
The Bluebirds snatched a 1-0 win at Sunderland to make it three successive victories for Bulut after maximum points were taken off Swansea City and Coventry City.
“When we look at the start of the season, we were leading in a few games but losing them, and lost points,” said Bulut.
“Against the ball we didn’t work very well; there were some individual mistakes, and the concentration was not how I liked it. We have trained really hard on that, and today was great.
“Sunderland have a really good team. For me, with the ball they are one of the best teams in the Championship.
“They have real quality, good young players. Of course, for us it was not easy to get the victory, because we have seen them dominate their last games.
“But today, we showed fighting spirit. I said to my players before the game in the dressing room, they will need fighting spirit and winning spirit.”
Former Sunderland academy player Jak Alnwick kept his old club at bay before Mark McGuinness headed home a late winner.
With three minutes remaining, centre-back McGuinness headed in the only goal of the game to make it four wins from five for the Bluebirds.
Swansea City are also finally up and running under head coach Michael Duff who gained his first win in the Championship since joining the club in the summer.
A convincing 3-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday lifted the Swans out of the relegation zone and ended their longest winless League start since 1991.
“I have to say I was really pleased with the supporters,” said Duff, whose team moved up to 21st place in the table, a point above the drop zone.
“We asked them to come and support the team and at 0-0 when a couple of passes went astray, there was no negativity in the ground. That doesn’t half help the players.
“We had a moment in the second half where you think are we going to sit in again [after going ahead], but they didn’t.
“We had a bit of luck with the crossbar but once the second goal went in, you could feel the whole stadium – it was more of a sigh than a celebration because everyone’s been feeling it. Everyone wants to do well.
“The two over-riding emotions are pride and relief. I was proud of the players, the way they stuck together.”
But whilst it was a good weekend for both Welsh Championship clubs, it was a poor one for the pair battling to be among the promotion candidates in League Two.
Isaac Olaofe’s hat-trick gave Stockport an emphatic 5-0 win to end Wrexham’s seven-match unbeaten run.
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said: “It’s as bad a first half as I can remember us playing, in terms of all the fundamentals in football. They were sharper and quicker than us.
“So many times, we gave the ball away cheaply in the back third and middle third and put ourselves under pressure.
“Today we were sloppy in everything we did, and we’ve got to take our medicine.”
Just as unhappy with his team was Newport County manager Graham Coughlan, whose side crashed to a 4-1 home defeat to Bradford City at Rodney Parade.
Andy Cook scored a hat-trick for Bradford, who are managed by former Wales boss Mark Hughes.
“We were poor and the first half an hour was terrible. The goals that we conceded were unacceptable and it was a really bad day for us all,” said Coughlan.
“I feel for the supporters because the players left them short today, so I am really annoyed and frustrated.”
“I don’t want to stand here and make excuses, but we have a patched-up side at the moment and I need to get players fit and healthy. I need one or two back, otherwise we will continue to labour and limp along.”
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Wales Are Booked In . . . Quarter Finals of RWC, Here We Come!
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Check the flights, or at least make sure you book another evening in front of the TV – Wales are into the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals.
There is quite a gap between now and then – 19 days in fact – but Wales will be there in Marseille on October 14, probably facing a likely first knockout tie against Argentina.
It comes after a Wallaby walloping. Not any old Wallaby walloping, either.
Wales’ 40-6 World Cup victory over Australia was their biggest over the Wallabies since fixtures between the two countries began back in 1908.
For those old enough to remember the 38-3 World Cup drubbing against the Aussies in Cardiff back in 1991, or the 24-9 quarter-final defeat of 1999, or the 32-20 Pool match loss in 2007, or the 21-18 third-place play-off defeat in 2011, or the 15-6 reverse in 2015, this was a redemption even better than the 29-25 victory four years ago.
Wales made it three successive victories in Pool C, leaving Eddie Jones’ team close to group-stage elimination.
Warren Gatland’s men are guaranteed to top the group if they defeat Georgia in their final pool match, setting up that likely quarter-final clash against the Pumas in Marseille.
But Gatland said: “We haven’t looked past anything yet, it has been one game at a time.
“Australia came into this game feeling confident about winning. We felt confident to produce a performance today. I thought we were clinical.
“Our focus will be on Georgia, a team we lost against in the autumn (last year).
“We need to rectify that, and we need to make sure we don’t drop our standards. I think these players are well aware of that – they have worked incredibly hard.
It was Wales’ record win against Australia, overtaking a 25-point margin in 1975, and former England boss Eddie Jones will be left to face the music as the Wallabies lurch towards World Cup oblivion.
Gareth Anscombe, who landed six penalties, a drop-goal and conversion after going on for Dan Biggar in the 12th minute, said: “We talked a lot this week about family and the people we care about.
“We talk about the red wall, and to concede only six points against Australia is just remarkable.
“Dan Biggar means so much to this team, and I knew I had to just come on and do my role, and that was all I was focused on.
“The boys were really calm, and we got off to a really good start. Our boys up-front were outstanding, they dominated the set-piece, and I was just able to keep rolling forward.”
At the same Lyon venue at which Chris Coleman’s Wales football side had lost in the semi-finals of the 2016 Euros against Portugal, there were no tears this time for Welsh fans as they were able to enjoy a near picture perfect performance from start to finish.
On Biggar, Gatland added: “Dan has stretched his pec. I haven’t spoken to the medics, but I spoke to Dan, and they are saying it is probably a couple of weeks.
“We have got 13 days’ break before we take on Georgia, so that potentially rules him out of that match, just to recover. It’s not a significant injury, just a pec strain.”
Also, at the World Cup over the weekend, Ireland showed why they are many people’s favourites by beating holders South Africa, 13-8, in Pool B.
England thrashed Chile, 71-0, Georgia and Portugal drew 18-all in Wales’ pool, and Scotland kept their hopes of progress alive by hammering Tonga, 45-17.
In the Welsh Premiership Cup, there were wins for Aberavon (20-10) at home to Pontypool, Bridgend at home to RGC (35-13), Cardiff at home to Newport (38-15), Ebbw Vale at Neath (40-19) and Merthyr at Pontypridd (30-27).
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The Breitling Premier Automatic Day Date
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Paul Hornblow, Owner of Watches of Wales
Breitling is renowned the world over for its sports watches, particularly its pilot watches. But you knew that, didn’t you? Yes, even if this is your first step into the rabbit hole of wristwatches (and believe us, it most definitely is a rabbit hole), you’ll know about Breitling already. How could you not? They position themselves with all the other big names like Rolex, Omega and Tudor. If you see those three in a store, Breitling surely isn’t far away. Maybe you’ve already gone up to the window and admired their watches, glittering in the light that’s designed to make them look as attractive as possible.
If you have done this recently, think back to that time and see if you can remember whether there were any dress watches there. You’ll undoubtedly have seen the Navitimer pilot’s chronograph in all its pride and glory, and the Superocean diving watch. Maybe you’ll have even glimpsed the Chronomat, which is designed to be used in any situation. But dress watches are something Breitling doesn’t seem to do. At least, that’s the feeling we get when we walk into a retailer. Actually, that’s not true. Breitling makes some excellent dress watches, but it doesn’t shout about them from the rooftops. That’s much different from not making dress watches at all. These dressier watches are called the Premier line, and you can see why.
The origin
Breitling’s Premier line of watches is over eight decades old. When you look at the design of the watches in the current lineup on Breitling’s website, you can see the historical influences in the watches, especially the chronographs like the B25 Datora 42, which has a chronograph, calendar and moonphase function.
The old Premier models were typically chronograph pieces. Breitling has a strong historical connection to the chronograph, having been the first watchmaker to develop a wrist-worn chronograph under the tutelage of the company founder’s son Gaston Breitling. Gaston’s son, Willy Breitling, is often credited with developing the first twin-pusher chronograph mechanism. Until 1934, chronographs were monopusher affairs, meaning one pusher did the start-stop-reset function. The twin-pusher chronograph, the most common variety today, splits the start/stop and reset functions across two pushers, thereby allowing you to start and stop the chronograph as many times as you like without resetting every time.
It’s likely that Willy Breitling is also responsible for introducing the Premier. Perhaps the most interesting tidbit of information we found out about the older Premier models is that they were very often tested to the extreme. Breitling knew its watches would be used as dashboard pieces for cars and so made them extra resistant to vibrations and shocks. It’s a shame that watchmakers don’t seem to build a model range like that any more, not just Breitling, but nearly all of them.
The present-day
The Premier line of watches was re-invigorated a few years ago to the delight of many Breitling collectors. The new watches look terrific, combining classic design cues with modern ones, embracing the best of both. The Premier Automatic Day-Date 40 is an example of this, which is, sadly, no longer in production. With that said, it does present itself as an excellent buy pre-owned, and we just happen to have one in stock at the time of writing.
A Day/Date watch is a classy one. We know this very well as we’re the experts when it comes to watches like the Rolex Day-Date. The Breitling Premier Automatic Day-Date 40 is another classy affair with a simple black dial featuring gold-coloured hands and markers. There’s something almost Art Deco about this watch’s dial, especially the markers at three and nine o’clock; they’re very attractive. These lines also run down the side of the stainless-steel case and further amplify that Art Deco feel.
Thanks to a contrasting white backdrop, the day and date windows are easy to read. The date sits at the six o’clock marker above the SWISS MADE text, while the day is displayed at twelve o’clock. Notice how Breitling hasn’t needed to use any magnification to make these details easier to read; it’s a testament to their design process. It’s also helped by the fact that this watch is 40mm across.
Inside it, you’ll find the self-winding calibre B45 although it’s not on display through a sapphire caseback as it might be on some other Breitling models. The B45 calibre is a variant of the ETA2834-2 movement and has been used across many different Breitling families from the Premier and Navitimer lines and discontinued model ranges like the Transocean and Galactic models. It’s a real workhorse movement with a modern 4Hz beat rate and a 38-hour power reserve, making it perfect for daily wear.
The Premier line of watches doesn’t get advertised enough by Breitling, but that means it becomes a self-confessed connoisseur’s favourite. We love it for its distinctive dial colouration and overall classical design, but there’s way more to love about it than just those two points.
If you’re interested in purchasing a Breitling, or any other pre-owned luxury watch, please visit watchesofwales.co.uk.
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Super G Completes Tough Vuelta But Stays Positive
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CYCLING
A very tough, demanding and problem-filled Vuelta a Espana for Geraint Thomas finished at the weekend with the Welsh star coming home in 31st place.
Thomas crossed the line one hour, 47 minutes and 59 seconds behind tour winner Sepp Kruss, with Jonas Vingegaard in second and Primoz Roglic in third.
Wales’ former Tour de France winner suffered two falls and the regular loss of Ineos Grenadiers teammates throughout an eventful Vuelta.
Thomas said: “We’ve tried to enjoy ourselves but it’s been tough at times, especially for me, when you go to your room, it’s tough. It’s hard, and you think, ‘what am I doing?’
“But we’ve tried to stay positive and we’ve certainly committed. You can’t say we’ve not tried. It’s just unfortunate that we’ve not quite got the results that we’ve deserved. As I’ve said on my podcast, life’s not fair.
“Kuss is a super nice guy. Especially the fact that he is always helping and riding so well for others, it is just really nice to see him get some of his own glory.
“Especially for the English speaking native countries, the Brits, the Aussies, the Americans, and all that, everyone is super happy to see him win. But then also, obviously, he has been around a while as well, so it is not just those boys, but the whole peloton has a lot of respect for someone like Sepp.”
HOCKEY
The first Welsh team to play in the English men’s Premier Division found it tough going in their opening game.
Cardiff and Met hosted Southgate at Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens on Saturday evening after winning promotion last season.
But the game ended in a 4-1 defeat for Cardiff, proving they will need to improve to live with the best teams across the border.
Wales international Luke Hawker believes the whole of Welsh hockey can harvest the benefits of Cardiff and Met reaching the top of the tree, however.
“This is something that the club has been building towards since I first joined back in 2009,” says Hawker.
“Had we gone up into the Premier League five or six years ago, the club probably wasn’t ready for it, but we are in a much stronger position now.
“By getting to the Premier League, we are demonstrating that if we get our clubs right, then we are capable of having clubs who can compete with the strongest across England and Wales.”
“By having a Premier Division team, it means players don’t have to end up feeling they need to go to London – or even to Europe – to have that top club level experience. It proves they can stay in Wales and have the highest level of hockey that’s available in the UK.
“There are also opportunities, spin-offs to expand the sport. We want to showcase the sport and say if you want top class sport in Cardiff you don’t have to spend 80 quid to watch a Wales international rugby match, you can spend a fiver watching top level hockey and have a good experience.”
Cardiff and Met stormed to the Men’s Division 1 North title last season, losing just two of 18 matches.
“Finishing mid-table – sixth to eighth – would be a pretty successful season for us,” says Hawker.
“So long as we avoid the four-way play-offs they have down at the bottom of the table, we’ll be happy.”
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Fantastic Fiji Make Wales v Aussies A Fight For World Cup Survival
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Wales are suddenly facing a likely do-or-die World Cup showdown against Australia after Fiji’s stunning victory over the Wallabies blew Pool C wide open.
Fiji made a huge statement at the Rugby World Cup with their first win over Australia for 69 years, a thoroughly deserved victory that left the twice world champion Wallabies shellshocked.
The result in Saint-Etienne – a thrilling 22-15 victory for the Fijians – was the worst possible outcome for Wales, with Fiji picking up four points and the Aussies gaining a priceless bonus point.
It leaves Wales on top of the pool with a maximum 10 points from two matches, but with plenty of jeopardy over their place in the quarter-finals.
They are likely to need at least a losing bonus point against the Aussies this weekend to avoid being squeezed into third place in the final reckoning.
With their two toughest matches out of the way, Fiji have six points, thanks to their two losing bonus points salvaged against Wales late on.
Two maximums against Georgia and Portugal would give Fiji a total of 16 points.
If Australia beat Wales and take five points from their game against Portugal, that would give them 15 points.
Should Wales beat the Aussies, they will be expected to top the pool with a probable four wins, if they overcome Georgia.
But if they lose to the Aussies, and fail to pick up a losing bonus point, the most Wales could muster would be 15 – that could put them out of the tournament as the Wallabies would have won the head-to-head.
Australia coach Eddie Jones said: “It was a thoroughly deserved victory for Fiji.
“They outplayed us, particularly around the ruck. They had three times more turnovers than us and in a close game, that’s the difference. For some reason, we were just off.
“If you look at the stats we dominated and scored two tries to one, but we weren’t quite ourselves so there’s going to be some soul searching. It makes the Wales game pretty important.’
Denied a likely victory over Wales in their opener by a dropped pass, Fiji overpowered the Australians with direct running, explosive tackling and 11 turnovers.
Barring those in green and gold, a packed house at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard cheered each Fiji attack and every single one of the 18 penalties awarded against the Australians.
A try from centre Josua Tuisova and five penalties did the damage on the scoreboard and the Fijians backed their steely defence to keep the desperate Wallabies out in a dramatic last 10 minutes.
“It’s history for us, I just want to thank the boys,” said Tuisova, who was named man of the match. “We treated this match as a final, it’s just incredible to win.”
Australia looked better after full back Ben Donaldson moved up to take over at fly half, but Vunivalu’s late score was not enough and the Wallabies must now beat Wales in a huge clash next Sunday to avoid a likely first pool stage exit at the World Cup.
On Saturday, Wales beat Portugal 28-8 to make it two wins from two and a maximum 10 points gained.
“We are delighted to get 10 points from the first two games. If you had offered that to us before we came out here, we would have taken your hand off,” said Wales assistant coach Jonathan Humphreys.
“There were a lot of boys who hadn’t played for a while, we made a lot of changes. It was great that we got a bonus-point, and they’ve also got a fair bit of game-time.”
“We made a load of changes to give boys game-time and also to put them in a position to go for selection against Australia. To get the bonus-point in the manner that we did, right at the end, showed our resilience and desire to win.”
“It’s going to be a hell of a game,” added Humphreys about Sunday’s contest against Australia.
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Good Golly, It’s Ollie . . . Tanner Turns Derby In Cardiff’s Favour Against Swansea
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Erol Bulut has a new matchwinner and Cardiff City have a new hero after their dramatic derby day win over Swansea City at the weekend.
Bluebirds’ manager Bulut has used Ollie Tanner sparingly since the Turkish boss arrived in the capital this summer.
He even revealed after Cardiff’s 2-0 victory on Saturday night that he and the 21-year-old winger have a running joke that the player is better as a substitute than when he starts.
Tanner scored his first professional goal and made Cardiff’s second as they ended a run of four South Wales derby defeats.
A dour game was lit up by the introduction of a player who was earning his corn in non-League for York last season and took only 41 seconds to blast the Bluebirds ahead from a tight angle.
His sensational cameo continued against a toothless Swansea when racing past Kristian Pedersen late on. The Denmark defender hauled him down on the edge of the area, and after referee Samuel Barrott judged the contact continued into the box, Aaron Ramsey stepped up to seal victory from 12 yards.
Swansea had only lost four of their previous 12 derbies but after coming up short in Cardiff remain one of only three teams in the Championship yet to have tasted victory this season and are in the relegation zone.
Their hosts rise to 15th, five points above the drop.
“Ollie Tanner is a good player,” said Bulut. “He will make mistakes, but I count on him. If he comes from the bench, he gives a better performance than if he starts in the first XI, we have a joke about it.
“I had already seen what he showed today [to keep him around]. One-v-one he is good, coming inside he has a good shot, he can dribble inside, but he’s also good on his right foot and we train with him on it every week.”
Bulut also paid tribute to Cardiff’s supporters who sang through the driving rain at a stadium where the roofs of the stands offer little protection in a swirling wind.
“The fans were great. From the first minute to the end of the game, they were supporting the team perfectly. I said to the team, ‘we have to be ready, the fans are ready’. Today [Saturday] we were ready.
“We showed our fighting spirit, before this game, we created more chances and couldn’t score – [on Saturday] we created less and scored twice and kept a clean sheet.”
Bulut’s Swansea counterpart Michael Duff is still searching for his first win since joining the club this summer.
What has been a disappointing start and initially could be put down to teething problems following Duff’s arrival as head coach in the summer, is now in danger of becoming a full-blown crisis.
Duff has branded the type of football he inherited from previous head coach Russell Martin as “extreme” and sought a more pragmatic style.
“The first goal was always going to be important for two teams struggling for confidence,” said the former Barnsley manager.
“There’s a lack of quality really, which is not unlike us. Every time we passed the ball forwards in the second half, we gave it away. We turned it over far too many times and couldn’t build any momentum. Their subs changed the game, ours haven’t.
“We never really looked like scoring in the second half. It’s a concern, we’ve not won a game, you don’t need to be a rocket scientist.
“One thing we should have – the players who are here are good footballers. The surprising thing is that it’s the lack of quality with the ball that let us down.”
Swansea travel to Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday night, with Duff clearly now under real pressure to deliver a first league victory of the season sooner rather than later.
“There’s no question,” he added. “We need to win a game. I’m not going to sit up here and try to pull the wool over people’s eyes and say we’re not under pressure and all that sort of stuff.
“Of course you’re under pressure because it’s a winning business. We’re not going to make excuses. The facts are we need to win a game. We look low on confidence, and it looked like at 2-0 we started passing the ball again because there was no pressure.
“So it’s about having that belief and sticking to task.”
Wrexham moved up to fourth place in League Two with a comfortable 3-0 victory at home to Grimsby Town.
Wrexham assistant manager Steve Parkin said: “We’ve not quite had it in long periods, but today I thought we were really good.”
Newport County are back in 12th after being held to a 1-1 draw at Rodney Parade, where County defender Ryan Delaney was sent off for a second yellow card.
Elsewhere, former Wales striker Natasha Harding announced her retirement at the age of 34, while the women’s Genero Adran Premier kicked off with an entertaining 3-3 draw between Wrexham and Swansea City.
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Unlock Your Golf Potential: Why lifting weights is Key to Hitting the Ball Further By Dr Golf
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Golf, often described as a game of finesse, strategy, and precision, is undergoing a seismic shift in how players approach the sport. Gone are the days when golfers solely relied on their swing technique to gain distance off the tee. Today, hitting the golf ball further has become a science of training and fitness, and at the heart of this transformation lies an essential component: lifting weights
The Foundation of Power: Producing Force from the Ground Up
The secret to unlocking significant driving distance isn’t solely reliant on swing mechanics although this massively important. It’s about harnessing high levels of force from the ground up. Think of your legs as the pillars of power, and your ability to generate force through them as the catalyst for a formidable swing.
Lifting weights, specifically lower body exercises like squats, deadlifts, and lunges, is instrumental in developing this force. These compound movements engage multiple muscle groups, enhancing not only your strength but also your overall stability and balance. As you build strength in your legs and hips, you’re laying the foundation for generating explosive power in your golf swing.
Driving Force: Lower Body Exercises for Explosive Swings
Squats: The king of lower body exercises, squats target the quadriceps and glutes. These muscles are vital for generating the initial push off the ground during your swing, leading to increased clubhead speed and longer drives.
Deadlifts: Deadlifts engage the posterior chain, including the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. This exercise enhances your ability to hinge at the hips, a crucial movement in the golf swing. A stronger posterior chain translates to a more stable and forceful swing.
Lunges: Lunges work on balance, stability, and unilateral strength. This mimics the weight transfer and rotational movement in a golf swing. Lunges help you develop the dynamic stability needed to strike the ball with precision and power.
From Core Stability to Rotational Power: A Comprehensive Approach
While lower body strength is pivotal, it’s only one part of the puzzle. The golf swing is a complex movement that requires a solid core and explosive rotational power. Your core acts as a bridge between your lower and upper body, transferring energy efficiently and maintaining balance throughout the swing.
Engaging in core-specific exercises like planks, Russian twists, and cable rotations strengthens the muscles that stabilize your spine during the swing. A strong core ensures you can execute a consistent and controlled swing, essential for hitting the ball accurately.
Additionally, rotational power exercises like medicine ball throws and cable wood chops mimic the motions of a golf swing. These movements enhance your ability to generate speed and power through rotation, resulting in higher swing velocities and longer shots off the tee.
The path to hitting the ball further lies in the synergy between lower body strength, core stability, and rotational power. As a golfer, embracing weight lifting isn’t just about building muscle; it’s about optimizing your physical capabilities to excel on the course.
Ready to take your golf game to the next level? Scan the QR code below to gain free access to the Dr Golf app, offering golf-specific workouts tailored to enhance your strength, stability, and power. Equip yourself with the tools to drive the ball further, with a swing that’s both powerful and precise.
In the world of modern golf, where inches can translate to yards, weight lifting is the catalyst that can elevate your game. Embrace the evolution, harness your potential, and unleash the power within you.
Scan QR Code for Free Access to Dr Golf App 
Are you ready to hit the ball further? Embrace lifting weights and transform your game today with Dr. Golf.
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Former Hockey Player Mandy Powell Was A Straight Shooter . . . And Still Is As Boss Of The Goodwash Company
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Mandy Powell liked the simplicity and directness of the dressing room when she played international sport.
“If you were too slow, someone would tell you that you needed to work on your speed,” says the former hockey and touch rugby player, who played for Wales in both and is now the founder and CEO of The Goodwash Company.
“If your skills weren’t up to the mark, the coach would point it out. It wasn’t dressed up; it was just factual and then it was up to you how you responded to feedback.
“I never had a problem with that. But some people in business take things too personally.
“In sport, athletes take feedback as a gift because they want to improve. In business, some people take it as criticism, but I never have and that’s been a useful transferable skill I’ve taken with me.”
Powell played hockey for Wales U16s, U18s, and won two caps for the senior Wales women’s team while she was playing club hockey for Cardiff.
A torn cruciate ligament in her early 30s ended her days with the stick, but she regained her fitness and took up touch rugby, going on to become a dual sport international, attending a European Championships, where Wales finished runners-up.
Soon after, though, she tore her Achilles tendon, and turned to business, with her sporting outlets restricted to the occasional day spent surfing and daily walks with her dog.
So, what happened next?
After starting in teaching, she left a successful career with global pharmaceutical company Pfizer to create The Goodwash Company, along with former Arsenal and Wales footballer, Kelly Davies.
It’s a luxury Welsh brand of ethical skincare, you might find in the bathrooms of leading hotels and country houses or stashed deep in the kit bags of leading sports folk.
There’s a sports range which “brings a warm and peppery blend with fresh citrus zing to your post-workout shower,” – just the thing after you’ve done your cardio routine or scored a hat-trick.
But there was more to her decision to leave Surrey, and the corporate world, than just creating a luxury bi-lingually-marketed hand wash with a pleasing whiff of lavender.
“Pharmaceutical companies are about profit, profit, profit every year and more profit. That’s not really me and I think there’s more to life than that,” she says.
“I wanted a company that was not just about profit, that contributed to social entrepreneurship, that supported worthwhile causes – which we do, with charities and support for grass roots sport.
“And we wanted to make it Welsh and include the Welsh language on the product because although I’m not a Welsh speaker, the more I’ve learned about the language the more I am fascinated by it and find it beautiful.
“When we told this to some marketing companies in London, they literally laughed us out of the room and said no-one would buy it. But we’ve done it.”
When Powell sets her mind on an idea, she likes to dig in.
When teaching in Neath, she was told by the headmaster that girls didn’t play football or rugby. They were boys’ sports and didn’t need to be offered to the other half of the pupil intake.
She bypassed him and went to the parents instead, setting up teams for both sports.
“Who says girls can’t play certain sports? That was ridiculous. It’s like our brand. Who says a boy has to smell of wood and musk and girls have to smell like peonies? Why?”
The sporting links don’t end with the CEO’s own background, either. The Goodwash Company have a partnership with the Football Association of Wales and when the Welsh Rugby Union wanted to give an after-match gift pack to the players who played in the TikTok Women’s Six Nations clash at home to England this season, they chose Goodwash.
“I went into the President’s lounge after the game and one of the England players, Sarah Bern, came up to me and said, ‘Are you Goodwash? I recognise you from Instagram. I love your stuff! I buy it all the time!’
“And she pulled out a bottle of ours and told me she takes it everywhere with her and her teammates loved it, too.”
So, if you see an international sportswoman – or man – heading for the dressing room, the chances are they could have a bottle from The Goodwash Company wrapped up in their towel.
“I like sports people and I have a lot to be grateful for, having played sport, which I take into business.
“I like to say things as they are, to speak my mind, and give it to people straight. You have to do that in sport, and it works in business, too, otherwise you waste a lot of time in a conversational word salad.
“Sport also teaches you to adapt and learn new skills on the go. That’s another invaluable transfer into the business world.
“That old saying about jumping out of an aircraft and learning to make a parachute on the way down. It’s true.”
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Glamorgan Need Inspiration to Revive Promotion Dream
holly price
CRICKET
Glamorgan’s hopes of promotion were thin ahead of their penultimate Division Two County Championship match and they looked slimmer still after the weekend.
Victory against Yorkshire at Sophia Gardens is essential, but they were on the back foot on day one as Yorkshire made a formidable 330 for 3 on the first day of four.
Tykes captain Shan Masood hit an unbeaten on 113 and Finlay Bean struck 11 fours on his way to 93 on a slow pitch that offered little assistance for the bowling side.
The only Glamorgan bowler to cause the visitors many problems was Jamie McIlroy who took two wickets for 41 runs.
Glamorgan will hope for better on day two of the match, but McIlroy admitted: “There’s not a whole lot of pace in the wicket and it’s quite easy to score, so bowling defensively isn’t easy also. We’re trying to be as patient as we can, hit good areas and hopefully a bit of luck will come our way.”
ROWING
Swansea Para rower Ben Pritchard took a bronze medal at the World Rowing Championships in Belgrade.
But Pritchard admitted to mixed feelings as he was hoping to upgrade his previous bronze to either silver or gold.
The Great Britain para rower collected a second successive bronze in the PR1 men’s single sculls.
It was an impressive display from Pritchard, given the 31-year-old had not raced this season due to injury.
But he said: “I think it’s a missed opportunity this year to move up the field. Given that I’ve only had 12 weeks training this season, it’s a worthwhile effort and we can build on it for next year.
“I’m happy, I’m just a bit gutted at the same time. But that’s the life of an athlete, you’re never quite happy with your performance. I did the plan, I executed it and I didn’t have anything left – that’s all you can ask for at the end of the day.”
TAEKWONDO
Jade Jones produced a stunning performance to beat former world champion Luo Zongshi in Paris to claim her second World Taekwondo Grand Prix final success of the year.
Wales’ revitalised double Olympic gold medallist defeated her Chinese opponent 2-0 in the final of the –57kg division, gaining a measure of revenge for last year’s world championship semi-final defeat.
Team-mate Aaliyah Powell took bronze in the same weight category while Rebecca McGowan (+67kg) and Caden Cunningham (+80kg) left the French capital with silver medals.
Jones, 30, from Flint, has now won her last three tournaments and dominated Zongshi to win the opening two rounds with 17-9 points aggregate.