Today's rugby news as Wales selectors head to England for Six Nations scouting mission
Here are the latest rugby headlines on Saturday, January 4.
Wales coaches on English scouting mission as Wimbush plays
Wales' coaching team will head over the Severn bridge to England this weekend on a pre-Six Nations scouting mission that could prove decisive.
With no Welsh regions in United Rugby Championship action, the national selectors will be keeping a close eye on events in the English Premiership, where a number of prospective candidates will be staking their claims ahead of Warren Gatland naming his squad the week after next.
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Saturday's action sees five Wales players start for Gloucester against Sale Sharks, with Max Llewellyn and Josh Hathaway on the wings, Tomos Williams and Gareth Anscombe at half-back and Freddie Thomas in the second row.
Tommy Reffell and Nicky Smith both start for Leicester against Exeter Chiefs, who are led by Dafydd Jenkins.
Perhaps the most intriguing player on show, though, is Exeter centre Zack Wimbush, who is being tipped as a potential Six Nations bolter.
The 21-year-old was born in Hong Kong but qualifies for Wales and England. At 6ft 6in and 118kg, the youngster, who can play both centre and wing, has the size to make his mark on the international game and has made the highest number of metres post-contact in all four major domestic competitions in world rugby - United Rugby Championship, Gallagher Premiership, Top 14 and Super Rugby Pacific.
He starts in the number 13 jersey against the Tigers.
New Wales star to stay in England
Gloucester Rugby have announced new Wales international Freddie Thomas has committed his future to the club.
The club say the 23-year-old actually signed a new deal before his recent international debut against South Africa, meaning he can continue to represent Wales. If he signed the contract afterwards, he would be ineligible to play for Wales under the 25-cap rule.
Thomas has been one of the club's best players this season and has made 50 appearances since his debut against Lyon in 2020.
He said: “I’m thrilled to sign a new deal with my home club.
“Skivs and the coaching staff here have put a lot of time and effort into my development. I’m loving my rugby at the moment and I’m just trying to keep working hard to develop my game and get better.
“We’ve come a long way as a team and there’s still more to come from us, I’m really excited to be part of the journey.”
Director of Rugby, George Skivington, added: “We’re really happy to secure Freddie’s services moving forward. Part of our ethos here is to develop homegrown lads into regular first-team players and internationals, Freddie is a great example of that.
“He’s already an established face in the squad at a young age, and he’s only got further developing to do, so that’s exciting."
Ex-England coach leaves fortune
Former England and Bath coach Jack Rowell has left a huge £5.3million fortune to his family.
Rowell died aged 87 in July last year. He was a major figure in English rugby, leading the national team from 1994 to 1997, including winning a Grand Slam.
While he is best known for making Bath the dominant force in English rugby during the 80s and 90s, he also enjoyed a successful career in the food industry as head of Golden Wonder when the company forged ahead with sales of the now iconic Pot Noodle.
Rowell, who lived in Wiltshire, left an estate valued at £5,335,939, the Sun report.
He left cash gifts of £5,000 to each of his grandchildren while the remainder was left to his two sons Dominic and Christian.
Bristol ready for ‘exciting occasion’ with Ilona Maher set to make Bears bow
By Rachel Steinberg and Andrew Baldock, PA
Bristol are ready for a “hugely exciting occasion” as social media sensation Ilona Maher prepares to make her Bears debut in front of a record crowd.
American back Maher has more than eight million followers combined on Instagram and TikTok.
Her three-month Bristol contract begins against reigning Premiership Women’s Rugby champions Gloucester-Hartpury at Ashton Gate on Sunday in a repeat of last season’s final.
More than 8,000 tickets have been sold – almost double Bears’ previous record attendance for a women’s game – with Maher set to feature off the bench.
She arrived back in the west country on Wednesday after spending a week at the club in early December.
And the 28-year-old has already made a significant impact, generating a considerable increase in replica shirt sales, while Bristol’s Instagram following has risen from 21,000 to 67,000 since her signing was announced.
Bears head coach Dave Ward said: “With a crowd of nearly 8,000 expected at Ashton Gate on Sunday, it’s a hugely exciting occasion and we’re hoping to give them something to cheer about.
“We understand the importance of the game in the context of our season, and the quality of the reigning champions, but we head into the game with confidence and relishing the occasion and the challenge.”
Maher, who can play at both at centre and wing, won sevens bronze with the United States in Paris, then went on to become the runner-up on Dancing with the Stars, the American equivalent of Strictly Come Dancing.
The 28-year-old has not played in 15s since 2021, but is hoping to reacquaint herself with the format in hopes of earning a place on the USA squad that will travel to this summer’s World Cup in England.
She first played 15s in college at Quinnipiac University and earned two international caps during the 2021 Pacific Four Series.
Maher is the most followed rugby player on social media and rose to fame combining messages of body positivity and female empowerment with her signature sharp sense of humour.
