These are your evening rugby headlines on Monday, April 22.
Wales hero lands CEO role
Former Wales hooker Richard Hibbard has landed a major new role as CEO of Wales Rugby League.
The 40-year-old won 38 caps for his country and became a cult hero, winning two Six Nations titles and touring with the British & Irish Lions in 2013. At club level, he represented Ospreys, Gloucester, Dragons, Aberavon and Swansea before hanging up his boots six years ago.
However, before switching to union, he played rugby leage for Aberavon Fighting Irish, representing them in the first ever Wales Rugby League Grand Final in 2003 and earning a cap for Wales Dragonhearts in the same year. Hibbard also owns two restaurants in his home town of Port Talbot, while he also launched his own successful rum brand, Mortal Bunny.
His new role will see him create partnerships to support the development of rugby league in Wales at all levels, from grassroots up to the senior international sides.
“I’m delighted to join Wales Rugby League,” said Hibbard. “Rugby league has always been important to me and I would have loved to have had a season or two as a player. But now I’m presented with the next best thing – an amazing opportunity to bring awareness of the rich talent we have in our country.
“I want to grow the sport of league in Wales the right way, from the bottom up, and shaping the game that’s right for Wales, creating opportunities both within the community all the way to elite levels, built on strong foundations.
“To do that, we’ll all need to work together. Integral to that will be strengthening relationships with our stakeholders, and creating new partnerships and relationships that are mutually beneficial."
Wales lock ends international career
Wales Women lock Shona Wakley has announced she is stepping away from international rugby.
The 33-year-old, who has won 45 caps for her country after making her debut at the 2010 Rugby World Cup, was named in Ioan Cunningham's squad for the current Six Nations. However, she has not featured during the campaign, with her last international appearance coming against Scotland at the 2020 tournament.
Following Wales' 40-0 defeat to France on Sunday, Wakley (nee Powell-Hughes) took to X to announce her decision to end her 14-year career in a Welsh jersey. However, she is not retiring from rugby completely having impressed for Brython Thunder in the Celtic Challenge this season.
"The time has come to announce I will be stepping away from the international stage," she wrote. "Proud to have played a small part in the development of the women's game in Wales and to have experienced both amateur and pro rugby.
"Stay humble and never compromise who you are!!"
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Coach warns new Welsh star ahead of 'tug-of-war'
Gloucester head coach George Skivington wants to keep Josh Hathaway's feet firmly on the ground after the Welsh-qualified star impressed again at the weekend.
Playing on the wing, the 20-year-old crossed for a second-half hat-trick in the Cherry & Whites' defeat to Saracens in the latest of a string of fine performances for the Premiership club which have seen him lauded as the natural replacement to Louis Rees-Zammit.
Hathaway represented Wales at U20 level before jumping ship to England U20 last year and if he keeps up his form another tug-of-war between the two nations is likely to happen in the coming months.
But amid all the speculation, Skivington is wanting to keep the 'world-class' back's head out of the clouds.
“When you put the ball in his hands, he is world class, and he’s scored a good few tries like that,” the director of rugby said. “He’s a big one for Gloucester, and potentially two different nations, and I don’t want him to get too far ahead of himself.
“He’s a good kid, he works really hard, and his natural position probably is full-back, but we just found a space for him on the wing, and he’s quick enough.
“He’ll get exposed at both over the next couple of seasons – we don’t want him to go to the NFL as well!”
Six Nations star ruled out of Dragons clash
Ireland wing Mack Hansen is nearing a return from injury after four months on the sidelines, but will miss Connacht's URC clash with the Dragons this weekend.
The 26-year-old hasn't played since he dislocated his shoulder against Munster on New Year's Day, with surgery keeping him out of this year's Six Nations. There was a chance he could have made his return against Dai Flanagan's side on Saturday as a "best case scenario", but that has failed to materialise.
Instead, he is expected back in the fold to face Munster again on May 11.
"There was a best-case scenario where he could have been available for Dragons," said Connacht head coach Pete Wilkins. ‘The unknown bit is working his way through the return to contact.
"He’s doing all the running and team elements in training in a non-contact bib but it’s the landing on the ground, the breakdown work, the tackle. It’s making sure, not just medically he’s good to go but in his own mind as well, he doesn’t feel compromised and suffer any loss of technique through that," he added.
"‘He’s working really well through that and I’d hope he’ll be available for Munster."
