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☆ Louis Rees-Zammit: Getting a foothold in the NFL is almost impossible – even if you’re a professional athlete
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Thomas Schlachter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

‘Big NFL fan’Rees-Zammit is a Welsh international rugby union player and one of the sport’s biggest talents. Gray recalls being amazed when he first learned of the off-field work NFL players and coaches were doing. He imitates holding a chunky playbook – staggered by the sheer number of plays that NFL players need to become fluent in. According to the NFL, 37 international players have joined teams – allocated, drafted or signed as a free agent – since the IPP’s inception. “He’s a big NFL fan, he’s young … he’s right at the beginning of his journey.

Persons: you’ve, Louis Rees, Zammit, Rees, ‘, ’ Rees, ”, “, ” Rees, Warren Little, Ben Kay, CNN’s Don Riddell, ” Peter O’Reilly, Richie Gray –, –, ” Gray, Gray, there’s, Zammits, Damien Meyer, “ Rees, Warren Gatland, haven’t, Scot applauds, he’s, Frederic Dides, Jordan Mailata, Jakob Johnson, Efe Obada, Sammis Reyes, David Bada, Mailata, Mailata’s, Philadelphia . Gray, Jeff Stoutland –, Andy Lewis, Christian Wade, ” Wade, Wade, Will Rees, Kay, …, let’s, he’ll Organizations: CNN, NFL, National Football League, Welsh, rugby, Wales, Gloucester, British & Irish Lions, Lions, Lion, Gloucester Rugby, Six Nations, England rugby, TNT Sports, Netflix, IMG Academy, Rugby, CNN Sport, Toulon –, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, NCAA, Dolphins, “, Getty, Zammit’s Wales, American, –, Las Vegas Raiders, Washington, IPP, 233rd, Eagles, Buffalo Bills, Racing Locations: Britain, Ireland, Bradenton , Florida, Scottish, Zammit’s, Zammit, Australia, Philadelphia ., ”, France

☆ Wales crash out in quarter-finals but show improvement through tournament
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Mark Gleeson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Wales produced an impressive comeback at the Rugby World Cup from a litany of recent woes and, although they ultimately crashed and burned in Saturday's quarter-final, leave the tournament in a better place than when they arrived in France. "There's some exciting players coming through, players who aren't here. Hopefully they're inspired by this," he said after Saturday's quarter-final defeat"We're all gutted about that as it slipped away from us. Gatland has seen Wales through previous highs and lows, although more highs in the time he coached from 2007-2019, finishing his first stint by taking Wales to the semi-final at the last World Cup in Japan. He signed a five-year deal on his return in December which allows him another tilt at the next World Cup in Australia four years from now and Wales will surely keep him on, given his undoubted acumen.

Persons: Warren Gatland, you've, We've, Gatland, they're, they've, Muralikumar Organizations: Rugby, Wales, Six Nations, England, Fiji, Thomson Locations: Wales, France, Argentina, Marseille, Japan, Australia, UNDERCOOKED Wales, Bordeaux, Lyon

☆ Wales tone down preparations as World Cup quarter-final looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOULON, France, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Wales coach Warren Gatland has deliberately toned down his side’s preparations this week, even though they face their most important game in four years, against Argentina in the World Cup quarter-finals on Saturday. We purposely had a heavier week last week as we knew we were in the quarter-finals. Asked about the peculiarities of the knockout stages, Gatland said: “I think the first challenge is the pressure you’re under, firstly to make the knockout stages. “The quarter-final then poses pressure as you’re either here until the end of the tournament or you’re going home on Monday. Gatland said Wales faced a “big challenge” from Argentina despite their failure to impress at the tournament so far.

Persons: Warren Gatland, Gatland, “, ”, We’re, Wales, they’ve, They’ve, We’ve, Mark Gleeson, Toby Davis Organizations: Georgia, Marseille, England, Thomson Locations: TOULON, France, Wales, Argentina, South Africa, Japan, Samoa, Marseille, Paris

☆ Biggar back for Wales in boost for World Cup quarter-final with Argentina
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TOULON, France, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Wales' influential flyhalf Dan Biggar will start this weekend's Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Argentina in Marseille with Tommy Reffell named on Thursday in place of the injured Taulupe Faleatu. Along with Biggar, Wales also named experienced fullback Liam Williams for Saturday's match despite him being taken off with a knee injury in their final pool match last weekend, a 43-19 win over Georgia in Nantes. Williams was later seen using crutches but coaching staff this week said it was a precautionary measure to take weight off his leg. “It’s exciting to enter into the knockout stages of the tournament and we are ready for the challenge of a quarter-final. We haven't had the perfect performance yet, but we have shown that we are a hard team to beat.

Persons: Dan Biggar, Tommy Reffell, Taulupe Faleatu, Biggar, Liam Williams, Williams, Faleatu, Aaron Wainwright, Jac Morgan, Adam Beard, Dafydd Jenkins, Gareth Anscombe, Sam Costelow, “, Warren Gatland, “ We’re, haven't, ”, Louis Rees, George North, Nick Tompkins, Josh Adams, Gareth Davies, Will Rowlands, Tomas Francis, Ryan Elias, Gareth Thomas Replacements, Dewi, Corey Domachowski, Dillon Lewis, Tshiunza, Tomos Williams, Rio Dyer, Mark Gleeson, Ken Ferris Organizations: Rugby, Argentina, Georgia, ” Wales, Thomson Locations: TOULON, France, Wales, Marseille, Biggar, Nantes, Georgia, Argentina, Zammit, Paris

☆ Wales's victory over Fiji raises hopes of emulating 2019 semi-final spot
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Australia are the other Tier 1 nation in the pool and fancied to advance with the pre-tournament expectation that either Fiji or Wales would take the other qualifying spot. England are one of two teams that Wales managed to beat in eight internationals played this year before the World Cup. Although it is still a long way off, the Welsh could be eyeing a semi-final spot thanks to Sunday’s success in Bordeaux. This is despite a year of mediocre returns as they lost four of five games in the Six Nations and two of their three World Cup warm-up internationals. So that's exciting,”Gatland had taken them to the 2019 World Cup semi-final where they narrowly lost to eventual winners South Africa.

Persons: ”, Warren Gatland, We've, Gatland, Mark Gleeson, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: Wales, Rugby, Fiji, Six Nations, eventual, South, Thomson Locations: BORDEAUX, France, Fiji, Bordeaux, Australia, Wales, Georgia, Portugal, Argentina, England, Cape Town

☆ Battered Basham on the bench for Wales against South Africa
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CARDIFF, Aug 16 - Wing Alex Cuthbert and centre Johnny Williams return to the starting XV for Wales as they look to match South Africa’s physicality in Saturday’s Rugby World Cup warm-up clash in Cardiff, while loose-forward Taine Basham will be on the bench. A stringent three stage protocol was followed and Basham was given the all-clear this week. Hardy will have experienced flyhalf Dan Biggar alongside him, while Mason Grady partners Johnny Williams in the midfield. Elliot Dee is the starting hooker with rookie props Corey Domachowski and Keiron Assiratti either side of him. "We’re expecting confidence and physicality from South Africa.

Persons: Alex Cuthbert, Johnny Williams, Taine Basham, Basham, England flyhalf Owen Farrell, Farrell, Scrumhalf Kieran Hardy, Warren Gatland, Hardy, Dan Biggar, Mason Grady, Liam Williams, Cuthbert, Rio Dyer, Jac Morgan, Dan Lydiate, Aaron Wainwright, Ben Carter, Will Rowlands, Elliot Dee, Corey Domachowski, We’re, there’s, ” Gatland, Kieran Hardy, Sam Parry, Nicky Smith, Henry Thomas, Teddy Williams, Tomos Williams, Max Llewellyn, Cai Evans, Nick Said Organizations: CARDIFF, Wales, Rugby, England, ” Wales, Twickenham, . Wales, Thomson Locations: Cardiff, South Africa

☆ Wales coach Gatland confident England game will go ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 21 (Reuters) - Wales have delayed naming their team for the Six Nations fixture against England in Cardiff on Saturday, but coach Warren Gatland is confident he will have players to take to the field amid the threat of strike action this week. I just wanted clarity for the boys with tomorrow then we come back (to train) on Thursday," Gatland told reporters. Welsh players have been involved in a bitter feud with the PRB and want a review of a proposal that would see 80% of their wages guaranteed, with 20% via bonuses, and representation from the Welsh Rugby Players' Association on the PRB. "In fairness to the players, they've trained well amongst it all. There's been things going on but in training they've applied themselves well," he said.

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