-Credit: (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd)
Your evening rugby headlines on Monday, December 9.
Jac Morgan is ‘unbelievable’
Ospreys head coach Toby Booth branded Jac Morgan as an “unbelievable leader” in his post-match press conference.
Ospreys defeated Emirates Lions 30-14 in the EPCR Challenge Cup on Sunday, and were the sole region with a victory after a round of European action. Morgan got himself on the scoresheet in a player of the match outing, further adding to his credentials as a world class player.
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Booth was full of praise for his skipper when asked about him during the post-match press conference.
“Unbelievable. Unbelievable. The last try (Dan Edwards) was great, the game is done. To see that moment, Lukey Dai (Davies) puts the pressure on him, Jac creates the issue and then Dan Edwards is the beneficiary. That is a guy who is committed, got world-class attributes and world class effort to match,” explained Booth.
Morgan has earned 18 caps for Wales, and had almost a year on the sidelines of Test rugby due to injury. Despite the current state of play in Wales right now, and the dismal form of the national team, Morgan seems likely to earn a place on the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia in 2025. His recent performances at club level have further strengthened his bid to make the iconic touring team.
Championship rugby clubs seek vote of no confidence
By Duncan Bech, PA England Rugby Correspondent
The second tier of English rugby is seeking a vote of no confidence in Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney in an escalation of the pay scandal gripping Twickenham.
The 12 Championship clubs have written to RFU president Rob Udwin requesting a special general meeting (SGM) to debate the leadership of Sweeney and chairman Tom Ilube.
The move comes following an outcry over Sweeney’s £1.1million pay for the 2023-24 financial year, which comprises of an increased salary of £742,000 and bonus of £358,000.
Large swathes of the game are in uproar over the amount earned by Sweeney given the RFU reported an operating loss of £37.9m for the same period, the highest it has recorded.
In addition, 42 staff were made redundant in September, the England men’s team won just five of their 12 matches in 2024 and grass roots participation is in decline.
The Championship clubs voted unanimously to add their voices to the demand for a special general meeting.
“In the letter, the clubs stated that they could no longer stand by and allow the current situation and the unaccountable decision making that led to it, to continue without challenge,” a statement said.
“They said that they would be urging all other clubs and members of the union to support their call for an SGM and a vote of no confidence, so that the first steps to fundamental change could be taken.
“The clubs will act individually when it comes to arguing for or voting on any no-confidence motions that might arise at an SGM, but acted collectively in their call to hold that meeting.”
Sweeney and Ilube have been strongly criticised by former high-ranking RFU officials.
Ex-chairmen Martyn Thomas, Graeme Cattermole and Brian Baister have called for the duo to step down because of the “enormous and irreparable damage” done to the organisation.
Francis Baron, who was chief executive between 1998 and 2010, has stated that the positions of Sweeney and Ilube have become “untenable”.
England’s 2003 World Cup-winning head coach Sir Clive Woodward described Sweeney’s “unacceptable” pay as “an insult to the wider English rugby public”.
The Championship clubs have been engaged in a long-running dispute with the RFU over funding and this season are receiving their lowest ever sum of £133,000 each.
The RFU is planning to relaunch the Championship as ‘Tier 2’ for 2025-26.
Ex-Ospreys star chased by French giants
Former Ospreys back rower Sam Underhill is reportedly the target of French giants La Rochelle.
The Top 14 outfit are renowned for their size and power, and Underhill certainly fits the bill there. While he may not be the tallest, Underhill is a formidable jackaller with impressive strength too.
28-year-old Underhill, who played for Ospreys between 2015 and 2017, has one more year left on his contract for Bath Rugby. If he was to leave the Premiership, it would temporarily end his England career, in which he has earned 41 caps so far.
Underhill’s current contract runs until summer 2026, but according to RugbyPass, Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle are targeting the England man ahead of next season (2025/2026).
The flanker missed Bath’s tie against La Rochelle in the Champions Cup on Friday, where the English side lost 24-20 at The Rec.