The latest rugby news stories from Wales and beyond
Here’s your round-up of all the latest rugby news for Sunday, December 31.
Team manager passes away after short illness
Tributes have been paid to beloved Cross Keys RFC team manager Mark Prangell, who has passed away after a short illness.
Prangell played for Keys and then coached the club’s youth team before becoming team manager in 2007, helping the likes of Taulupe Faletau, Lloyd Burns and Leon Brown go on to win international honours.
In a statement confirming the sad news, the club said: “It is with great sadness to announce the devastating news that our team manager Mark Prangell passed away yesterday, December 29, after a short illness. Get the latest rugby news sent straight to your inbox for free with our daily newsletter.
“Mark leaves a legacy not just at our club but many clubs within Gwent and beyond, he has touched the lives of so many people, players, coaches, supporters, players family and friends. To say he leaves a massive hole in Cross Keys RFC is an understatement. He has been a great influence on so many players and coaches, his greatest pleasure was to see players and coaches achieve their absolute full potential, rugby was his life.”
A host of Welsh rugby figures have expressed their sadness and paid tribute to Prangell, who was well-known and respected throughout the game.
Phil Steele said: “Very sad news – Mark was a very fine servant of rugby and Cross Keys in particular. Condolences to Mark’s loved ones.” Former Wales international lock Ian Evans added: “Sad news. A top rugby man and, more importantly, a gentleman.”
Ex-head coach Greg Woods said: “Lost the best, best man anyone could have. Devastated and heartbroken but can only think of so many good memories.”
Former Wales hooker Lloyd Burns added: “Gutted to hear this sad news Prang was an absolute pleasure to work with. Stuck with the Keys through the good times and the bad. Keys have lost THE best man a club could ask for.”
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Marler becomes latest injury concern for England
Joe Marler has become England’s latest injury worry ahead of the upcoming Six Nations after coming off with an arm problem during Harlequins’ 32-26 win over Gloucester on Saturday.
The 33-year-old trudged off just before half-time, and was seen with his arm strapped up while watching the second half from the bench.
He now faces an anxious wait to discover the extent of the problem, with England already fretting over the fitness of a couple of other stars.
Bristol’s Ellis Genge is already a doubt with a hamstring injury, while Sale’s Bevan Rodd is a confirmed absentee after undergoing toe surgery.
Marler will have scans on his arm, with locks Dino Lamb and Stephan Lewies also picking up nasty looking shoulder injuries.
“There will be scans and we’ll wait and see,” said Quins head coach Danny Wilson.
“Fingers crossed they’re not too bad because they’re three big players for us.”
Booth outlines challenges for Welsh sides in URC
Ospreys head coach Toby Booth says Welsh sides are facing a number of challenges in the bid to break into the top half of the United Rugby Championship.
As it stands, not a single Welsh region are in the top eight, while Wales also had no representative in the play-offs last season.
None of the Welsh sides will be in next season’s Champions Cup if they fail to finish in the top half of the league.
“The big picture is who can make the big step despite what’s happening,” said Booth.
“We need to be competitive and nobody’s going to shy away from that.
“If you offered that now, everyone would bite your hand off. The reality is in seasons you’ve got to sometimes limp your way through difficult periods.
“We had two meetings on Friday when we came back in after the Scarlets game.
“The first is a catch-up meeting, an admin meeting, and the second is more detailed. The injured group was in the first one, but not in the second one because of scheduling.
“The group was half the size. That’s the reality and to get to the holy grail of the players you need to have a bit of luck, stay fit because you haven’t got the resources you used to have.”
Edinburgh win the battle but not the Cup
Edinburgh gained a measure of revenge for last week’s defeat at Scotstoun by snatching a late 19-14 victory over Glasgow in the United Rugby Championship thanks to a Duhan van der Merwe try.
But there was some compensation for the Warriors in their retention of the 1872 Cup despite missing out on the chance to end 2023 top of the table.
Trailing 22-12 from the first leg eight days earlier, the home team needed to win by 13 points or more at Murrayfield to lift the silverware.
But they never really looked like winning by that margin in a game which, despite being played in bitterly cold conditions, attracted a record crowd for a Scottish club rugby fixture of 37,904.
