The English Premiership begins its 2026/27 season this weekend with 17 Wales internationals named in squads across the competition, while former Wales centre Jonathan Davies has backed Scarlets wing Macs Page for a breakthrough campaign.
Welsh interest across the Premiership
Harlequins host Bath and Northampton Saints meet Newcastle Red Bulls tonight, with Exeter facing Gloucester and Bristol Bears travelling to Sale Sharks on Saturday. Leicester Tigers host Saracens on Sunday.
Bryn Bradley starts at inside centre for Harlequins at The Stoop against Bath, who have Archie Griffin among their replacements. The Saints' clash at Franklin's Gardens contains no Welsh involvement.
Saturday sees several of Steve Tandy's players in action, with Chiefs' Dafydd Jenkins and Kane James facing Dewi Lake, Jac Morgan and Freddie Thomas at Sandy Park.
Louis Rees-Zammit's Bristol Bears travel to Sale, who have named the Welsh trio of Nicky Smith, Tomas Francis and Christ Tshiunza on their bench.
On Sunday, Leicester Tigers have selected an all-Welsh backrow of Aaron Wainwright, Tommy Reffell and Olly Cracknell, with Gabriel Hamer-Webb on the wing. Saracens have handed a debut to scrum-half Tomos Williams, with Nick Tompkins at 13.
Davies tips Page for 'big year'
Macs Page has been backed for a breakthrough season after former Wales centre Jonathan Davies tipped the Scarlets wing for a “big year”. Page has shown flashes of his potential over the past couple of seasons, but Davies believes the 23-year-old could now be ready to make a major impact.
Asked on Scrum V to name his pick to be Wales’ leading try scorer in the URC, Davies said: “I was going to say Macs Page from the Scarlets. He is going to have a big year, I think.”
Former Wales international Gwyn Jones also highlighted Page when discussing the players who could make their mark, pointing to the opportunity now facing the young wing.
“Macs Page, a player who has waited patiently for his opportunity,” Jones said in his WalesOnline column. “We have seen flashes of what he can do over the last couple of seasons, but the next step is consistency and the chance to establish himself as a regular threat. Could this be the season when Page steps out of the shadows and announces himself on the regional stage?”
The Scarlets winger will now be hoping to turn those flashes of potential into a sustained run of form and prove Davies and Jones right as he looks to establish himself as one of Wales’ emerging attacking threats.
R360 given strike-off ultimatum
The company behind rugby rebel league R360 have been ordered to publish their accounts or face being dissolved. The Mike Tindall-fronted group saw its original planned launch - initially pencilled in for October 2026 - postponed until 2028 after significant pushback from the leading Test nations.
The BBC report that AOTG Sport was scheduled to file their accounts with Companies House in July, with the company served with a strike-off notice this week, giving them a two-week deadline to submit them - or risk going out of business. AOTG Sport responded, stating the delay was an error by its accountants and will be resolved by early next week.
The premise behind the league would see eight men's teams and four women's teams compete in a condensed season format with franchises across the globe, similar to what is in place in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
“We remain absolutely determined to bring R360 to life at full scale and with maximum global impact,” Tindall said last November at the time of the postponement. “We're building something bold and new that will resonate globally - and we cannot wait to show the world in 2028.”
Welsh stars such as Louis Rees-Zammit were targeted, with organisers claiming more than 200 had expressed an interest in joining. But the plans faced a major backlash from the leading Test unions, with World Rugby also in opposition.
