Former Scarlets captain Steff Hughes has returned to his hometown club as interim defence coach for the start of next season. The ex-centre, who played 104 times for the Llanelli side across nine seasons, returns from Major League Rugby side Old Glory DC, where he transitioned from player-coach to attack and backs coach. The 32-year-old former Wales U20s centre will temporarily oversee defence at Parc y Scarlets while new coach Eamon O'Carroll completes his duties with Super League side St Helens.
Hughes Expresses Delight at Return
“It's been great to be back at the Parc,” said Hughes. “This club has always meant a huge amount to me and it's a privilege to return in a coaching role. I've really enjoyed my coaching journey so far, from working within the Scarlets and Wales age-grade programmes to the opportunity I had with Old Glory DC in America. Every experience has helped me grow, and I'm excited to bring that back into this environment. We've got an ambitious group of players and staff, and I'm looking forward to supporting Nigel, Dwayne and the rest of the coaches, helping implement Eamon's defensive programme and contributing in any way I can as we prepare for the season ahead.”
Scarlets Director of Rugby Praises Hughes
Scarlets director of rugby Nigel Davies welcomed the temporary addition. “We're delighted to welcome Steff back to the Scarlets. As a player he understood exactly what representing this club meant, and it's been equally pleasing to watch the way he's embraced coaching and continued to develop over the last few years. He returns having gained valuable experience in different coaching environments and has already made a positive impact in our pre-season programme since coming back in Parc y Scarlets. He has excellent relationships with the players, communicates really well and brings real energy, intelligence and detail to his work. This is an important period for us as we continue to build our coaching programme. Steff's understanding of the Scarlets, combined with the experience he's gained away from the club, means he's ideally placed to support that process and help ensure a smooth transition over the coming months. We're committed to developing coaches in exactly the same way we develop players. We want talented people to come into our environment, continue learning and add value to the programme, and Steff is another excellent example of that approach.”
Nations Cup Match Moved Behind Closed Doors
This weekend's World Rugby Nations Cup clash between Chile and Georgia has been moved behind closed doors on safety grounds. The match was due to be played in La Serena in northern Chile on Saturday, but was relocated after a red weather alert was issued due to an approaching storm. It will now be held at CARR Mahuida in Santiago at 1pm local time, with no spectators allowed. World Rugby confirmed the decision in a statement: “Following a thorough assessment of the evolving weather situation and in consultation with relevant authorities, Chile Rugby has confirmed that the match will be played at CARR Mahuida in Santiago, with kick-off scheduled for 13:00 local time. The safety and wellbeing of players, team staff, match officials, workforce and fans remains the highest priority. Given the forecast weather conditions expected across the region, the match will be played without spectators. While we appreciate this will be disappointing for supporters who had planned to attend, organisers are exploring options to make the match available to viewers via Disney+ in Chile, local domestic broadcasters in selected markets and RugbyPass TV in other territories, subject to technical and operational feasibility. World Rugby and Chile Rugby will continue to monitor conditions closely in coordination with local authorities, with all operational decisions guided by the safety of everyone involved.”
Italy Coach's Ban Reduced After Apology
Italy coach Gonzalo Quesada has had his two-match ban halved, just 24 hours after becoming the first coach to be suspended under World Rugby's new policy against abusing referees. The Argentine was given a two-match ban on Thursday after making comments about French referee Luc Ramos on-air following Italy's defeat to New Zealand last weekend. He had labelled Ramos' performance as “super poor” and criticised the official's decision-making. Under World Rugby's new match official abuse sanction process, Quesada received an automatic two-match ban but had the right to appeal. He formally referred the matter to an independent committee for a full misconduct hearing. The committee, comprised of Jennifer Donovan (Ireland), Wang Shao-Ing (Singapore), and Valeriu Toma (Romania), determined that the threshold for misconduct had been met. However, considering Quesada's acceptance that his actions fell short of expected standards and a private written apology directly to Ramos, the ban was reduced to one match. Quesada was also given a formal warning as to future conduct. He will miss this weekend's match against Australia.
