THE HERALD FRIDAY FEBRUARY 3 2017


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Wales U21s drawn with Portugal WALES have been drawn


in UEFA U21 Championship Qualifying Group 8 with top seeds Portugal, Switzerland, Romania, Liechtenstein and Bosnia- Herzegovina. The draw took place at UEFA HQ


in Nyon, Switzerland on Thursday, January 26, and the teams will now meet to agree on the Group 8 fixture schedule.


Portugal were runners-up at the


2015 U21 Championship, losing 4-3 on penalties against Sweden after a goalless draw in the final. They will be present at this summer’s tournament


in Poland after an unbeaten qualifying campaign last time out, winning eight of their 10 matches. Wales will again face Romania,


who they met in qualifying last time out, while Switzerland and Bosnia- Herzegovina are paired once more after facing each other in 2017 qualifying. There are nine groups in total


and the winners of each group will qualify automatically for the 2019 finals and the four runners-up with the best records against the teams in first, third, fourth and fifth in their group will go into the play-offs.


Rising flanker signs first senior contract 22-YEAR-OLD flanker Will


Boyde has extended his time at the Scarlets, having signed his first senior contract. Narberth-born Boyde progressed


from Scarlets’ age grade on to a Development contract in 2014-15 whilst continuing to develop and impress with Principality Premiership side Carmarthen Quins. His Scarlets debut came in the r


egion’s Guinness PRO12 derby clash against Cardiff Blues in December 2014. The dynamic flanker has since made a total of 29 appearances in a Scarlets jersey, representing the region in Anglo-Welsh Cup, Guinness PRO12 and European Rugby Champions Cup. Boyde has broken through the


ranks this season and has become a mainstay of the senior squad, making 17 appearances, including starts in the Champions Cup against Saracens and Toulon.


Standout performances against Leinster and Cardiff Blues, at Parc y


67 Sport New WRU U20 sponsor


Scarlets, saw Boyde pick up the man of the match awards and the exciting homegrown talent has scored three Guinness PRO12 tries against Ulster, Glasgow and Leinster respectively. Commenting on the news, Boyde


said: “I’m delighted to sign a new contract with the Scarlets. I believe it’s going to be the best place for me to continue my development. “The region has brought me


through the age grade and it is my home. I’ve been a part of the squad for three years and despite a frustrating time with injuries I feel that I’ve made the most of the opportunity the coaches have given me this year and am very grateful that they’ve backed me. “My roots are very much here at


the Scarlets and in West Wales and I’m now ready to kick on. The more I get used to playing at this level, the better I will become. My aim now is to continue to play well, secure my place in the team and getting us into the top four.”


Aber seal Deadline day double swoop ABERYSTWYTH TOWN Club


Officials were busy in the final hours of Transfer Deadline Day on Wednesday (Jan 31), as midfielders Dafydd Jones and Malcolm Melvin joined the club from Newport County and Halesowen Town respectively. Dafydd hails from Ebbw Vale and


was a free agent after leaving Newport County at the end of December. Despite making the subs bench


twice, he did not appear for County this season, and has spent the majority of 2016/7 on loan at Monmouth Town, where he made a very good impression. A product of the Newport


County academy, he made his senior debut for Newport in the Football League Cup first round match versus Wolverhampton Wanderers on August 11, 2015. A winger by trade, Dafydd can go past players and deliver quality crosses, as well as being in the right area to grab a goal. Despite being born in Birmingham,


Melvin has represented Scotland Under 17s, Under 18s and Under 19s and has also played for Walsall, Crewe, Aston Villa, Notts County, Barwell, Sutton Coldfield and Halesowen Town in his career to date.


Dafydd Jones: Joins Aberystwyth Town


Described as a combative


midfielder, the 21-year-old is known for his excellent free kicks and scored seven times in 67 appearances for the Pitmen.


Aberystwyth Town FC welcomes


Dafydd and Malcolm to the club and are looking forward to seeing them showcasing their talents in the immediate future.


Wales U20 squad members Ioan Nicholas and Kieran Williams: With RGC 1404 players Sam Jones, Sam Wainwright and Efan Jones


THE WELSH RUGBY UNION


has signed a major sponsorship deal with SP Energy Networks, which sees them become official shirt sponsor of both Wales U20 and RGC 1404. The innovative three-year


partnership will see the SP Energy Networks logo feature on the red jersey of the nation’s rising stars until 2019, kicking off with the international side’s Under 20 Six Nations title defence against Italy on Friday (Feb 3). As part of the pioneering deal with


Welsh Rugby, SP Energy Networks, which owns and manages the network of underground cables and power lines for North and Mid Wales, has also become RGC 1404 shirt sponsor and, in addition, the company will implement a community education programme across North Wales


schools on energy safety. Craig Maxwell, WRU Head of


Group Commercial and Marketing, said: “This is an exciting new partnership with SP Energy Networks. “With SP Energy Networks


partnering both Wales U20 and RGC 1404, they are truly making a difference to the growth of North Wales rugby and the development of potential future internationals.” Stephen Stewart, Director at


SP Energy Networks, said: “We’re incredibly proud and excited to be associated with one of the most iconic sporting teams in world rugby, and the reigning U20 Six Nations champions. “This sponsorship represents an


important part of our commitment to help support grassroots sport and participation in rugby, especially in North Wales. It will also enable


us to engage with tens of thousands of passionate rugby supporters to drive awareness around life-saving messages as a responsible network provider. We wish the Wales U20 squad all the best with their title defence.” SP Energy Networks is committed


to supporting communities in North and Mid Wales through an extensive programme of local sponsorships and community engagement programmes. This includes sponsorship of the Anglesey Agricultural Show, support services for vulnerable customers in North Wales, engagement with local stakeholders, and a school power- safety initiative called PowerWise. Over the next eight years, SP


Energy Networks will invest £800 million to maintain and improve the power supply network in North and Mid Wales.


S4C to show the best of Welsh boxing A NEW series showcasing the


best boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA) bouts in Wales is to be shown by Welsh broadcaster S4C. Y Ffeit will be a six-part series showing highlights from the nation’s biggest professional and amateur fights nights every Wednesday night, from March 29. The show will be hosted from a


different location each week, and feature fighters from across Wales and the United Kingdom. The first episode, on Wednesday, March 29, will bring the best from an evening of boxing from Merthyr Tydfil Leisure Centre. The following week’s episode


will come from the Furnace Theatre in Llanelli, which will host an evening of MMA bouts. The series will then alternate between the two different disciplines. There will also be English subtitles.


Each week, the Y Ffeit team will


bring a series of items looking at the development of both boxing and MMA in Wales, and profile some of the most exciting talents and biggest characters within both combat sports, including Welsh men and women who have made an impact on the world stage.


The series will also feature post-


fight ringside interviews with the fighters and guests attending the events. Sue Butler, Sport Content


Commissioner for S4C, said: “Boxing has always had a strong following in Wales and MMA is a sport rapidly growing in popularity. Y Ffeit will focus on what’s happening in both sports across Wales. We see it as a showcase for promising Welsh talent and look forward to some gripping contests.” Boxing Promoter Jamie Sanigar


said: “This is a massive boost for Welsh boxing enabling up-and- coming Welsh talent to feature on S4C. We have plans in place for some great Welsh title fights and International fights giving Welsh boxers the opportunity to reach the top and build fan bases across Wales.” James Wallis, owner of MMA


promotion company Adrenalin Fight Nights, said: “MMA has become very popular in Wales over the last 12 months and especially after the recent wins by Welsh UFC fighters Brett Johns and Jack Marshman in November 2016 and the recent signed fighter John Phillips. We are very excited to be part of the new S4C series especially as it will make the sport more accessible to everyone to enjoy on terrestrial television.” For more information about the


upcoming series, follow @YFfeit_ S4C.


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