Here are the latest rugby evening headlines on Friday, March 4.
Pivac sweating on Biggar and Faletau
Wales boss Wayne Pivac faces an anxious wait over two of his key men after Dan Biggar and Taulupe Faletau were named to start for their English clubs this weekend, just six days ahead of Friday's Six Nations clash with France.
Biggar is chosen at fly-half for Northampton in their Gallagher Premiership game with Gloucester at Kingsholm on Saturday.
His opponents will have a Welsh international of their own to call upon, with winger Louis Rees-Zammit named on the bench for the Cherry and Whites as he tries to force his way back in to Pivac's team.
Fresh from an impressive return to Test rugby last weekend, Faletau starts for Bath in their derby against Bristol Bears at the Rec, again on Saturday.
Callum Sheedy is another Wales international involved, starting at No. 10 for Bristol.
With Faletau and Biggar nailed on for starting places against France, Pivac will be watching on nervously this weekend as he hopes they come through the English matches unscathed.
Wales need their big guns fully fit and firing for a Friday night showdown with a French outfit who will march into Cardiff seeking the next scalp on what they hope is a Grand Slam journey.
France have already overcome Italy, Ireland and Scotland and - if they beat Wales - will meet England in Paris on the final weekend seeking the clean sweep.
With Biggar and Faletau back with their club sides, Pivac has carried on preparing for the France match with the Wales-based players who have remained in camp.
While Biggar is nailed-on for Wales as captain, Faletau did more than enough upon his Test comeback against England last weekend to merit another start. He could form part of another new-look back-row as Josh Navidi is set to also come back into the mix.
Wales star dealt Six Nations blow
Wales and Saracens forward Georgia Evans has undergone surgery following her injury which halted her club game for an hour last weekend while she received treatment.
The 25-year-old semi-professional Wales international fractured her arm while playing against Bristol Bears on Sunday and underwent surgery on Monday.
She faces a lengthy spell out of the game following the op on her forearm after suffering a dislocated wrist and snapped radius and ulnar.
The Premier 15s club said the operation went well and recovery is under way but there was no definitive time span for lay-off as of yet.
However, with the Women's Six Nations kicking off on March 26, it looks unlikely that Evans will feature.
Wales' campaign - their first since historic professional and retainer contracts were brought in in January - bgins away to Ireland on Saturday, March 26, while the postponed World Cup takes place this autumn in New Zealand.
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Varney ruled out for rest of Six Nations
Italy's Wales-born scrum-half Stephen Varney will miss the conclusion of the Six Nations through injury.
The Gloucester No. 9 has started all three of Italy’s matches so far in the Championship, featuring in the 37-10 defeat away to France, the 33-0 defeat at home to England and the 57-6 defeat in Ireland last time out.
But the 20-year-old will play no further part in the remaining fixtures at home to Scotland and away to Wales on Super Saturday after picking up an unspecified injury which will see him sidelined until at least the end of this year’s Championship.
In a statement released in both English and Italian on his social media, Varney said: “Gutted to have been ruled out for the remainder of the Six Nations through injury. All the best to the boys for [the] next two games.”
Varney, who qualifies for Italy through his mother Valeria, has won 12 caps for his country since making his debut against Scotland in November 2020 during the Autumn Nations Cup, just months after he was called up to the Under-20s squad.
Varney was raised in Rhoshill, Pembrokeshire, and attended the Welsh medium school at Ysgol y Preseli, in Crymych.
Amazon to air 'No Woman No Try'
Amazon will broadcast No Woman No Try, a new documentary exploring inequality in women's rugby, on March 25 - the day before the Women's Six Nations kicks off.
The streaming giant say the documentary, filmed through the 2020/21 season, explores gender inequality through the lens of rugby and the women and men championing change across the sporting community.
Martin Backlund, head of content for Prime Video UK, Ireland and Nordics, said: "No Woman No Try is an important documentary which asks necessary questions about the challenges facing women’s rugby and how fans of the sport can continue to effect change.
Director Victoria Rush, creator of the #IAmEnough movement in 2020 to raise the profile of women's rugby, said: "The #IAmEnough movement in 2020 resonated with women all over the world, uniting people across the rugby community and giving women’s rugby her voice. The movement was an incredible moment, but just that. Social media doesn’t make change on its own. I developed No Woman No Try to bridge the gap between men and women’s sport in the media, to inspire further generations of women and girls to know the sport landscape theirs too. Because if you can’t see it you can’t be it."
URC and Premiership support Ukraine Crisis Appeal
The United Rugby Championship and Premiership Rugby say they will share their platforms with the Red Cross at their games to support their Ukraine Crisis Appeal.
At United Rugby Championship and Gallagher Premiership games this weekend big screens will signpost the Red Cross campaign ahead of kick-offs encouraging fans to support the Ukraine Crisis Appeal to help those affected by the invasion of Ukraine.
A statement said: "The Ukraine Crisis Appeal will support people in areas currently affected and those potentially affected in the future by the crisis. The URC and Premiership Rugby are proud to stand together and encourage our rugby family to show solidarity with the Ukranian people by donating to the Red Cross appeal across all of its territories."
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