The latest rugby headlines for Saturday, June 18.
Phil Bennett's remembrance service
A service of remembrance will be held for Phil Bennett at Parc y Scarlets Stadium on June 24, the Scarlets have announced.
The world of rugby was plunged into mourning when one of its greatest players passed away last Sunday at the age of 73.
READ MORE: The moment Josh Adams was given an impossible choice as Lions documentary airs
'Benny', as he was so affectionately known, was one of the most recognisable and celebrated figures in Welsh rugby history, he won 29 caps for Wales from 1969 to 1978, played for the Scarlets 413 times and starred for the Lions on two tours, to South Africa in 1974 and New Zealand three years later.
The Scarlets want those who wish to remember and honour him to attend a remembrance service for him and have asked for members of the public to attend wearing rugby jerseys of their choice to "honour Phil's incredible legacy".
The service, which will not be streamed, will take place on Friday, June 24 at 11am. Doors will open from 9.30am.
Anscombe's dad lands job in England
Gareth Anscombe's dad has been appointed as a rugby consultant for Somerset-based Wellington School, according to the Somerset County Gazette.
Mark Anscombe has previously coached New Zealand U20s, Ulster and the Canada national team, with almost 30 years in the game to his name, so he is no slouch.
And Anscombe senior has a new challenge to look forward to at the private school across the border, where he will support the coaching staff as well as the boys and girls playing rugby there.
A school spokesperson told the Gazette: "As the rugby programme goes from strength to strength at Wellington, Mark is a welcome addition and the team are are delighted to have him on board."
Lions make huge profit despite Covid difficulties
The British and Irish Lions made a profit last year of £8.2million despite the sizeable challenges presented to them on the South Africa tour owing to Covid-19, according to a report published in the Irish Times.
Three Test matches against the Springboks were played behind closed doors due to the pandemic's presence in South Africa, however the most recent accounts for the tour show an annual turnover of £20.1m in year to the end of September 2021. For comparison, the Lions made only a £7.8m, almost half-a-million less, from their New Zealand tour in 2017, despite a turnover of £2m more than 2021.
The organisation is owned by the Irish, English, Scottish and Welsh rugby unions. The income is, by and large, down to sponsorship, broadcasting, merchandising and licensing rights. On the 2021 tour of South Africa, the Lions had a record 25 commercial partners.
The Irish Times states that £4m of the profit will be used to fund the Lions until the next tour of Australia in 2025, while the other half of the money will be absorbed to offset the losses recorded in 2019, 2020 and 2022.
Ben Calveley, managing director of the Lions, said: "It was a unique year and tour but one which we can reflect on with great pride. What we achieved in the end demonstrates the power of our brand and esteem in which it is held.
"It is also testament to the sheer dedication and unrelenting support of everyone associated with the Lions, including players, coaches, backroom teams, support staff and our unions and partners.
“The British and Irish Lions brand and organisation has never been stronger, and we are looking forward with optimism at what the future has to offer. Planning is well under way for the 2025 tour to Australia.”
URC boss: Bringing in SA teams was always going to work
United Rugby Championship chief Martin Anayi has said that bringing in South African teams which were "better than the ones you already have" was always going to improve the tournament.
The Stormers and the Bulls meet in the final of the competition this weekend in Cape Town. Speaking to SARugbymag.co.za, Anayi said:. “When we were doing the process of expansion and deciding which teams would be coming in. The most important thing was to make the competition stronger. You do that by bringing in teams which are better than the ones you already have in the majority.
“If I look at how the Bulls beat Leinster, that is what we wanted from the competition, 100%. Not necessarily that teams would beat Leinster, but we would get jeopardy in the fixtures where you couldn’t tell who was going to win from weekend to weekend. That’s the ‘Any Given Sunday’ mantra from the NFL that we tried to build over time.
“If you fast forward two or three years’ time and you’ve got a strong Edinburgh and Glasgow, Ospreys or Cardiff, you would have a real depth to the league which very few leagues in the world have. That’s what we are trying to achieve. The entry of the South African teams was always about challenging middle to top of the table.
“What I love about the South African teams is that if you look at the Bulls or Stormers squad, those players have become Springboks through playing in the URC. That’s the conveyor belt of talent that you’ve also got in New Zealand. It’s rare to have that, the next player coming into the team is going to be of the same or better quality than the person before them.”
Cardiff announce pre-season fixtures
Cardiff Rugby have announced their pre-season fixtures for next season.
The Blue and Blacks will take on Gloucester Rugby on September 2 at Kingsholm before Zebre come to the Welsh capital the following week.
The last time Cardiff met the Cherry and Whites was in 2018, a memorable Challenge Cup final in Bilbao in which the Welsh side eventually came out victors. The aforementioned Gareth Anscombe kicked the decisive points late on in the 31-30 victory for Cardiff.
