Tessera

The Prime Minister might need to have a word with his newly-appointed Secretary of State for Wales.

"What Welsh rugby needs now is ...greater self-awareness. It doesn’t need headlines full of spin or statements that rip the credibility from the people saying them. Supporters are not asking to be protected from the truth". Nathaniel Hale for Gwladrugby. gwladrugby.wordpress.com/2026/07/23/w...

Wimbledon is over. So stop the spin.

Players and coaches should not become the face of the messaging of an organisation that many supporters simply don’t believe a lot of what they say anymore.

gwladrugby.wordpress.com

In equally surprising news, Pope declares he is Catholic. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Wales Secretary Stephen Kinnock questions calls for more Welsh government powers

Stephen Kinnock open to devolution talks but unconvinced on transferring powers to Welsh ministers.

bbc.co.uk

"if you were to design professional rugby from scratch, you certainly wouldn’t start from here". A Global Showcase or a Welfare Time Bomb? Rugby's Nations Championship Pushes the Boundaries gwladrugby.wordpress.com/2026/07/22/a...

A Global Showcase or a Welfare Time Bomb? Rugby’s Nations Championship Pushes the Boundaries

One of the most fascinating aspects of contemporary international sporting governance is its insistence on creating competition structures which are ever more demanding of players, requiring ever g…

gwladrugby.wordpress.com

A Global Showcase or a Welfare Time Bomb? Rugby’s Nations Championship Pushes the Boundaries

gwladrugby.wordpress.com

BBC journalists reflexively yelling inane questions at passing politicians mid-analysis as a pack is wild, isn't it? "The big test facing the new Chancellor will be key issues such as the fiscal rules but also MR MILIBAND ARE YOU EXPECTING TO BE NAMED CHANCELLOR defence funding, cost of livings..."

I know Labour have about 450 MPs, but there are an awful lot of senior MPs announcing that they are not longer part of the cabinet. There aren't many obvious cabinet material candidates left.

This Argentina team has finally gone the full 1990. One genius, a manager making the most of limited resources, and a team stuffed full of irredeemable but incredibly hard-working bastards who are broadly horrible to watch.

Terrific anthems. The US/FIFA Axis of Terribleness get something right. One thing. Once.

What an exceptionally silly game.

This really should be about 9-7 to France.

Confusion in Cardiff, where somebody in an Argentina football shirt just wildly celebrated a dropped Indian chance which rolled away for a boundary to England.

As Maine Democrats scramble to find a new nominee for the state’s highly consequential US Senate race, CNN will host a debate in partnership with the Bangor Daily News on Thursday, July 23, two days before 601 delegates gather at a convention to choose a new candidate. https://cnn.it/4w1HrhG

Not quite sure why a Maine Dem primary debate is being held in rural north-west Wales, but I might pop along for a look.

CNN@cnn.com · 3w ago

I see Keiran Hardy has paid the price again for whatever Keiran Hardy keeps paying the price for with Wales. Honestly. Being the back-up 9 in this squad must be among the most thankless tasks in the game.

Cooper Lund@cooperlund.online · 3w ago

One for purists.

The Beautiful Game

Looking forward to Reform platforming this free speech martyr at September's party conference. That's how this works, right? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Man arrested over social media post threatening to shoot Nigel Farage

Met Police says a man in his 20s was held in south London this week on suspicion of sending threatening communications to an MP.

bbc.co.uk

I think my favourite of all the times Sam Matterface has Sam Matterfaced in this World Cup was his absolute confusion at the sight of Timothee Chalamet in a France shirt at yesterday's semi-final. "Oh...an American actor...supporting France? That seems odd". He has dual US-French citizenship, Sam.

The Author, Séamas O'Reilly@seamas.bsky.social · 3y ago

I'd asked for the "Kick" album for Christmas. My mam was furious that I hadn't phonetically explained how to pronounce the band's name *before* she'd marched into John Menzies and demanded the new album by "The Inks".

I'm just saying INXS should never have convinced us to pronounce it "In Excess" in the first place. Just use your head a little. If it's a full word, it's INKS. If it's initials, it's I-N-X-S. End of discussion. This vanity number plate, half-and-half job- it's embarrassing.

Adam Bienkov@adambienkov.bsky.social · 3w ago

This Mendoza character's sudden concern that inflammatory rhetoric can lead to political violence is a bit rich given [waves arms at pretty much everything Farage and his various parties have done and said for a decade and more].

Reform and their supporters now trying to reframe all journalistic scrutiny of them as being dangerous political attacks, bordering on terrorism. A preview of what we could expect from a Reform government

Josiah Mortimer@josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 3w ago

The free speech party are at it again, then.

🔴 Reform UK Plans To Jail Candidates For Using Irish, Gaelic Or Cornish On Election Leaflets EXCLUSIVE: Nigel Farage’s party propose amendment to the Government’s elections Bill which would mean candidates using Irish and Scottish Gaelic would face up to six months in prison

Leslie@missilepanda.bsky.social · 3w ago

Wait a second. South Africa are playing a second row called Cobus Wiese against Wales? He must be in his sixties. What is this? Rassie's attempt at a sequel to HTV Wales classic "Old Scores"? Presumably, we're wheeling out Derwyn?

Not nearly as rotated as expected

Just thinking of doing a "ha - ITV's entire background music for the World Cup is songs from 1996. Imagine doing that in 1996 but using music from 30 years earlier" post but holy crap the charts were incredible in June 1966.

Thoroughly enjoying the "it was so difficult for the England players - so hot and humid in Miami" line when they were playing [checks notes] Norway.

Be' ffwc, Cofis?

"The road is long and winding but if England's Wonderwall Hold On they won't be Looking Back in Anger nor Crying their Heart Out. No. They'll be feeling Supersonic and will end the night Fuckin' In The Bushes and..." ...is the natural endpoint of Sam Matterface's career and I'm all for it.