Farmhouse Freedom Eggs have teamed up with the WRU to offer top quality free range eggs produced and packed in Wales, now carrying the official WRU three feathers logo on all packaging and to be known as “The Full Team” eggs.

Gatland’s players have been tucking into the high protein, vitamin and mineral rich free range eggs regularly since they began their RBS 6 Nations campaign three weeks ago and national squad nutritionist Jon Williams says that’s made for a happy camp at breakfast time.

“Free range eggs are a vital source of protein and essential fats for our players, while in camp scrambled eggs and omelettes are the players preferred source of protein at breakfast time,” said Williams.
“It’s also quite common for players to indulge in a pancake or two as a desert, especially on a matchday when they know they are going to be extending themselves, so fans will be able to relate the players in new ways tomorrow.”

The concept for the new ‘The Full Team’ product is based around 15 rugby players in a team and 15 eggs of mixed sizes in the carton.

The pack is currently on sale in Tesco Superstores and Tesco Extras in Wales and the Filco group of stores in South Wales. A number of Spar stores will also be listing the product as from next week

The Welsh firm is also anticipating high sales this week with customers using the eggs for pancake day on Tuesday.

“Eggs contain a range of nutrients including high quality protein, vitamins and minerals and as they are not high in saturated fat, they are a healthy fast food for all the family,” said David Cooknell, spokesperson for Farmhouse Freedom Eggs Ltd.

“Eggs are therefore particularly important for developing young bodies for various sports and this new association with the WRU will help us promote that message.

“All our eggs come from small flocks of hens kept on family run farms in Wales, which have the highest bird welfare standards.

“The environmental issue of natural hedges and trees to provide shelter is a priority. This natural cover encourages the birds to range further and live fuller more active lives, exploring and foraging on grassland fields. A more natural “free ranging life” means healthy hens and high quality eggs.”

Farmhouse Freedom Eggs Ltd are members of the Welsh free range and organic egg producers association and we produce our eggs to British Lion quality standards.

From now on, caps will now be awarded to all Wales Sevens internationals, but in recognition of all the players who have previously played the shortened game for Wales, a ceremonial ‘first cap’ was presented to Mrs Janine Hillman, Colin Hillman’s widow as a tribute to her husband’s services to Sevens rugby in Wales.

Colin Hillman played and coached first class rugby in the fifteen a side game but was best known for his Sevens expertise.

He coached Wales at Sevens tournaments around the world including the Commonwealth Games. In 2002, he became the Spanish national Sevens coached but at the start of last season, he was appointed technical advisor to the Wales Sevens squad and is credited by Paul John and his coaches and players as having had a major influence on their preparations and success at last season’s Rugby World Cup Sevens in Dubai. He died in July after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

Sevens has recently become an Olympic sport, with the competition entered into the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.

WRU president Dennis Gethin presented the caps to the Hillman family and the Rugby World Cup winning Sevens squad at the pre-match reception at the Millennium Stadium today.

He also made a presentation to Rhodri Morgan who attended his last Wales international as First Minister.

WRU chairman David Pickering said, “Awarding caps to Wales Sevens internationals represents the increased significance of Sevens rugby to our game. The historic decision has recently been made to return rugby union to the Olympic Games, in the form of Rugby Sevens and there is no doubt about the increased importance of Sevens around the world, with players, coaches and administrators recognising the attractions of the shortened game.

“Colin Hillman was an inspirational leader in the field of Sevens. I played under him in 1987 when he led us to the Dubai Sevens title so it is symbolic that some 22 years later, he was involved in the WRU’s first world trophy success, at the Dubai Rugby World Cup Sevens.

“It is fitting that we should also pay tribute to First Minister Rhodri Morgan today as four years ago he asked us to fly the flag for Wales through our Sevens team, not only through achieving success on the field, but by carrying Wales’ corporate identity around the world.

“Rhodri has made a huge contribution to Welsh life during his tenure as First Minister. His interest in sport and rugby in particular is well known, and he must be delighted that under his stewardship the greatest sporting event in the world, the Olympic Games was confirmed as coming to Cardiff and Wales.

“On behalf of all of Welsh rugby, I wish him well in his retirement.”

WRU Head of Rugby, Performance and Development Joe Lydon said, “Colin Hillman did so much to put Welsh Sevens on the map. As coaches, we came up against each other on the Sevens circuit, including in a Hong Kong Sevens semi-final and he was not only a great coach but a fantastic human being.

“In awarding caps to Sevens players, we want to also recognise all those who have helped develop Wales Sevens especially David Rees and Gareth Baber, Paul John’s predecessors, and David Jenkins who has been Wales Sevens team manager since the WRU re-joined the IRB Sevens circuit in 2005.”

Wales Sevens head coach Paul John said, “Colin was such a guiding influence on Sevens rugby in Wales, and had a huge impact on us as a playing and coaching group last season, and our successful Rugby World Cup Sevens campaign. He would be very pleased to see the developments in Wales Sevens, including the facilities we now enjoy, the decision to contract core players, and to recognise Sevens players in this way.”

More information has been uploaded entirely in Welsh so that visitors to wru.co.uk will be able to choose which language they want to read.

Many of the translated files are static or timeless information which is permanently available on the website and some news items are also appearing in both English and Welsh.

The Welsh Rugby Union is now committed to continuing to add to the volume of Welsh content available on the official website in the years ahead.

The translation project has been completed with the full backing of the Sports Council for Wales and the support of the Welsh Assembly Government.

It is part of a WRU initiative to adopt an active policy which ensures that Welsh speakers can find out more about the national sport of Wales through its native language.

Anyone who now accesses the WRU website will be able to continue reading pages in English or switch to a predominantly Welsh version with an option where Welsh content is available.

The buttons marked ENG or CYM appear at the top of the left hand menu on the home page of the site.

A translation programme focusing on the static content information on the site has been underway over the past year.

The pilot programme has been extended to include much of the up-to-date breaking news for rugby fans in Wales or Welsh speakers from around the world.

Headlines, picture captions and entire documents have all been translated to ensure Welsh speakers can operate the system in their own language.

The website translation scheme is the culmination of three projects initiated through the Sports Council for Wales.

The first initiative involved creating Welsh language publications and programmes for the Junior World Championship which took place in Wales during June 2008.

The second project saw the WRU revamp the Welsh language signage around the Millennium Stadium which attracts one million visitors each year.

Now the WRU is introducing more video content to its official website and will include Welsh language reports in future.

Welsh Rugby Union Group Chief Executive, Roger Lewis, said: “We are delighted to be able to prove our commitment to the Welsh language through this exciting website initiative.

“It is vitally important for the WRU to reflect the importance of the Welsh language in the culture of a vibrant, modern Wales.

“Rugby is our national sport and we are proud to represent the whole of Wales which means we acknowledge our duty to fully respect the Welsh language.

“I want to thank the Welsh Assembly Government and the Sports Council for Wales for supporting this activity with the help and advice which has led to the completion of this phase of our policy.

“Millions of people visit our website every year so it is vitally important they get an accurate reflection of the place Welsh language has in our culture and life.”

Sports Council for Wales Chair Philip Carling said, “Wales is a passionate nation. We are passionate about sport and rugby as well as our rich heritage and language. It makes sense that we make sport as welcoming as possible to everyone in Wales. We’ve been delighted to support WRU in this project and we hope the people of Wales enjoy it.”

The Welsh Assembly Government Heritage Minister, Alun Ffred Jones said: “I’m pleased that the Welsh Rugby Union has moved to enhance its service to Welsh speakers through increasing the amount of Welsh on its website. I also welcome the commitment by the WRU to continue to add to this content in the future.

“The Welsh Assembly Government is currently seeking the public’s views on how we move towards our aim of creating a truly bilingual Wales and the WRU is a further example of a private sector organisation making more provision of the Welsh language as part of its activities. I would encourage other organisations to follow the WRU’s example.”

The classically trained X Factor finalist will raise the iconic roof with the title song from his new studio album before joining the traditional choir for a medley of Welsh rugby favourites and the national anthems.

Rhydian, who sang for the first time at the Millennium Stadium at the Grand Slam party in 2008, said: “I’m so grateful to the WRU for giving me this opportunity to fulfil a life time ambition of mine.

“The Millennium Stadium is my favourite place to sing and I’m more excited than ever before about tomorrow’s encounter between Wales and Australia. Diolch o’r galon. Cymru am byth!”

A sell-out crowd will fill the Millennium Stadium this weekend to watch a Wales team that has risen to sixth in the IRB world rankings clash with third-placed Australia in the autumn’s final game.

And fans wanting to beat the rush can take advantage of the matchday experience as the iconic venue welcomes fans to enjoy that all-important build-up and offers the chance to stay late and celebrate after the final whistle.

The leading rugby unions in the world go head-to-head tomorrow with four must-watch clashes held in Europe and the gateway to all the matchday action – the Cardiff Arms Café Bar – will be showing the top sporting action when it opens to the public from 10.00am until midnight.

The Café Bar, situated above the WRU Store on Westgate Street, showcases some of the most prestigious memorabilia from Cardiff’s iconic sporting stadium and will play out Ireland v South Africa and Scotland v Argentina (at 2.30pm), Wales v Australia (at 5.15pm) and France v New Zealand (at 8.00pm) to the fans on their top-of-the-range screens.

Millennium Stadium general manager Gerry Toms said: “The matchday experience has been transformed for fans in recent years and we are proud of the great party atmosphere here at the Millennium Stadium.

“This week we expect that fans will be at their best for the final game of the Series as Wales take on one of the top teams in world rugby in front of a sell-out crowd and we urge those fans to soak up the entire matchday experience on offer at the home of Welsh rugby.”

Throughout the Autumn Series more bars than ever before remain open for an extra 90 minutes with the popular offer of ‘£5 for a pie and a pint’ found at the units on the half way line at level 3 and level 6.

“There’s always a great collection of sing-songs to be heard on level 6 and level 3 around the late bar units on both sides of the half way line after the games and I hear that a pie and a pint manages to keep the party going,” added Mr Toms.

Davies picked up the injury during training at the Welsh Rugby Union National Centre of Excellence on Tuesday and he will be replaced on the bench on match day by Ospreys forward Jonathan Thomas.

Also withdrawn from the squad this week is Scarlets back Morgan Stoddart, who has picked up a hamstring tear which will see him in rehabilitation for up to four weeks.

“Bradley suffered a ligament sprain to his ankle during training on Tuesday and subsequently has been pulled out of the match against the Pumas this weekend,” said Wales physiotherapist Mark Davies.

“He will remain in camp and his progress will be reviewed early next week before a final assessment is made.

“Morgan has a grade two tear to his hamstring and he will now be in recovery and rehab for a period of up to four weeks.”

The Wales management team will take a decision on whether or not to call any further personnel into the Invesco Perpetual Series squad early next week.

• Jonathan THOMAS (OSPREYS – Cap No 1,013)
• DoB: 27.12.82. 6’5″ / 1.96m. 17st 5lbs / 110kgs
• International record: 48 caps (W 24, L 22, D 2; 35 pts – 7T)