Today's rugby headlines as WRU fire back at stinging accusations

Here are your rugby morning headlines for Wednesday, May 3.

The Welsh Rugby Union has responded to questions over their leadership and calls for mass resignations.

Pontypool RFC released a stinging comment on Tuesday after their hopes off winning a fourth successive Championship title were left in ruin due to rival team Beddau not fulfilling a fixture. Pontypool accuse Beddau of rejecting several dates to rearrange a match without explanation.

The Green and Golds will not face sanction for not being able to fulfil the fixture because, at the start of the season, the WRU did away with promotion and relegation - and the sanctioning of teams not able to play all their matches - due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with a view to returning to normal in the 2022/23 season. That decision in itself angered Pontypool last year and they have now been left fuming again, having to stomach at best a third-placed finish with their season ending incomplete through no fault of their own.

Responding to Pontypool's statement, the WRU said: "As stated before the start of the season, following 17 months without organised, competitive rugby and a 20-month absence of league rugby, the key aims for this transitional season were always to help clubs to continue to restart community rugby safely; to welcome players, coaches, referees and volunteers and supporters back to rugby clubs and support players as they moved to new age groups."

WRU community director Geraint John added: “From the outset of the pandemic, we were very clear in our principle goal of ensuring all our clubs were in a position to come out of this period as sustainable businesses and we provided significant on and off field support in conjunction with Welsh Government and other