Former Wales rugby union international, Phil Davies, has been appointed by the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) to lead its new National Academy, which has been launched to develop new talent.

The academy, which will be based at the WRU National Centre of Excellence at the Vale Resort in Hensol, Vale of Glamorgan, aims to help elite players, coaches and referees to accelerate their performance and maximise potential. Davies' role will include liaising with coaching and management staff throughout the WRU structure, as well as providing bespoke training and development programmes for players.

Joe Lydon, head of rugby, performance and development at the WRU, said: "This is a crucial and carefully planned step in the rugby development pathway, and will be a significant benefit to the individuals and their respective teams. "It is all about ensuring that nothing is left to chance and we deliver the right support, in the right way to the right people when they need it most."