Callum Sheedy set to quit Bristol and join Welsh URC club – report
Callum Sheedy is set to provide Welsh rugby with a timely recruitment boost as he is reportedly poised to quit the Gallagher Premiership for the URC.
The 28-year-old has starred for Pat Lam’s Bristol since a 2018 top-flight debut following an apprenticeship with the Bears at Championship level and he will soon be unveiled as a new Cardiff signing in an attempt to revive his stalled international career.
Sheedy was memorably the match-winner for Wales in their 2021 Guinness Six Nations win over England at the Principality Stadium but he hasn’t added to his tally of 16 caps since his three appearances off the bench in 2022 when Wayne Pivac was at the helm.
Wales are now being coached again by Warren Gatland and while Sheedy is currently nursing a knee injury, the signing of a contract extension with Bristol would make him ineligible for a Test recall as he doesn’t have the requisite 25 caps needed to remain available for selection while based in the Premiership.
A switch to Cardiff – who this week confirmed their takeover by Helford Capital – would head off that ineligibility issue and provide Sheedy with the chance to try and fight his way back into the international fold.
The Sportsmail report revealing Sheedy’s switch from the Premiership to URC read: “Bristol’s Callum Sheedy is set for a cross-border switch to Welsh side Cardiff in a move which is likely to reignite the fly-half’s Test career.
"Sheedy was born in the Welsh capital but came through the system at the Bears and has been contracted to the Ashton Gate side for his entire professional club career.
"The 28-year-old is currently sidelined by a knee injury which meant he wasn’t considered for Warren Gatland’s Wales squad for the 2024 Six Nations.
"Sheedy has 16 caps for Wales but hasn’t played for his country since 2021. If he re-signed with Bristol, or any other club outside Wales, he would have become ineligible for international rugby under the Welsh Rugby Union’s controversial 25 cap selection ruling.
"Playing for Wales again – their head coach Gatland only has rookie Sam Costelow as a specialist No10 in his squad for the Six Nations – is an attraction for Sheedy. Mail Sport understands Sheedy’s move to Cardiff is set to be confirmed officially in the coming weeks.
"All four of Wales’ regions are operating on very tight financial playing budgets of circa £4.5million each for next season but Cardiff do have some money to spend after Wales internationals Tomos Williams and Rhys Carre agreed moves to English sides Gloucester and Saracens respectively."
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All of these media pundits always miss the obvious whenever they analyse what is ailing or assisting the game. Rugby always has contentious points for debate when picking apart individual games and finding fault with itself. All this focus and scrutiny on “speeding up the game”, “high ball in play” etc is all contextual to the fan. As a tv viewer, if you’re absorbed into a game, regardless if your team is playing or not, more ball in play time and action are all byproducts of the contest. A good contest subliminally affects your memory in selectively remembering all the good aspects. A poor contest and your brain has switched off because its a blowout and the result is never in doubt or it’s a real chore to watch and remain engaged throughout. The URC, Top 14 and English premiership are all competitions that feel like there’s real jeopardy each week. The dominance of Super rugby by NZ teams was unhealthy from a sustainable interest perspective. You can’t fault those teams or the players, but the lack of competitions won by SA and Australian teams long term was always going to test the faith and patience of die-hard and casual fans from those regions. SANZAR took their eye off the fans and fans voted with their feet and subscriptions. They were so concerned about expanding their product they forgot the golden rule about broadcasting live sport. Viewers tune in more when there’s an atmosphere and a true contest. You need to fill stadiums to create one, host unions need to do more to service ticket buyers, and this year proves the other, there’s more interest in Super rugby this year only because more games are competitive with less foregone conclusions. All these micro statistics bandied about, only interest the bean counters and trainspotters.
Go to commentsIt’s a good, timely wake up call for NZ Rugby (seem to be a few of them lately!) - sort out the bureaucratic nonsense at board level. We can’t expect to stay the number one option without keeping fans/players engaged. We’ve obviously been bleeding players to league for years but can’t let the floodgates open (although I think this headline is hyperbolic as it’s a result of a recent Warriors pathways system where they are tracking things more closely) Understand the need to focus boys on rugby if they’re at a proud rugby school too, don’t think it’s harsh at all re Barakat in Hamilton. Reward the committed players with squad positions. An elite 1st XV system in NZ has done more for league than they even realise, think it’s good to protect our game further.
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