The rugby headlines you can expect to be reading in the coming months as huge season begins

The new rugby season is nearly upon us. It's a big year for Welsh rugby. There's the second year of the United Rugby Championship, the usual autumn internationals and Six Nations fixtures, and the World Cup in France around the corner.

Welsh rugby is in turmoil. The future of the four Welsh sides is uncertain. There is a compromise deal. The odds of whatever fix is found lasting in the long-term are low.

The rugby headlines you can expect to be reading in the coming months.

Alun Wyn Jones is no longer guaranteed a starting spot in his Wales career.

Welsh rugby's most capped player is a talisman of the game. He would be the definition of a 'finisher' as you could imagine.

Ian Foster has already reached 10 defeats in his reign since taking over after the tournament in Japan three years ago. New Zealand lost just 10 of their 114 matches. If New Zealander lose upcoming matches against Australia, they could travel to Cardiff in November.  Few people believe that this could be Wales' best chance to beat the All Blacks in a long time.

Wales Women are going to the World Cup in New Zealand later this year. The Welsh Rugby Union have handed out a host of professional contracts to players.

Regan Grace is being hyped up for a potential switch from rugby league to rugby union. He has been injured recently, but he is still considered a future star. Iestyn Harris was fast-tracked to play for Wales. He hasn't played for 10 years. Louis Rees-Zammit is a better winger than Grace.

Welsh teams have not been involved in the play-offs for a long time. Ospreys and Scarlets are both looking to make it this season. They play each other on the opening day of the season, so there's some hope for them. The O Spreys won as many games as Glasgow and Edinburgh, but fell short thanks to their lack of bonus points. Scarlet's defence let them down, and they need to improve it to get back into the top four.

Wales beat Scotland again. They will play Italy in round four of the tournament. Wales will also play in Paris the following week. The match with Scotland is followed by a break of two weeks.

Ireland are preparing for the 2023 World Cup. La Rochelle and the Bulls made the mistake of denying Leinster silverware. The draw is a hurdle as Ireland, France, New Zealand and South Africa won't get past the quarter-final stage.