Today's rugby news as axed Wales coaches among favourites to replace Young and former players saddened

Here are the latest rugby headlines on Tuesday, July 25.

Odds released on Dai Young's successor

The first bookmakers' odds on Dai Young's successor as Cardiff Rugby boss have been released, with a host of former Wales coaches at the top of the list.

Warren Gatland's former lieutenant Rob Howley is the early favourite with DragonBet, with Wayne Pivac, Gethin Jenkins and Mark Jones making up the top four.

The Welsh region are searching for a new leader after Director of Rugby Young officially departed on Monday, three months after being suspended amid bullying allegations. An independent investigation did not find sufficient evidence to uphold the claims, and as a result Young was exonerated.

But the strain in relations between the club and Young was such that both parties agreed to part company.

It remains to be seen what sort of budget financially-struggling Cardiff have to offer any new head coach but, despite the difficulties the region has faced, it is likely to be an attractive proposition to a host of coaches looking to get back into the game.

Highly-rated current attack coach Matt Sherratt could be a cheaper option to move into the main role, while Jones has impressed in recent months after taking on the Wales Under-20s job at short notice.

DragonBet odds on next Cardiff boss

6/4 Rob Howley

3/1 Mark Jones

3/1 Gethin Jenkins

8/1 Wayne Pivac

12/1 Robin McBryde

16/1 Matt Sherratt

16/1 Richie Rees

20/1 Jonathan Thomas

22/1 Danny Wilson

25/1 Steve Diamond

Former players saddened

Former Cardiff players and rugby figures have expressed their sadness at the circumstances around Young's departure.

Cardiff and Wales legend, and now BBC pundit, Jonathan Davies described the situation as "a very sad state of affairs whichever way you look at it", while ex-fly-half Lee Jarvis raised concerns around the future of Young's son, Thomas, who is one of Cardiff's best players.

He said: "I'm sure Thomas Young will not be short of offers from other clubs if he becomes available. I can't see him staying after the way his old man has been treated, and can anyone blame him?"

Rugby presenter Phil Steele added: "A very sad and nebulous situation.

"Best wishes for the future to Dai - who was always a pleasure to deal with media-wise with his honesty and willingness."

New WRU chair was approached by England

New Welsh Rugby Union chair Richard Collier-Keywood has revealed he was previously approached by the English RFU..

Collier-Keywood, who was born in Nottingham and lives in Sussex, was approached by head-hunters for the role of RFU chairman a number of years ago, seriously considering the role before realising his heart lay with Wales.

Hi mother was from Maesteg and he was raised as Welsh, describing himself as a passionate Wales rugby suppporter.

He told the Telegraph of the England approach: “I seriously thought about it. I had a couple of chats with the head-hunters. In terms of sport, rugby is my favourite. I play a bit of tennis as well, and one of my clients at PwC was the Lawn Tennis Association and so I am familiar with governing bodies too.

“But rugby is my sport where I never miss an international match.

“When I was seriously thinking about the RFU position, I had a sort of blinding revelation. There are not many pictures of me on social media but the two on my WhatsApp are of me wearing a Wales shirt during a match in the 2015 World Cup that was played in Cardiff.

“The other one is me on the top of Kilimanjaro, having conquered Kilimanjaro, I took a Welsh rugby union shirt up to the top and put it on. That was my photo. When my friend reminded me of that, I knew I could not really be chair of the English union.

“I had no idea this job (WRU chair) would come up later. My parents died in 2013 and when I chatted about the RFU position with my friend, he just said: ‘You can’t!

“And he was right, not that I would have got the job anyway. I have sat and cheered for Wales against England as long as I can remember, and I couldn’t become part of the RFU and cheer for England against Wales.”

Thousands back WRU logo change

Nearly 10,000 people have signed a petition calling for the logo of the Welsh Rugby Union to be changed.

The petition gained traction earlier this year after a BBC Wales investigation revealed accusations of bullying and sexism in the WRU, with the man behind it, Trystan Gruffydd, claiming the three Prince of Wales feathers aren’t “embraced by everyone in Wales and supporters of Welsh rugby.”

The WRU has used the same emblem since its formation in 1881, but Mr Gruffyd and thousands of others have called for a rebrand, with dragons and leeks among the suggested new logos.

"‘Following the shocking allegations of sexism, misogyny, racism, homophobia and other inappropriate language used by some staff at the Welsh Rugby Union, the organisation’s reputation is now in tatters," the petition reads. "The urgent priority of the WRU should obviously be to make the organisation a safe place to work and free from sexism, racism and homophobia."

"Achieving this, the WRU should be rebranded with a more politically neutral emblem that properly represents everyone in Wales, such as the Welsh dragon (or other Welsh symbol such as a leek).

"The feathers have absolutely no connection with the last princes of Wales, Llywelyn and Owain Glyndwr," it added. "The feathers were first used by Englishman “Edward the Black Prince” and other English (then British) heir apparents with no genuine connection to Wales whatsoever. It is not an emblem that is embraced by everyone in Wales and supporters of Welsh rugby… this is as good a time as any for the WRU to reset and rebrand"