Wales assistant coach Shaun Edwards will link up with the Ospreys this season in a consultancy role, it was confirmed today.

The former Wasps head coach, and Wigan Rugby League legend, will combine his role with his ongoing duties with the Welsh Rugby Union, working exclusively with the Ospreys at regional level.

His first involvement will see him joining the traveling party heading to Portugal for a training camp this week, ahead of the next pre-season fixture, versus Saracens in London on Thursday 23^rd August.

Ospreys Head Coach, Allen Clarke, is excited about Edwards being part of the coaching group for the coming season.

“Shaun is a world class coach” said Clarke.

 “I wanted to bring him in because we know his strengths and how they will complement the existing coaching team here at the Ospreys. His knowledge and experience is unrivalled and his CV speaks for itself. I’m delighted to have him working alongside myself and, in particular, Brad Davis, complementing the excellent work that Brad is doing with the squad.

“He knows a large number of the squad already through their involvement with the national set-up and has a good understanding of what we want to achieve day to day and across the season.

“I think this appointment is a hugely positive one for both the Ospreys and the WRU, and is a reflection of the direction Welsh rugby is heading, with a clear understanding that we are all stronger as entities working in collaboration. We are extremely grateful to the Union for facilitating it.”

Shaun Edwards said:

“I’m looking forward to linking up with the Ospreys this week and getting down to work with the players and the coaches at the Region.

“For me it is a great opportunity to work alongside some great players, a lot of which I know from their time with Wales but also to work with players hands on who I know a lot about but haven’t been out on the training pitch with.

“The Ospreys are a region with a lot of history and pride and under Allen they are ambitious and I’m looking forward to playing my part.

The Welsh Rugby Union commented: “It is great for the game in Wales that Shaun is linking up with the Ospreys for the forthcoming season. 

“It allows for great continuity between the Senior National Management and the coaching team at the Ospreys and is an extension of the work our national coaches do across the four Regions throughout the season.”

A study by a researcher at Aberystwyth University into how social isolation affects snail responses to stress has been published in the latest edition of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society Journal.

The paper by Dr Sarah Dalesman ’Habitat and social context affect memory phenotype, exploration and co-variance among these traits’ appears in a special edition of the journal on Causes and consequences of individual differences in cognitive abilities10.1098/rstb/373/1756.

Dr Dalesman is a Lecturer in Freshwater Biology at the University’s Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences and a snail behaviour expert.

Dr Dalesman said:“Social isolation is known as a stressor for a lot of animals and humans, causing changes in behaviour and negatively affecting their ability to learn and form memories. However, individuals respond differently to the effects of stress, and some may be able to cope better than others.”

The study looked at whether individuals that form strong memories in unstressed conditions respond differently following social isolation, to those that normally form weaker memories.

The study tested how social isolation affected the snails’ ability to form long-term memory, which in the case of a snail means a single day.

There is a lot of interest in how memory relates to other behavioural traits in animals. The work explored how isolation affected the way snails explore new environments, and whether there was a relationship between memory formation and exploration behaviour.

Snails that formed strong memories when kept in groups were unable to form long-term memory when socially isolated, whereas snails that formed weak memories when kept in groups appeared unaffected by isolation.

So, it seems that snails which normally form weaker memories are more robust to the effects of stress from being socially isolated.

The effect of isolation on exploration behaviour also differed depending on their ability to form memory.

Snails that normally form weak memories did not change their exploration behaviour following isolation; where as those that form strong memories decreased their crawling speed and time spent in contact with the behavioural arena wall (thigmotaxis).

Dr Dalesman added: “These results show that social context can alter our conclusions about how ‘smart’ an animal is. Snails that form stronger memories in groups form the weakest memories in isolation and vice versa. It also shows that the relationship between exploration behaviour and memory changes when the social context is altered.”

Photo: Snail behaviour expertDr Sarah Dalesman with Lymnaea stagnalis, better known as the great pond snail.

Links:

’Habitat and social context affect memory phenotype, exploration and co-variance among these traits’ Dr Sarah Dalesman, IBERS

The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society Journal – ‘Causes and consequences of individual differences in cognitive abilities’

Study at the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences

Dr Sarah Dalesman

The Clinical Research Centre at Hywel Dda University Health Board are delighted to have recently been presented with two beautifully framed pieces of calligraphy artwork by patient Mike James.

Mike, who has had a lifelong interest in artwork and history, recently took up calligraphy to challenge himself to learn a new skill.

The artwork he created for the Centre uses a medieval script system called half insular majuscule that was used to scribe important documents and sacred texts, the most famous one being the Book of Kells which is widely regarded as Ireland’s finest national treasure.

He regularly attends a Lifelong Learning Service calligraphy class run by tutor, Judith Porch, Community Education Development Officer for the City and County of Swansea.

Commenting on Mike’s works, Judith went on to say, “Mike joined the group just last September and I am incredibly proud of what he has achieved. Calligraphy is not an easy skill to master and Mike has produced outstanding pieces which incorporate not just calligraphy but design and gilding with pure gold leaf. I am thrilled that his work will grace the walls of the new Research Centre and hopefully will inspire future patients.”

Professor Kier Lewis, who heads up the Clinical Research team at Hywel Dda, said: “I am delighted Mike has shown such interest in our Centre and created these pieces specifically for us to remind everyone that the human-being is always central to clinical care and all research endeavours. The pieces now take pride of place in our Centre’s foyer in Prince Philip Hospital (Llanelli).”

Scarlets have today launched the alternative strip for the 2018-19 season at a fun-filled family day out on Aberystwyth’s promenade.

The vibrant blue, white and gold kit was launched in Aberystwyth as the region looks to strengthen brand awareness within the county of Ceredigion by encouraging participation not only in rugby but also across all sports and community based activities.

This summer has seen the Scarlets launch its Three Counties, Three Years strategy, concentrating on strengthening partnerships right across the region, county by county.

Year One’s focus will be Ceredigion with commercial and community projects being delivered across the county. Year Two will focus on Pembrokeshire whilst Year Three will return to Carmarthenshire.

2018-19’s away kit colour scheme is based on Ceredigion’s coat of arms, sandy beaches and vivid blue seas.

Clearly displayed on the left side panel of the jersey are the crests of Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire. The front of the shirt has an unusual pattern consisting of elements of each of the county crests whilst the back carries a strong wave, showing the county and the region’s link to the sea and coastline.

Pattern elements;

CEREDIGION
Golden Lion: Arms of Gwaithfoed, a medieval prince of Ceredigion
Herring: Fishing industry
Wheatsheaf: Agricultural industry
Rose: Patron Saint of Wales, who had very close associations with the county

PEMBROKESHIRE
Eagle: Wildlife, castles and rugged coastline
Dragon: The county’s dual heritage

CARMARTHENSHIRE
Harp: Welsh musical traditions and poetry
Seahorse: The sea, protection and stability

The kit is available for pre-order today.