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To play squash, first you have to warm up the ball.

When this is explained by Ronny Vlassaks, the highly-decorated, Belgian, Rod Stewart look-alike coach who serves as the head instructor at Squash on Fire in West End, it’s hard to tell if it’s intended to be a metaphor, some kind of wax-on, wax-off, first existential lesson in the sport. No, he means we literally need to warm up the rubber sphere we’ll be whacking around this glass and concrete box until my lungs scream for us to stop.

The rubber ball is much softer — squashier — than expected, and when it’s completely cold, it has no bounce, dropping to the wood floor lifelessly. Inject some power into it, through a transfer of human energy, and suddenly the game comes alive.

That’s the idea behind Squash On Fire, too, which opened in 2017. The game has largely been the provenance of East Coast country club enclaves, Ivy League college programs, and private city clubs in America. But Squash On Fire is open to the public, to anyone who wants to learn. For as little as $20, they can grab a court to themselves for 45 minutes and go nuts.

My net experience with the sport had come from a confused stroll through the University of California campus one afternoon as a teenager and a few thousand clever words in the New Yorker a couple years ago. Fittingly, the author of that piece was a former prep-schooler named Tad.

“In the states here, it’s still, regrettably — back then, and less so now — somewhat of a, for lack of a better word, rarefied sport,” said Richard Chin, teaching pro at the Harvard Club in New York. “There’s not much public access to it. Facilities like this really make a big difference, and we really hope we can get more facilities like this.”

Chin grew up in Guyana, where his family belonged to a club and squash was a part of life the way tennis or golf might be in America. But he knows that’s not a model for growth and inclusion.

“The first, critical step is more courts. More courts in locales where there is a low barrier to entry. More public access, that’s the first step. But you can’t just build the courts. You need an army of enthusiastic teaching pros to build the programs, to have the hands on experience, to nurture the players, especially the kids,” he said.

Chin is in town for the US Nationals, the first of two major squash events coming to Squash On Fire this year. The second such event is the Men’s World Squash Team Championship, which will be played Dec. 14-21, the first time in its 50-year history that it will be played in the United States. The intervening eight months will serve as an interesting litmus test to see what kind of interest and excitement the game generates between now and then.

***

If you’re wondering about the name of the place, it’s actually simple and straightforward. The facility sits, well, squashed, between the D.C. Fire Engine Company 1 station below and an architecturally curious box of affordable housing above. Hence, Squash On Fire. Because this is Washington, to the immediate east rests the Senegalese Embassy. It is squeezed seamlessly into the city, though its bold, red banner and floor-to-ceiling glass presence can’t help but catch the eye from the street.

Still, what you see from the street is only a small window into what’s inside. There are eight full courts — 21 feet wide, 32 feet deep — along with a workout area open to players for use pre- or post-match play, and a bar.

It might not seem like all that would fit in such space, but don’t be deceived by the lines. Based on dimensions alone, a tennis court will hold only three squash courts. But within the space required around the tennis surface — the minimum suggested length of 120 feet, width of 60 feet — you can fit more than 10 squash courts.

And yet, despite the small working area, the game is physically exhausting. Points are not won by attacking as much by attrition, physically and mentally wearing your opponent down shot after shot. Games are to 11, win by two, best of five games for the match. Rallies can last for dozens of shots, with just seconds of recovery before the next ball is served. Depending on how big you are, in just an hour of swatting, diving to corners, and scrambling back to the T, you can burn in excess of 1,000 calories.

“In squash, you’re always moving, you’re always doing something, there’s very little breaks,” said Chin. “You’re operating with your heart rate high for extended periods of time. It has a lot of creativity, it’s very strategic, it has a huge technical component. Those are all components that you can attribute to many other sports, squash just seems to have many of them at a higher level of demand.”

***

Olivia Blatchford Clyne was born into the game. Her parents were both recreational players, and her dad would drag her around to his matches.

“I kind of got to the point where I was like, ‘Dad, I’m sick and tired of you bringing me to these events every weekend. I want to play. When is it my turn?’”

She was five. Now, she’s U.S. champ.

The charismatic, diminutive Brooklynite, now 26, cruised to her second straight national title in just under a half-hour, 11-8, 11-2, 11-6. Ranked 20^th in the world, she’s perhaps as close as the game has to a national face, which can only help through her infectious enthusiasm for the sport.

“You have to feel what it’s like to be battling it out in that box,” she said. “When you’re in it, there’s nothing like being on that court. It’s unlike any other sport in that sense that it’s so all-consuming. To me, the best spot is about self-discovery. You find (out) so much about yourself and about the human limits, really.”

“We need people to get in there and seduce them that way.”

On the men’s side, 28-year-old Todd Harrity took down the title in four games, 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 11-4, defeating two-time defending champion Chris Hanson. Ranked 45^th in the world, Harrity is the top American man, highlighting just how much more popular the game is abroad. He thinks having a breakthrough player ascend to the top of the sport may be a spark for broader interest in the states.

“That’s basically what happened in Egypt,” he said, referencing Ahmed Barada, who ascended to No. 2 in the world. “It was just a catalyst. Everyone was excited, a lot of enthusiasm around that, a way to kind of see the world and to achieve something new. And now, they’re dominating the sport.”

Indeed, the top three players in the world right now, and seven of the top 12, are Egyptian. But lots of other countries in Europe, Asia, even New Zealand, are represented before you get to the Americans.

“I think that would be incredibly exciting to have an American reach the top of the game,” Harrity said.

That could come from a single player, but more likely from generational changes, born from increased access and exposure. Maybe that will all come in time. But first, they have to warm up the ball.

Like WTOP on Facebook and follow @WTOP on Twitter to engage in conversation about this article and others.

© 2019 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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TULSA, Okla. – Chili Bowl Nationals officials have announced a rule change in regards to the use of wheel covers for the 2020 Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire.

All cars competing must now be equipped with a minimum of three bolts holding the wheel covers to the beadlock.

The change comes after reviewing numerous occurrences that have happened over the past three years where loose wheel covers have come very close to clearing the fences that surround the Tulsa Expo Raceway, as well incidents where wheel covers have shot up the entry/exit ramp.

“The Chili Bowl is so unique in how confined and close everything is, and we’ve just seen too many times where wheel covers either were not installed correctly, or there is contact that causes the dzus to break or back off, which lets the cover come off,” said Chili Bowl Director Matt Ward. “Safety is always our biggest priority, and this is a small change to try and minimize someone getting severely injured.”

For the wheel covers, much like rules set by the American Sprint Car Series, IRA Sprints, All Star Circuit of Champions and the World of Outlaws, a minimum 5/16″, flanged steel bolt and an approved fastening (nut assembly) system must be used.

Approved fastening (nut assembly) systems are as follows:

– Keyser Manufacturing, part #100 7-101
– Wehrs Manufacturing Part # (WM377S-312 Steel 5/16)
– Triple X Chassis Part # SC-WH-7810 (for a 1″ spring) / SC-WH-7820 (for a 1 3/8″ spring)
– Smith Precision Products Part # MC-516-18
– Speedway Motors part # 910-07119

The post Wheel Cover Bolts Now Required At Chili Bowl appeared first on SPEED SPORT.

ANDERSON, Ind. – Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Daniel Hemric will return to his super late model roots later this summer.

Hemric announced plans on Friday to compete in the ARCA/CRA Super Series-sanctioned 53rd annual Redbud 500 at Anderson Speedway, driving an entry out of the Wimmer Motorsports stable.

This year’s running of the Redbud, scheduled for Monday, July 15, will mark Hemric’s first time back at the quarter-mile bullring since 2015.

Hemric was the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour champion in 2012, winning a series-record eight races that season. He remains second on the series’ all-time win list with those eight wins.

Hemric is a former winner of the Redbud 400. In 2014, he came to Anderson and qualified on the pole in his first start. He took the lead with 23 laps remaining, passing short-track superstar Bubba Pollard to take the top spot thanks to a four-tire call at the halfway break.

In his two Redbud starts at Anderson, Hemric has one win, one pole and two top-five finishes.

“Anderson is such a special place,” said Hemric. “The Redbud 400 was one of the first crown jewels of super late model racing that I was able to win, so yeah, Anderson will always mean a lot to me. I actually had a shot to win it a year later and just fell short — ran top-five. It’s just a cool atmosphere. So many legends have raced there.

“Dick Trickle’s comment about flying a jet fighter in a gymnasium came from racing at Anderson and some of racing’s biggest legends have won that event,” Hemric added. “I’m looking forward to going back and getting another shot at it with Wimmer Motorsports.”

Hemric has worked his way through the NASCAR ranks since his 2014 Redbud victory. He transitioned into a full-time NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series ride in 2015 and 2016.

In 2017, Hemric joined Richard Childress Racing. In the two years he raced in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, he scored 23 top-five finishes and made the Championship 4 both seasons.

This year saw Hemric elevated to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, taking over the iconic No. 8 for RCR alongside team owner Richard Childress’ grandson, Austin Dillon.

The Redbud 400 will once again be run the Monday after NASCAR weekend at Kentucky.

The race is one of the major stops within the ARCA/CRA Super Series season, and the format for the Redbud 400 will be similar to previous years. Four-hundred laps will be contested with controlled cautions for pit stops.

All pit stops will take place within the infield of the quarter-mile.

The Redbud 400 has been run with different series over its 53-year history, including the Automobile Racing Club of America, American Speed Ass’n and now, the Champion Racing Ass’n.

Former winners of the Redbud include Hemric, Mark Martin, Alan Kulwicki, Bob Senneker, Dick Trickle, Kyle Busch and Erik Jones.

The post Daniel Hemric To Return To Anderson’s Redbud 400 appeared first on SPEED SPORT.

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. – Friday morning showers and forecasted steady rain through the evening hours has forced the cancellation of the April 5 racing program at Williams Grove Speedway.

The decision was made just prior to noon on Friday, in order to avoid causing traveling teams and fans any hardships that a delayed decision might create, as well as to allow everyone the opportunity to make other plans for the remainder of the day.

Williams Grove now shifts its focus to next Friday, April 12, when the annual Tommy Hinnershitz Memorial Spring Classic is staged, sanctioned by the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions.

The PASS/IMCA 305 sprints are also on the program with a 7:30 p.m. start time. Gates will open at 5:30 p.m.

Reigning All Star titlist Aaron Reutzel will sign autographs in the infield prior to the event.

The post Rain Washes Out Williams Grove Racing Program appeared first on SPEED SPORT.

The name on the door of the old mill building in suburban Charlotte says it all: Ascot Race Cars. Chock full of USAC midgets and ASCS sprint cars, the shop is physically in stock car country but has a California heart and soul.

“I started out racing motorcycles but my dad figured I’d get hurt,” recalled Brad Noffsinger. “He had sprint cars and midgets and had just built a midget for a guy who backed out of the deal. I was 16, too young for USAC, so he started me out with the Ascot Super Midgets. We ran both the quarter-mile and the half and they didn’t care if you used a wing or not.”

Two years later, Noffsinger was in the family sprint car and on the way to superstar status at legendary Ascot Park Speedway in Gardena, Calif.

“I drove for my dad for two years, then I got a break with Bill Krug from Arizona,” Noffsinger recalled.  “When I found out you could get paid for racing, it opened up a whole new world for me. They had a tough crew chief and no matter what happened, it was the driver’s fault. But he was a serious racer and we won a bunch of races. After we won five or six in a row, we even tried running with the Outlaws. Wolfgang and Kinser were in their prime then and you learned to be tough in a hurry if you wanted to race with them.

“I ran with the California Racing Ass’n, the Arizona Racing Ass’n and NARC, so we were all over the West Coast. Then I turned 21 and could run USAC, so I started running midgets for Larry Howard. We’d do four or five midget shows and 50 to 60 sprint car shows a year. We even got going good with a wing in the early ’80s.”

The post Heart & Soul Of A Racer appeared first on SPEED SPORT.

To play squash, first you have to warm up the ball.

When this is explained by Ronny Vlassaks, the highly-decorated, Belgian, Rod Stewart look-alike coach who serves as the head instructor at Squash on Fire in West End, it’s hard to tell if it’s intended to be a metaphor, some kind of wax-on, wax-off, first existential lesson in the sport. No, he means we literally need to warm up the rubber sphere we’ll be whacking around this glass and concrete box until my lungs scream for us to stop.

The rubber ball is much softer — squashier — than expected, and when it’s completely cold, it has no bounce, dropping to the wood floor lifelessly. Inject some power into it, through a transfer of human energy, and suddenly the game comes alive.

That’s the idea behind Squash On Fire, too, which opened in 2017. The game has largely been the provenance of East Coast country club enclaves, Ivy League college programs, and private city clubs in America. But Squash On Fire is open to the public, to anyone who wants to learn. For as little as $20, they can grab a court to themselves for 45 minutes and go nuts.

My net experience with the sport had come from a confused stroll through the University of California campus one afternoon as a teenager and a few thousand clever words in the New Yorker a couple years ago. Fittingly, the author of that piece was a former prep-schooler named Tad.

“In the states here, it’s still, regrettably — back then, and less so now — somewhat of a, for lack of a better word, rarefied sport,” said Richard Chin, teaching pro at the Harvard Club in New York. “There’s not much public access to it. Facilities like this really make a big difference, and we really hope we can get more facilities like this.”

Chin grew up in Guyana, where his family belonged to a club and squash was a part of life the way tennis or golf might be in America. But he knows that’s not a model for growth and inclusion.

“The first, critical step is more courts. More courts in locales where there is a low barrier to entry. More public access, that’s the first step. But you can’t just build the courts. You need an army of enthusiastic teaching pros to build the programs, to have the hands on experience, to nurture the players, especially the kids,” he said.

Chin is in town for the US Nationals, the first of two major squash events coming to Squash On Fire this year. The second such event is the Men’s World Squash Team Championship, which will be played Dec. 14-21, the first time in its 50-year history that it will be played in the United States. The intervening eight months will serve as an interesting litmus test to see what kind of interest and excitement the game generates between now and then.

***

If you’re wondering about the name of the place, it’s actually simple and straightforward. The facility sits, well, squashed, between the D.C. Fire Engine Company 1 station below and an architecturally curious box of affordable housing above. Hence, Squash On Fire. Because this is Washington, to the immediate east rests the Senegalese Embassy. It is squeezed seamlessly into the city, though its bold, red banner and floor-to-ceiling glass presence can’t help but catch the eye from the street.

Still, what you see from the street is only a small window into what’s inside. There are eight full courts — 21 feet wide, 32 feet deep — along with a workout area open to players for use pre- or post-match play, and a bar.

It might not seem like all that would fit in such space, but don’t be deceived by the lines. Based on dimensions alone, a tennis court will hold only three squash courts. But within the space required around the tennis surface — the minimum suggested length of 120 feet, width of 60 feet — you can fit more than 10 squash courts.

And yet, despite the small working area, the game is physically exhausting. Points are not won by attacking as much by attrition, physically and mentally wearing your opponent down shot after shot. Games are to 11, win by two, best of five games for the match. Rallies can last for dozens of shots, with just seconds of recovery before the next ball is served. Depending on how big you are, in just an hour of swatting, diving to corners, and scrambling back to the T, you can burn in excess of 1,000 calories.

“In squash, you’re always moving, you’re always doing something, there’s very little breaks,” said Chin. “You’re operating with your heart rate high for extended periods of time. It has a lot of creativity, it’s very strategic, it has a huge technical component. Those are all components that you can attribute to many other sports, squash just seems to have many of them at a higher level of demand.”

***

Olivia Blatchford Clyne was born into the game. Her parents were both recreational players, and her dad would drag her around to his matches.

“I kind of got to the point where I was like, ‘Dad, I’m sick and tired of you bringing me to these events every weekend. I want to play. When is it my turn?’”

She was five. Now, she’s U.S. champ.

The charismatic, diminutive Brooklynite, now 26, cruised to her second straight national title in just under a half-hour, 11-8, 11-2, 11-6. Ranked 20^th in the world, she’s perhaps as close as the game has to a national face, which can only help through her infectious enthusiasm for the sport.

“You have to feel what it’s like to be battling it out in that box,” she said. “When you’re in it, there’s nothing like being on that court. It’s unlike any other sport in that sense that it’s so all-consuming. To me, the best spot is about self-discovery. You find (out) so much about yourself and about the human limits, really.”

“We need people to get in there and seduce them that way.”

On the men’s side, 28-year-old Todd Harrity took down the title in four games, 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 11-4, defeating two-time defending champion Chris Hanson. Ranked 45^th in the world, Harrity is the top American man, highlighting just how much more popular the game is abroad. He thinks having a breakthrough player ascend to the top of the sport may be a spark for broader interest in the states.

“That’s basically what happened in Egypt,” he said, referencing Ahmed Barada, who ascended to No. 2 in the world. “It was just a catalyst. Everyone was excited, a lot of enthusiasm around that, a way to kind of see the world and to achieve something new. And now, they’re dominating the sport.”

Indeed, the top three players in the world right now, and seven of the top 12, are Egyptian. But lots of other countries in Europe, Asia, even New Zealand, are represented before you get to the Americans.

“I think that would be incredibly exciting to have an American reach the top of the game,” Harrity said.

That could come from a single player, but more likely from generational changes, born from increased access and exposure. Maybe that will all come in time. But first, they have to warm up the ball.

Like WTOP on Facebook and follow @WTOP on Twitter to engage in conversation about this article and others.

© 2019 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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Bath meet local rivals Bristol Bears at Twickenham with 60,000 fans set to be at Saturday's game, dubbed 'The Clash'.

Bears-bound lock Dave Attwood starts for Bath, against the club he will rejoin at the end of this season.

Pat Lam's Bristol change seven from the side that lost at La Rochelle in Europe, but make just four changes from their most recent Premiership match.

Forwards Harry Thacker, John Afoa and Dan Thomas all come in after missing 23 March's loss to Worcester Warriors.

Twickenham is hosting Bath's third edition of The Clash after playing Leicester Tigers the previous two times the fixture was staged.

Bath are seventh in the Premiership, three points and two places above Bristol.

Bath director of rugby Todd Blackadder told BBC Radio Bristol:

"These West Country derbies are fantastic, wherever they're played, and especially with where both sides are in the season.

"For us, it's really about trying to get a complete performance to match the occasion. There's everything to play for and it's such a massive game for both clubs.

"Bristol will put on an open, flowing game that they've shown all season and they've got massive self-belief."

Bristol head coach Pat Lam told BBC Radio Bristol:

"There's real excitement to be playing at Twickenham. I hear there's going to be 60,000 in the crowd so fair play to Bath for inviting us to come and play in the fixture.

"We're all looking forward to it, but for us it's about making sure the best we can do on the field comes from upstairs through clarity of thought.

"There's five rounds to go and 25 points on offer and we are trying to pick up as many of those points to push towards the top six. It's still there in our grasp so our whole focus in on looking up."

Bath: Homer; Cokanasiga, Joseph, Roberts, McConnochie; Priestland, Fotuali'I; Catt, Dunn, Lahiff, Attwood, Ewels (capt), Ellis, Underhill, Mercer.

Replacements: Batty, Obano, Perenise, Stooke, Reid, Cook, Burns, Clark.

Bristol: Daniels; Morahan, O'Conor, S Piutau (co-capt), Leiua; Sheedy, Randall; Woolmore, Thacker, Afoa, Holmes, Vui, Luatua, Thomas, Crane (co-capt).

Replacements: Fenton-Wells, Lay, Thiede, Lam, Smith, Uren, Madigan, Pisi.

Referee: JP Doyle.

For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.

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Wales fly-half Rhys Priestland has signed a new two-year deal with Bath.

The 32-year-old joined Bath from Scarlets in 2015 and will now stay at the Recreation Ground until at least the end of the 2020-21 campaign.

Priestland had previously indicated in January that he would leave the club at the end of the season.

"This has always been an incredibly important contract for me at this stage of my career and I am delighted to be staying," Priestland said.

Priestland, who has not played for Wales since November 2017, has featured in all of Bath's five Premiership games since January, scoring six tries in the process.

In all, he has scored more than 350 points in 74 Premiership appearances for the Somerset club.

Bath head coach Todd Blackadder added: "It is no secret that we have been looking at a couple of specific options. However, this has never diminished the faith we have in Rhys.

"Rhys is an incredibly respected member of our group. We believe we are all building something special here at the club and Rhys has already been, and continues to be, a huge part of that."

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Wales flanker Josh Navidi says he will be fit for the World Cup as he recovers from one of the most painful injuries of his career.

Navidi enjoyed a stellar Six Nations, starting and impressing in all five matches as Wales won the Grand Slam.

The 28-year-old then dislocated his elbow during Cardiff Blues' win over Scarlets last month, but expects to be back for Wales' summer training camps.

"I've had the op now and I'll be ready for the World Cup camps," said Navidi.

"I'll be fully fit to play in 12 weeks so I'll be ready for then. I just need to look after my body and get it right.

"I had the operation last Thursday so the pain's gone now.

"It's nice to get it done and dusted quite quickly and hopefully next week I can get my range of motion back."

The back row is arguably the most competitive area of the Wales team, with Taulupe Faletau, Justin Tipuric, Ross Moriarty, Thomas Young, Ellis Jenkins, Aaron Shingler and James Davies vying with Navidi for a place in the national side.

With Faletau, Jenkins, Shingler and Davies missing the Six Nations through injury, Navidi seized his opportunity with a string of excellent displays, carrying the ball powerfully and defending with ferocious intensity.

But less than a week after Wales secured the Grand Slam with victory over Ireland, there were worries for Navidi's World Cup prospects when he was forced off the field less than two minutes into Cardiff Blues' thrashing of Scarlets.

In what Blues head coach John Mulvihill described as "friendly fire", it was actually the accidental intervention of one of Navidi's own team-mates which caused his gruesome injury.

"I put my arm out to tackle one of the Scarlets boys but Tomos [Williams, Blues and Wales scrum-half] did come from behind and gave me a bit of a nudge," Navidi told BBC Sport Wales.

"It was just the position my arm was in. Nine times out of 10 it probably wouldn't have happened, but it's just the way I was, it got knocked out and it came out.

"It didn't make the best sound but, it got back in straight away and the medical team looked after me.

"Obviously it's not the best and it would have been nice to finish off the season with the Blues. We've still got a lot to play for there.

"I'd say it was probably the second most painful injury of my career.

"The worst was when I had a stinger on my neck a while ago. It was ongoing pain."

What's on the Wales players' playlist?

Navidi is a warrior who is used to putting his body on the line for the sake of his team, and Wales will hope to have that wholehearted commitment helping their cause at the World Cup in Japan later this year.

Welsh confidence has scarcely been higher as the players prepare for the showpiece tournament with a Grand Slam and a national record of 14 consecutive wins under their belts.

In Navidi, they also have a budding DJ in their midst.

During the evening following Wales' Grand Slam-clinching win over Ireland, he was pictured on the decks at a Cardiff bar.

But Navidi, who has DJed at clubs in the past, said his was only a cameo set at the end of the night.

"I was just speaking to the DJ, my mate Ian, and then I did a little bit when everyone had left and it was just friends and staff," he said.

"I like hip hop, but it depends where you are and what the crowd is."

How about the Wales team and their choice of songs before matches?

"We do two songs each on the playlist," said Navidi, whose choices are 'Paris' by the Chainsmokers and 'Californication' by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

"You have some boys playing something and you think: 'Bloody hell, what is this?' But most of the stuff is good and it's good to hear something different.

• Wales can win World Cup - Roberts
• Preview: Munster v Cardiff Blues

"Nicky [Smith] had the 'Pong Dance' song [by Vigiland] so we were on the bus and we had a full-on rave dance song on."

Whether Ospreys prop Smith or Navidi have control of the changing room sound system in Japan, both will be hoping they can provide the soundtrack for a successful World Cup campaign.

"Fingers crossed I can make the squad and get to play in a World Cup, where I've played at an Under-20 World Cup and won my first [senior] cap," said Navidi.

"It would be nice to go back out there."

For the latest Welsh rugby news follow @BBCScrumV on Twitter.

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