Here are your rugby evening headlines for Friday, June 13. Former Welsh Rugby Union president Des Barnett has died at the age of 91. Barnett served the Mid District for 20 years as their WRU member before becoming president of the union in 1986. 52 at the time, he was the youngest president in the WRU's history. During his year in charge, Wales played their first international against England in Pontypool, while the first men's Rugby World Cup was held. Born in Treherbert in 1933, he had succeeded Carey Powell as a WRU member for District C at the start of the 1965-66 season, joining Bargoed’s Glyn Morgan as the Mid District representatives. Barnett was able to make major contributions to the game in Wales, through his long-standing service on the coaching sub-committee. He was also a member of the general committee during the union’s centenary season of 1980-81 and helped with the organisation of the centenary dinner held at the City Hall in Cardiff . At the end of the teachers strike in the 1980s, he pushed for the leading players in Wales to be used to provide coaching clinics to re-engage those youngsters who had become disillusioned and disengaged with the national sport. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. Two-time World Cup winner Frans Steyn has revealed he is not a fan of the United Rugby Championship and wants South African teams to return to Super Rugby. Last year, Cheetahs director of rugby Steyn said he is hopeful his side could make a move to a southern hemisphere competition like Super Rugby. The Cheetahs initially played in the Pro14 tournament, before being replaced by the South African's Super Rugby franchises in 2021 to form the current iteration of the URC. When ex-All Blacks and Crusaders full-back Israel Dagg expressed his displeasure last year at the decision which led to South Africa’s departure from Super Rugby , Steyn tweeted a response which said: “There are other teams in SA that want the opportunity!!” The Cheetahs currently play in the Currie Cup, while also competing in the second tier of European rugby - the Challenge Cup. However, despite having spells in Europe in his playing days, Steyn - who won the World Cup in 2007 and 2019 - said he would rather South African sides played in the southern hemisphere. “For me personally, I think we should go back to the old Super Rugby," he said on the Behind The Ruck podcast. “I just think there was something else (with that tournament). It was something different. I think the young guys of today definitely miss out. “If you think of when we went on tours and four and five-week tours, it was one tour, not every second week on a plane. (It’s) A stupid thing, this new calendar that we are in. If you have kids, you never have time off. “You can’t go on holiday. When do you go on holiday? And then December. Normally, we went away in December. Now you have to play. “I remember when I got to France the first time, I had to play on Sundays and Sundays. My dad was angry because you don’t play on a Sunday. “Now we freaking play over Christmas and all of that.” The Welsh Rugby Union has confirmed that the cut-off age for youth rugby in Wales will remain at 18 after an extensive consultation process over the last year. Previously, youth rugby in Wales had used a three-year banding - from under-17s to under-19s - but a review process that included "representation from 195 rugby clubs across Wales and key stakeholders of the game" indicated that the move to a two-year bandng had seen a "significant positive impact on retention of players and also created stronger transition figures for those moving into the adult game". The WRU say that 91 per cent of U17 and U18s were having a positive experience when moving into youth rugby, while they added the number of U16s moving into youth rugby had increased. The Union also believe that the two-year banding will help clubs field adult men's teams more consistently, with more players likely to move up from youth rugby. “I’m delighted the Community Game Board made the decision to retain U18 as the official age banding for boys’ youth rugby in Wales which was ratified by the WRU Board last month," said WRU Executive Director of Community Geraint John. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free “We are incredibly encouraged by the positive impact the revised U18s age banding has had across our community game as it shows that this structure is creating the right environment for young people to thrive. “The positive effect it’s created has seen a significant impact on individual self-confidence as it offers a smoother transition through the age ranges and keeps young people playing for longer.” He added: “It’s also encouraging that over 1,000 U19 players have registered for senior rugby in each of the last two seasons which is a comparative increase of 400+ more players than in 2019. "This is a positive indication that young players are staying engaged with the game after 18. “We now look forward to building on this progress and continuing to support the development and enjoyment of everyone involved in the game, ensuring there is a clear pathway and playing opportunities into senior rugby.” By Gavin McCafferty, PA Rory Darge has followed his appointment as Scotland captain with an extended Glasgow contract. Warriors announced the openside flanker had signed a new three-year deal. The 25-year-old – who earlier this week was named as Scotland captain for the upcoming Pacific Tour after missing out on the Lions tour to Australia – has made 67 appearances for the club and his 2024-25 form saw him impress with and without the ball. Darge recorded 39 tackles in a match at Ulster – a total only bettered by Jonny Gray in Glasgow colours – and equalled a BKT United Rugby Championship record for a forward when he beat 10 defenders against Benetton last month. The former Southern Knights and Edinburgh player described his decision to extend his deal as “fairly straightforward”. He told glasgowwarriors.org: “I love my time in Glasgow and the club is the best place for me to be just now – I’m loving my rugby and this is the best possible place for me to keep developing. “The competition at Scotstoun is something that’s definitely played a role in continuing to develop me, particularly this season with how well the young guys came in and played. “Everyone that came in took their opportunity really well, which is a testament to this environment and the coaching that we get, and that only bodes well for the future of this club. “I’ve really started to enjoy the leadership role over the last season or so, both for Scotland and for Glasgow – I’ve enjoyed being able to support Steyno (Kyle Steyn) on and off the field, and it’s an exciting part of the game for me.” Head coach Franco Smith added: “Rory has developed into one of the best in his position in Europe and we still believe that he is only scratching the surface of his potential. “His work in both attack and defence makes him an invaluable asset for both club and country; his statistics speak for themselves and only serve to underline his quality. “He has developed into a leader within our environment over the last few seasons, and being named as Scotland captain is a well-deserved reflection of this development.”