These are your evening rugby headlines on Thursday, May 15. Dragons head coach Filo Tiatia says he is "deeply saddened" by the death of Cornal Hendricks,. as he paid tribute to the former Springboks centre. Hendricks passed away at the age of just 37 on Wednesday evening after suffering a heart attack, 10 years on from being diagnosed with a serious heart condition that saw him retire from professional rugby. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. After his initial retirement from the game, however, the 12-cap South Africa international returned to playing after receiving a second medical opinion and spent five seasons with the Bulls. With the Dragons set to face the Pretoria-based side on Saturday afternoon, Tiatia has paid tribute to Hendricks, describing him as an "inspirational player" and one that he "greatly admired". “I’m deeply saddened to hear of Cornal Hendricks’ passing at the tender age of 37," the Dragons head coach said. “Having coached sides against Cornal, I witnessed first-hand his athleticism, footwork, pace, and power with his side-stepping and fend a constant threat. “Cornal was a player I greatly admired, and he was an inspirational player to watch play on the field but also away from the action with his work in the wider community. I wish to personally send out my sympathies to his friends and family along with the wider Bulls family." Dragons centre Aneurin Owen added: “On behalf of all our players, we are all saddened to hear of Cornal Hendricks’ passing. As a player and fellow centre, he was someone I admired with an incredible highlights reel of top moments, especially with ball in hand. “Along with the rest of the team, I wish to send my condolences to his friends and family along with the Bulls team.” Scarlets hooker Marnus van der Merwe has been called in by Rassie Erasmus to attend South Africa's second alignment camps later this month. The 28-year-old has had an impressive first season in West Wales after moving to Parc y Scarlets from the Cheetahs last summer, with a series of impressive displays for Dwayne Peel's side seeing him labelled as "one of the signings of the season" by the club. Having been selected for the Springboks’ wider alignment camp last year - but yet to play for his country - van der Merwe recently admitted he was targeting another international call-up and has got his wish as one of eight uncapped players asked to attend the camp by Erasmus. As he is based outside of South Africa, however, van der Merwe will attend the camp virtually on Friday, May 23. The camp will include a series of boardroom sessions over two days, with the Springboks preparing to host the Barbarians for the first time ever in June before their summer Tests against Italy and Georgia, the Rugby Championship and the autumn internationals. “This is an exciting bunch of players who have all made their mark in their respective competitions this season, and we are thrilled to invite a few talented new players to the camp," said Erasmus. “They have all made a strong statement in big competitions under immense pressure at times, so we are looking forward to working with them.” It comes after van der Merwe admitted that playing international rugby was his goal, saying: “I think as a child, any South African watching the game, with the Springboks doing well, everyone wants to play for that team, just like people in Wales who grew up watching their team. “So everyone wants to play for their nation. It’s definitely a thing I am going for, but I focus on the next thing which is helping the Scarlets where I can. Then, through that, I hope the Springbok coaches can see what I bring and see that I have the talent to be there. “My goal is to get into international rugby. Everyone hopes for that. I just go out and play the best I can every single day. Hopefully that’s enough.” The Scarlets have announced a 'landmark' long-term kit and retail deal with sportswear company VX3. As part of the agreement, which is set to begin in July, VX3, which was originally founded in Cross Hands in Carmarthenshire , will take over retail operations at Parc y Scarlets and online, while their Welsh office will also be based at the stadium. The region - who have had a kit deal with Castore since 2022 - say a new range of jerseys and training wear will now be unveiled over the summer. Scarlets' Managing Director Jon Daniels said: “We are delighted to welcome VX3 as our new kit and retail partners. They are a company who started out just a few miles away in Cross Hands and share our same values and pride in our community. “We can’t wait to unveil the new designs for the 2025-26 season and are looking forward to working closely with VX3 on a number of exciting projects over the coming months.” Dylan Petche, Director at VX3, added: “This partnership represents a major milestone for VX3, and we are incredibly proud to be working with a club that shares our passion for excellence, community, and the future of Welsh rugby. We look forward to an exciting future together!”