Wales ⁱ/ˈweɪlz/ (Welsh: Cymru;Welsh pronunciation: [ˈkəm.rɨ] ( listen)) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain,bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km² (8,023 sq mi). Wales has over 1,200 km (750 mi) of coastline, including its offshore islands; the largest, Anglesey (Ynys Môn), is also the largest island in the Irish Sea. Wales is largely mountainous, with its highest peaks in the north and central areas, especially in Snowdonia (Eryri), which contains Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), its highest summit.

During the Iron Age and early medieval period, Wales was inhabited by the Celtic Britons. A distinct Welsh national identity emerged in the centuries after the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the 5th century, and Wales is regarded as one of the modern Celtic nations today. Gruffydd ap Llywelyn was recognised as King of Wales in 1057. Llywelyn ap Gruffydd's death in 1282 marked the completion of Edward I of England's conquest of Wales. The castles and town walls erected to ensure its permanence are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Owain Glyndŵr briefly restored independence to what was to become modern Wales, in the early 15th century. Wales was subsequently annexed by England under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542 since when, excluding those matters now devolved to Wales, English law has been the legal system of Wales and England. Distinctive Welsh politics developed in the 19th century. Welsh Liberalism, exemplified in the early 20th century by Lloyd George, was displaced by the growth of socialism and the Labour Party. Welsh national feeling grew over the century; Plaid Cymru was formed in 1925 and The Welsh Language Society in 1962. The National Assembly for Wales, created in 1999 following a referendum, holds responsibility for a range of devolved policy matters.

Louis Picamoles (born 5 February 1986 in Paris, France) is a rugby union player who plays in France's top division of rugby union, the Top 14. Picamoles's regular position is at Number eight in the Back row.

Until June 2009 he played for Montpellier RC; since then he's to play for Toulouse for which he signed a 4-year agreement.

Picamoles began his club career at Montpellier in 1999 and played for the club for ten years. For the 2009–10 season he was signed by Stade Toulousain.

Picamoles made his international debut for France in 2008 and has since made 10 appearances for the side, scoring 5 points. He was selected as part of the 39-man French squad for the 2009 Six Nations Championship.

Yoann Huget (born 2 June 1987 in Pamiers (Ariège), France) is a French rugby union footballer. He plays as a wing or fullback for Bayonne.

He started his rugby career playing for Stade Toulousain in the 2005–06 Top 14 season. He scored his first try in November 2006 against CA Brive. He joined SU Agen in the 2008–09 Rugby Pro D2 competition. He scored 14 tries for Agen in that season and was the top try-scorer of the season. He played a few more games the following season before signing up with the Top 14 side, Bayonne. After having an impressive start in the 2010–11 Top 14 season, he was selected into the France national rugby team for the 2010 end of year rugby tests‎. He made his international debut for France on 20 November 2010 against Argentina on the right wing.

Sam Kennedy-Warburton (born 5 October 1988), commonly known as Sam Warburton, is a Welsh rugby union player. Warburton plays regional rugby for the Cardiff Blues and was first capped for Wales in 2009. In August 2011 he was named as the Welsh Captain for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Born in Wales to a Welsh mother and English Londoner father, Warburton has a older twin brother Ben who played at semi-professional level with Glamorgan Wanderers and is now a physiotherapist for the Newport Gwent Dragons Youth Academy, and an older sister Holly, a schoolteacher. He attended Whitchurch High School and left with 3 A Levels. As a youngster he was a keen football player and played for his school team alongside schoolmate Tottenham Hotspur and Wales wingback Gareth Bale. He had a trial with local club Cardiff City at the age of 14 but chose to concentrate on rugby instead. He played on the junior teams of Rhiwbina RFC and briefly played for Glamorgan Wanderers RFC before joining the Cardiff Blues.

Warburton represented Wales at all levels, including being captain of the U18`s, U19`s and he was captain of the Wales Under-20 team for the 2007–08 season. He led Wales to the under 19`s and under 20`s world cup semi finals. Warburton made his debut for the senior Wales national rugby union team on 6 June 2009 versus the USA. Versatile enough to play anywhere in the backrow he made his regional debut for the Cardiff Blues away to Edinburgh in 2009 and his excellent form, including a man of the match display against Munster, earned him a spot on the Welsh summer tour of North America. On tour he had an impressive debut coming on as a replacement against the USA and he has been tipped to succeed Martyn Williams as the Welsh and Blues openside flanker.

Mathieu Bastareaud (French pronunciation: [matjø bastaʁo]; born 17 September 1988) is a French rugby union centre who plays for Toulon.