Wales captain's heartbreaking interview blows people away as viewers left in tears
Alex Callender will lead Wales at the Women's Rugby World Cup alongside co-captain Kate Williams
Callender wiped away tears as she talked about her late mother
(Image: WRU/ Vodafone)
Wales co-captain Alex Callender has opened up on losing her mum to cancer, describing her as her "number one supporter" in a tearful interview ahead of the Women's Rugby World Cup.
Alongside fellow co-captain Kate Williams, the 25-year-old will lead Sean Lynn's side at the tournament in England over the next few weeks, having established herself as a talismanic figure within the Welsh squad in recent seasons. It has been a remarkable rise for Callender, who gave rugby a try for the first time as a 17-year-old before making her Wales debut two years later.
However, the back rower has also faced tragedy during her rise to the top of Welsh rugby, with her mum Donna passing away in 2023 following a long battle with cancer.
Having previously vowed to carry her mother's memory with her wherever she goes, Callender has spoken about how she serves as a daily inspiration for her, citing her as her motivation to become the best player she can be.
In the first episode of the Welsh Rugby Union and Vodafone's new series Daffodils, the Harlequins star recalled how she fell in love with rugby following her first training session in 2017.
"When I was about 17, there was like a local club, Llanelli Wanderers, and a few of the girls just asked 'Do you wanna come down?'. I was like 'yeah, ok'.
Article continues below
"I was playing netball at the time, and then I went down and the first session was a contact session and I was like 'Oh my God, this is right up my street'. I've never looked back since, really. I got stuck in and then got called into the Wales 15s set-up, then got my first cap in 2019.
"Since then, I've never looked back. I just want to get better and better. I think, in general, don't take things for granted. Life is short, so just take every opportunity that you can."
As the conversation moved on to her inspirational mother, Callender was overcome with emotion as she wiped away tears, before bravely carrying on.
Content cannot be displayed without consent
"I thought I wouldn't cry," she said. "Obviously, I've got a reason behind why I do [what I do] and why I want to be the best player. My mam was my number one supporter. She is why I do it.
"It's so hard to speak because I want to speak about her, and she was the best. She was the best. She was just a fighter and that's the reason why I keep turning up every day, get out of bed, get out the house. I want to be the best version of myself.
"That's why I do it, because I know that she got out of bed every day, she fought the most disgusting disease and she was just an absolute fighter and a warrior.
"If she could do that, I can put two feet in front of each other and just go out there and smash it," Callender added. "I can have down days, but I know in the back of my mind, my mam is like 'come on Al, you've bloody got this' because I know she would.
"I know she would be like 'you are going to get out of bed, you are going to go train and you're going to smash it and be the best version of yourself'. I think that's always in the back of my mind."
The emotional interview left viewers blown away as they praised Callender for her honesty and resilience, with one writing: "Well done Alex… beautifully put… and just so you know you make ALL the mothers so proud!
Another added: "Bloody inspirational girl," while another described the Wales star as "the most incredible human". Another viewer wrote: "We are all so so proud of you Alex and mammy is with you , every step by your side," while one added: "I wasn't planning on crying today."
Later in the episode, Callender spoke of her role within the squad, explaining: "I want keep hold of that shirt on the field, but also I want to be a really big part of the team off the field as well.
Article continues below
"There's new girls coming through and I want to help them come through, develop and become the best players that they can be as well. On the field, I want to be the best player I can be but also off the field, I want to be the best person for them to approach as well.
"I want to go out and showcase what, not only myself can do, but also what the team can do," she added. "I want to be competing against the best teams in the world, week in, week out."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scotsman
39 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Welsh rugby's stark survival plan, parallels with Scotland and potential impact on Edinburgh and Glasgow
Radical proposals could open the door for American teams in the URC Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Plans to restructure Welsh rugby by cutting the number of professional teams from four to two stirs memories of Scotland's own ham-fisted attempts to 'streamline' the pro game back in the 1990s. It was an acrimonious period and the bad blood stirred up has not entirely dissipated. Wales can expect to experience similar turbulence over the coming months as they debate the future of their national sport. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The proposals unveiled in Cardiff on Wednesday have been described as a blueprint to 'save Welsh rugby' but they are radical and will have far reaching consequences, including job losses and the demise of teams. The Welsh Rugby Union has recognised they will cause 'hurt and anger' but insist they are necessary to turn around the game at both club and international level. The detail is contained in a 90-page consultation document entitled 'The Future of Elite Rugby in Wales', the starkest part of which is the WRU's proposal to halve its number of four men's professional sides – Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets – to two. It remains unclear whether the two future sides being proposed will be new entities or existing teams, but the two organisations will each have a men's and women's team. Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Abi Tierney, Wales head coach Steve Tandy, and Wales director of rugby Dave Reddin. | PA There will be a six-week consultation period before the WRU makes a final decision on the plans, and WRU chief executive Abi Tierney has urged people to 'improve on the proposals' and provide 'something fit for purpose for Welsh rugby'. 'I know how emotional rugby is in Wales and people will be hurting today, when they think what it could mean potentially for them and their team,' said Tierney. Players were briefed on the WRU's plan on Tuesday and Dave Reddin, the new director of rugby and elite performance, is confident suggestions of possible player strike action will not materialise. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It is possible the WRU will face legal action from regions that could essentially be put out of business, with WRU chairman Richard Collier-Keywood saying 'two or three areas of potential legal challenge' exist. Dejected Wales players after the team's 19-24 defeat by Japan on July 5. It was their 18th consecutive loss but they beat the same opponents a week later to end the losing run. | Getty Images The radical two-team proposal comes a month after the Wales men's national team finally ended their 18-match losing Test run with a hard-fought 31-22 victory over Japan. Since then, Steve Tandy has been appointed head coach, leaving his post as Scotland's defence coach to lead his native country. It is a popular appointment but there can be no hiding the scale of the task ahead of him. Wales lost all their matches in the Six Nations in 2024 and 2025, the first time they have picked up back-to-back Wooden Spoons in the Six Nations era. In the United Rugby Championship, three of the four Welsh regions finished outside the top eight, with only Scarlets making the play-offs. In short, the sport in Wales is in crisis. Parallels with Scottish rugby Back in the embryonic days of professional rugby, Scotland experienced its own watershed moment. When the sport was finally declared 'open' in 1995 it is fair to say that the Scottish Rugby Union did not embrace the new era with open arms. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There was no Scottish participation in the inaugural European Cup as debate raged over who should represent Scotland in the nascent cross-border competition. Districts won the day over clubs, condemning the likes of Melrose, Hawick and Watsonians to a future on the periphery. When Scotland did take part in the second year of the European club competitions it was Edinburgh, the Borders, Caledonia and Glasgow who flew the Saltire. The four-strong contingent didn't last; by 1998 the SRU was saddled with debt and merged the teams into two so-called 'super-districts', Edinburgh Reivers and Glasgow Caledonian. By 2001, the 'Reivers' and 'Caledonian' appendages were quietly dropped in a move which saw the two teams rebranded simply 'Edinburgh' and 'Glasgow' and although the Borders Reivers team was revived as a separate entity in 2002, they lasted only five seasons before the SRU pulled the plug. The Border Reivers pro team was disbanded in 2007, with Gregor Townsend playing in their final game against the Neath-Swansea Ospreys. | SNS Group 0141 221 3602 Since then, Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors have been Scotland's representatives in Europe and the Celtic League, the latter evolving into the Pro12, Pro14 and eventually the URC. The latest iteration was launched in 2022 and the big development was the inclusion of four South African franchises, bringing superstars like Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth and Manie Libbok into the league and driving up standards as the Bulls, Sharks, Stormers and Lions vied with the Celtic clubs and Italy's Benetton and Zebre. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Could USA teams fill the gap? How the URC fills the gap left by the Welsh announcement is now key to the league's continued success. A report this week suggested they would look to America for replacement clubs. Martin Anayi, the URC chief executive, has never been afraid to be bold - 'expansion is in our DNA', he said in June - but it's hard to see what two US franchises would bring to the party except an enlarged carbon footprint. Italian clubs joined the league in 2010, the South African sides 11 years later, creating a 16-team championship that seems to work despite its unusual geographical make-up. The URC is remaining tight-lipped about the possible inclusion of American franchises but there are obvious dangers to transatlantic expansion. The travel implications are significant, both in terms of financial cost and the strain it would put on players who already take long-haul flights every season between Europe and South Africa. Also, while South Africa is in a similar time zone to Europe, the US is not, meaning games could kick off at inconvenient times for those on this side of the Atlantic. Glasgow Warriors won the United Rugby Championship on South African soil in 2024, defeating the Bulls in the final in Pretoria. | AFP via Getty Images More significant, perhaps, is the paucity of interest in rugby in America. The sport thrives in South Africa and the inclusion of their teams in the URC has improved the league significantly but it's hard to make a case for US sides doing likewise. The States will host the men's Rugby World Cup in 2031 and the women's tournament in 2033 so there is clearly a desire to grow the game before then but it is hard to break through in a country where American football dominates as a collision sport. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Black Lion, the Georgian team coached by Richard Cockerill, would seem to have a more valid claim to join the URC than any US franchise but the league is facing the biggest challenge since its inception four years ago. The four Welsh teams will be part of the new URC season which is scheduled to begin next month but the 2026-27 campaign could look very different as Edinburgh, Glasgow and the other survivors face two new opponents. Anayi has long been aware of the existential threat to the Welsh franchises and addressed the possibility of change during a media briefing in June. 'What we really want is competitive Welsh regions,' he said. 'How do you get that? What resourcing does that need in the modern environment? And what resourcing is available in Wales?' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The answers should become clear over the next six weeks and are likely to test Anayi's expansionist policy. 'We've moved and tried to grow each time, and we've done it,' the chief executive said of the league's development. 'I think we genuinely have made it a better league, more competitive than ever. There's more eyeballs. It's more engaged. Competitively, it's better. It's serving the national game, international game, really well, I hope. 'So, I think it's important that we continue to look outwards.'
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Rangers work on nine transfer exits as Tavernier message surfaces amid Bajrami push
Russell Martin has some big calls to make in the face of mounting fan pressure early in his tenure Russell Martin is facing major scrutiny early in his tenure as Rangers boss - but the club look to still be clearing out the squad. Falling three goals behind to Club Brugge in the Champions League playoff first leg at Ibrox proved to be the final straw for some fans - with an exodus from the stands after just 21 minutes. But Danilo's goal gives the Light Blues a lifeline going into the second leg - and major changes are in motion behind the scenes. Captain James Tavernier has found himself fighting for a starting spot since Martin's arrival with Bournemouth loanee Max Aarons given the nod at right-back in the crucial clash with Brugge. Alan Rough reckons that the Light Blues' boss has sent a message to the skipper that he doesn't see him in the plans for the season - and that Tavernier should not be faulted if he leaves the club. The former Scotland goalkeeper told PLZ: "I think he (Russell Martin) wants to move on. I think he wants to show the owners that there are young players out there. "Tavernier has been absolutely amazing - the amount of assists, the amount of goals and penalties he has scored; if he was to move I don't think anyone could have any complaints. He has been fantastic. "I just think the manager has a mindset now that he wants his own players in there, and that is what he is doing." Defence is an area in focus with Brentford loanee Jayden Meghoma the only recognised left-back in the squad for the £40million shoot-out on Tuesday. Jefte is inching closer to a move back to Brazil to join Palmeiras In a £6million deal while Ridvan Yilmaz appears to be closing in on a return to Besiktas. Sabah report that Yilmaz has already agreed on personal terms with his former side with negotiations over a fee rumbling on. Leon King and Clinton Nsiala are exploring their options after dropping out of the first-team picture - while the door could be opening for Ben Davies to return to Birmingham City. The defender has failed to earn a chance under Martin but reports south of the border report that talks over a return to City have "collapsed". The Lanacashire Post state that Preston North End and Oxford United are battling for a deal. An number of midfielders and wingers have come in the door on Edmiston Drive this summer - leaving Jose Cifuentes and Rabbi Matondo out of the picture. Reports in Ecuador suggest Cifuentes has interested suitors in his homeland alongside Brazilian club Sport Club do Recife - while Turkish side Gaziantep FK are said to have left the door open for Welsh wide man Matondo. Nedim Bajrami is also said to be looking for a route out of the club this summer. The Albanian was dropped from the Champions League squad to make room for new recruit Meghoma despite his Premier Sports Cup goal against Alloa last weekend. Gazeta Blic report that the playmaker now believes he is not part of Martin's plans and his "priority" is to find a club where he can re-establish himself this summer.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
WRU press nuclear button with 'radical' and 'systemic' proposals to revive Welsh rugby, as two of four sides face risk of axe
Amid an hour-long press conference, pages of documents and PowerPoint slides and public outcry at the Welsh Rugby Union's radical proposal for how Wales' national game will look moving forwards, one quote stood out at Principality Stadium on Wednesday. 'It's clear the Welsh elite rugby system is no longer achieving its aims,' the WRU said in the lengthy written material provided to journalists which put forward, among many other things, the idea to cut the country's number of professional domestic teams from four to two. This is entirely correct. There can be no doubt change is needed and the WRU has certainly pressed the nuclear button. By their own admission, the change they are proposing is 'radical' and 'systemic' – all with a view to taking Wales from the doldrums and back to winning ways. Dave Reddin, the WRU's director of rugby, even admitted some of the proposals being put forward were 'nutty.' They have led to an outpouring of criticism. That was predictable. However, after a string of crises, the WRU knew it had to act decisively and deserves credit for doing so, even if the final outcome in the weeks to come might not actually be what is currently on the table. Time will tell if that happens or not. 'Change is hard and this is going to be hard,' admitted chief executive Abi Tierney. 'But I think this is going to get us to a better place. I hope the fans will feel hope for the future. I absolutely recognise the hurt and anger the fans will be feeling.' There is certainly pain out there. While the WRU's hierarchy was at pains to point out no final decision has been made and a six-week public consultation will now take place among Welsh rugby's stakeholders, on Wednesday we learned the governing body's preference is to halve the number of its clubs. It means two of Dragons, Cardiff, Ospreys and Scarlets are now very much at risk. The WRU believes doing so can take them 'from last place in the men's and women's Six Nations to winning' and help them become 'genuine wild card World Cup winners'. That is certainly optimistic. Reddin said: 'Why shouldn't we have that ambition? My career has taught me if you dream exciting dreams it's amazing how quickly you can get there. 'Nobody wants to be where we are now.' The WRU's plan is for their two teams to each have a men's and women's side. At this stage, it is unclear whether the two will be entirely new entities or existing outfits. That will only become clear once the consultation process is complete. Only then will the WRU board look to officially ratify the next steps. The fall-out has started already, with player and staff jobs under threat. Wales back Joe Hawkins, who this summer joined Scarlets from Exeter, described the potential of his country going to two teams as 'very short sighted'. Hawkins added: 'It will definitely increase squad quality and maybe success short term but probably at the cost of the little fans Welsh rugby has left walking away which will kill the game.' There are undoubtedly positives to what is being put forward in what the WRU says is its 'proposed optimal system'. Funding each men's team to the tune of circa £8million with squads of 50 players apiece will increase their chances of being competitive domestically. Creating a stronger female game in Wales is to be applauded too. Reddin wants to build a new training base for all of Wales' international sides and the two proposed club teams, though where that will be located and the cost to build it are also unknowns as we stand. 'We want to lead. Let's be brave rather than just follow,' said Reddin, whose performance experience includes working alongside Sir Gareth Southgate at the Football Association and helping England win the 2003 Rugby World Cup under Sir Clive Woodward's guidance. Reddin admitted his Welsh rugby vision was 'somewhat' influenced by English football as well as other sports. He added: 'When St. George's Park was proposed there was a huge amount of opposition. It's become a beacon for English football. We are trying to do something differently. 'If we are just going to copy people, we will always be behind. 'It was noticeable that Reddin fronted Wales' D-Day press conference as the central figure, Tierney and chair Richard Collier-Keywood flanking him. It is obvious Reddin is the driving force behind this. The big question now the WRU has nailed its colours to the mast is whether or not they will come to fruition. That remains a very big if. It is likely that in the coming weeks any team put at risk will launch legal action. Cardiff, owned by the WRU after falling into administration earlier this year, are the exception. 'We feel confident in our legal position,' Collier-Keywood said 'I'm not going to duck the decision. We are not going to sit on our hands.' That, however, might be taken out of the WRU's control. There is much to consider here. Well-placed sources have indicated that while going from four to two is the WRU's preferred option, the final outcome may not be that severe. Throughout September, the WRU will seek the views of its stakeholders who are unlikely to all provide enthusiastic feedback. He and Reddin will lead the next steps with Tierney beginning time away from her role as of Friday to focus on health treatment following her cancer diagnosis. 'We realise this is emotional. But we are trying to get the best answer for Welsh rugby,' said Collier-Keywood. 'We are not looking for a sticking plaster. 'Collier-Keywood labelled on Wednesday as an 'historic day in the future of Welsh rugby' and there can be no doubt the changes proposed represent the most seismic upheaval in Wales' national game in more than 20 years. But there is plenty of water still to be passed under the bridge before they come to fruition. The next month won't be dull though after all, this is the madhouse that is Welsh rugby. It never is.
