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BBC News
14-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Wales have 100 days to turn into world beaters
The countdown to what promises to be the biggest ever Women's Rugby World Cup is on, with the tournament kicking off in England in 100 days' time. More than 300,000 tickets have already been sold for games across eight host venues, with this year's showpiece expanded to 16 go in as hot favourites but defending champions New Zealand have a habit of rising to the occasion having won six of the 10 World what hopes are there for Wales, who were quarter-finalists three years ago?They will certainly need to up their game having finished bottom of the Women's Six Nations for the past two years. Familiar foes Wales have been drawn in Pool B and while they avoided England and New Zealand, they have landed the second best team in the world in being amateur and having to fundraise just to come to the tournament, the Canadians are a force and will be many people's outside bet this is almost 20 years since Wales last tasted victory over Canada, with their most recent meeting coming at WXV1 in 2023. Scotland, a side Wales know very well, are also in Pool B. They are fierce Six Nations rivals, of course, and were also Wales' opening opponents in the 2021 World Wales edged that contest courtesy of Keira Bevan's dramatic 79th-minute penalty, Scotland have beaten Wales in recent outings, most recently a in a nail-biting encounter in Edinburgh. Fiji are the group minnows, but they will be extra motivated to beat Wales as they are now managed by former Wales head coach Ioan Cunningham. The top two teams in each pool advance to the knockout stages. Brutal pre-season incoming After a disappointing first Six Nations campaign under new head coach Sean Lynn, Wales' players will report back for duty in the first week of has already said Wales lack the fitness to play his style of rugby and players will no doubt be put through their also said there will be a change in personnel, with some of Wales' pathway players - who play for the nation's under-18 and under-23 sides - being brought into camp to fight for we saw with Ffion Lewis, Lynn is not sentimental about senior players and some may not have their professional contracts renewed this summer. Wales will head down under for their final World Cup preparations, with a two-Test tour of travel to Brisbane to take on the Wallaroos on Friday, 26 July before moving on to Sydney a week later, on what will be the eve of the second British and Irish Lions Test in the same city. Wales will then have a couple of weeks to shake off any jet lag before heading up to Manchester before their World Cup opener against Scotland at Salford Community Stadium on Saturday 23, August. Progress needed after huge step back Any hopes of an instant transformation in Wales' fortunes under Lynn were quickly quashed as his side suffered five losses in a Six Nations for the first time in their was a huge step backwards, especially as Wales were as high as sixth in the world rankings a couple of years year there were left wanting in so many being full-time professionals, players simply did not look fit enough as they struggled to produce an 80-minute performance across the also lack of strength in depth. The fact is that Lynn is not blessed with the sort of player pool he had at is inevitably going to come this summer, but whether 100 days is enough time to transform Wales from a Wooden Spoon side to world beaters remains to be seen.
BBC News
22-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Italy v Wales rearranged due to Pope's funeral
The Women's Six Nations fixture between Italy and Wales is to be rearranged due to the funeral of Pope two teams were due to meet in Parma at lunchtime on Saturday, 26 April in the final round of the the Vatican has announced the Pope's funeral will take place at 10:00 local time (09:00 BST) that organisers have yet to confirm when - or where - the game will now go evening and Sunday are being considered as options though Italy's government has declared five days of national mourning up to the funeral on Saturday. Speaking before the decision was made, Wales vice-captain Keira Bevan said the squad was preparing as said: "There's nothing we can do right now apart from prepare as if the game is going ahead this weekend."We can't think about whether the game is not going ahead or we could get caught out. We are preparing as normal."
BBC News
14-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Lynn names 37-player Wales squad for Six Nations
Sean Lynn has named a 37-player squad for his opening Women's Six Nations Championship as Wales announced a 48-player training squad ahead of the tournament and has opted for a blend of experience and youth ahead of his side's first match in Scotland on Saturday, 22 March (16:45 GMT).Wales will be without vice captain Alex Callender for the opener against Scotland, while Sisilia Tuipolutu will miss the whole tournament after undergoing hamstring Keira Bevan will also act as vice captain while centre Hannah Jones will continue to lead the side. "This is an exciting and significant moment for the players, coaches and staff, when all the Wales family come together for the forthcoming Women's Six Nations campaign," said Lynn."We have a good mix of the 15 Welsh internationals who featured in the recent Premiership semi-finals and exciting younger players who have stood out for Gwalia Lightning and Brython Thunder in the Celtic Challenge."We all meet up on Monday and it is a short turnaround, but I know we all appreciate what we need to do and the support of the Welsh public."We are all excited about this Six Nations which is part of an exciting year for women's rugby, and we are aware of the challenges ahead of us but it's all about working hard for each other and inspiring the nation."Centre Jones is among the Gloucester-Hartpury contingent who will take on fellow Welsh international Georgia Evans' Saracens in Sunday's Premiership Women's Rugby final. This will be Lynn's final game in charge of King is joined by Lightning team-mates Maisie Davies and Alaw Pyrs in the national captain Natalia John is joined by prop Rosie Carr and centre Hannah Bluck.A week after their opening game in Edinburgh, Wales host England in Cardiff at the Principality Stadium on 29 March and are on course to break their record crowd of 10,592 for a standalone women's rugby fixture in Wales. The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) says they having already sold more than 10,000 tickets for the then travel to face France on 12 April before welcoming Ireland eight days side conclude their campaign with a trip to Italy on 26 April. Wales Six Nations squad Forwards: Maisie Davies (Gwalia Lightning), Gwenllian Pyrs (Sale Sharks), Abbey Constable (Leicester Tigers), Molly Reardon (Gwalia Lightning), Rosie Carr (Brython Thunder), Kelsey Jones (Gloucester/Hartpury), Carys Phillips (Harlequins), Donna Rose (Saracens) Jenni Scoble (Gwalia Lightning), Abbie Fleming (Harlequins), Alaw Pyrs (Gwalia Lightning), Natalia John (Brython Thunder), Gwen Crabb (Gloucester/Hartpury), Bryonie King (Gwalia Lightning), Georgia Evans (Saracens), Kate Williams (Gloucester/Hartpury), Bethan Lewis (Gloucester/Hartpury), Alex Callender (Harlequins), Gwennan Hopkins (Gwalia Lightning), Alisha Butchers (Bristol Bears)Backs: Keira Bevan (Bristol Bears), Sian Jones (Gwalia Lightning), Meg Davies (Gloucester/Hartpury), Ffion Lewis (Bristol Bears), Lleucu George (Gloucester/Hartpury), Lisa Neumann (Harlequins), Kayleigh Powell (Harlequins), Robyn Wilkins (Sale Sharks), Hannah Jones (captain, Gloucester/Hartpury), Hannah Bluck (Brython Thunder), Kerin Lake (Gwalia Lightning), Carys Cox (Ealing Trailfinders), Courtney Keight (Bristol Bears), Nel Metcalfe (Gloucester/Hartpury), Jenny Hesketh (Bristol Bears), Catherine Richards (Gwalia Lightning), Jasmine Joyce (Bristol Bears)
