Sport
Phillips: We’ve got a big match in us

WALES Women head coach Rowland Phillips believes his side can raise their game for their final Women’s Six Nations Test, against Ireland on Sunday (Cardiff Arms Park, 1.30).
Phillips has made two changes to the starting line-up with Elinor Snowsill starting at 10 and Alisha Butchers slotting back into the back row at blindside flanker.
Phillips said, “We want to capitalise on the confidence we’ve gained from the win over Scotland.
“We’ve shown a huge amount of character throughout this tournament – to hold Italy out at the end of that game and to come back from behind to win in Scotland showed remarkable attitude – and skill for such a young side.
“Despite that, I don’t feel we have shown how good a side we are and we’d like to do that on Sunday.
“Ireland are in a similar place as us. They played well against France last weekend. They have a strong back row and players who can make a difference. We certainly won’t be under-estimating them.
“However, we want to focus on ourselves, show what we can do with the ball and produce a better all-round performance. There’s a big game in us and hopefully we can showcase that on Sunday.”
Alisha Butchers, who earns her first start in the tournament since the opening round, is looking forward to some home comforts.
“Being at home lifts us girls massively. We’ve only had one home game this year and although England were tough opposition, we lifted our performance for our home support.
“Travelling away isn’t always accessible for our families so having them there boosts us. I love having my mum and dad and my brothers and sisters there, I can’t wait. There’s very much a family feel ethos and hopefully we can produce an entertaining game.”
“Last week’s game was really exciting and a good stepping stone for us. Moving forward I think we need to stick to our game plan, carry on working on our physicality and keep building as a team.
“Our performance was good last weekend but it can an still be better. We can use the confidence and momentum created by that victory to up our game and also spread the ball a bit more.”
Alisha is now working as a Hub Officer at Y Pant and Bryn Celynnog schools in the Pontypridd area, increasing the range of opportunities for girls to engage with rugby.
“I love it. I’ve already seen a huge increase in the number of girls playing the game and that inspires me – the thought that I’m having an impact on the next generation. They are both brilliant schools and we are getting 40 or more girls training now which is fantastic.
“Traditional 15 a side full-contact rugby isn’t for everyone so we make sure there are different formats and different opportunities all girls to enjoy taking part. A lot of them enjoyed the Rookie Rugby events we held recently, some play touch rugby, others enjoy crash mat rugby which is an introduction to contact or full contact rugby for the more established players who are keen.
“Hopefully a few of the girls – and boys – from the schools will come and support us on Sunday and bring their parents along to see what our game is all about. A few of the girls have role models within the squad, some are inspired by our captain Carys Phillips so I’ve promised they can have some photos after the match.”
Tickets available to print at home from www.cardiffblues.com/tickets and from 10am Sunday at the WRU shop, Westgate Street.
Wales Women V Ireland (Sunday, March 17, 1.30pm, Cardiff Arms Park):
Lauren Smyth (Ospreys); Jasmine Joyce (Scarlets), Hannah Jones (Scarlets), Lleucu George (Scarlets), Jess Kavanagh (RGC); Elinor Snowsill (Bristol Bears), Keira Bevan (Ospreys); Caryl Thomas (Dragons), Carys Phillips (capt, Ospreys), Amy Evans (Ospreys), Gwen Crabb (Ospreys), Mel Clay (Ospreys), Alisha Butchers (Scarlets), Bethan Lewis (Dragons) Siwan Lillicrap (Ospreys)
Replacements:
Kelsey Jones (Ospreys), Cara Hope (Ospreys), Cerys Hale (Dragons), Alex Callender (Scarlets), Manon Johnes (Cardiff Blues), Ffion Lewis (Scarlets), Robyn Wilkins (Blues), Lisa Neumann (RGC)
Sport
Cricket roundup: Centuries, collapses and dominant displays in Week 13

Carew crush Llangwm as Hicks and Davies shine; Cresselly extend Division 1 lead
CAREW produced the standout performance of the weekend as they demolished LLANGWM by 225 runs in a one-sided affair. TIM HICKS smashed 108 and NOAH DAVIES struck a superb 100 not out before destroying the Llangwm batting with 6-5.
CRESSELLY retained top spot in Division 1 with a 117-run win at LAWRENNY, with KYLE QUARTERMAINE hitting 81 and TOM ARTHUR claiming 4-27. Meanwhile, HERBRANDSTON defeated HAVERFORDWEST by 114 runs in a low-scoring contest, where DEAN JOHN and NATHAN BANNER starred with both bat and ball.
BURTON edged past NEYLAND by 3 wickets in a close finish, and WHITLAND chased 254 to beat SAUNDERSFOOT in a high-scoring thriller, thanks to an unbeaten 108 from GERAINT JONES.
DIVISION 1 RESULTS (Saturday, July 19):
- LAWRENNY 131 all out lost to CRESSELLY 248-8 by 117 runs
- HAVERFORDWEST 91 all out lost to HERBRANDSTON 205 all out by 114 runs
- CAREW 289-8 beat LLANGWM 64 all out by 225 runs
- BURTON 201-7 beat NEYLAND 197-8 by 3 wickets
- WHITLAND 259-5 beat SAUNDERSFOOT 253-4 by 5 wickets
LEAGUE TABLES
Division 1 Table
Team | P | W | L | Bat | Bowl | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cresselly | 13 | 12 | 1 | 47 | 56 | 231 |
Carew | 13 | 11 | 2 | 51 | 62 | 226 |
Herbrandston | 13 | 8 | 5 | 44 | 54 | 182 |
Saundersfoot | 13 | 7 | 6 | 49 | 50 | 176 |
Neyland | 13 | 7 | 6 | 44 | 52 | 168 |
Lawrenny | 13 | 7 | 6 | 39 | 54 | 165 |
Burton | 13 | 5 | 8 | 45 | 47 | 142 |
Whitland | 13 | 5 | 8 | 45 | 36 | 135 |
Haverfordwest | 13 | 3 | 10 | 39 | 42 | 113 |
Llangwm | 13 | 0 | 13 | 24 | 26 | 50 |
Division 2 Table
Team | P | W | L | Bat | Bowl | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
St Ishmaels | 13 | 11 | 2 | 53 | 61 | 227 |
Narberth | 12 | 9 | 3 | 55 | 55 | 220 |
Hook | 13 | 10 | 3 | 58 | 50 | 211 |
Pembroke | 13 | 9 | 4 | 63 | 53 | 206 |
Llechryd | 13 | 7 | 6 | 52 | 47 | 172 |
Cresselly II | 13 | 6 | 7 | 49 | 37 | 150 |
Johnston | 13 | 5 | 8 | 49 | 50 | 149 |
Carew II | 13 | 3 | 10 | 48 | 43 | 124 |
Llanrhian | 13 | 3 | 10 | 55 | 26 | 111 |
Burton II | 12 | 1 | 11 | 31 | 22 | 63 |
Division 3 Table
Team | P | W | L | Bat | Bowl | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pembroke Dock | 12 | 10 | 2 | 40 | 54 | 221 |
Fishguard | 13 | 11 | 2 | 45 | 50 | 215 |
Lamphey | 13 | 8 | 5 | 48 | 48 | 178 |
Haverfordwest II | 13 | 6 | 6 | 52 | 47 | 164 |
Hundleton | 13 | 6 | 7 | 42 | 41 | 147 |
Stackpole | 12 | 5 | 7 | 45 | 36 | 134 |
Laugharne | 12 | 5 | 6 | 43 | 35 | 134 |
Kilgetty | 12 | 4 | 7 | 47 | 27 | 134 |
Neyland II | 13 | 2 | 11 | 39 | 28 | 87 |
Hook II | 11 | 3 | 7 | 34 | 19 | 83 |
Division 4 Table
Team | P | W | L | Bat | Bowl | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pembroke II | 13 | 12 | 1 | 57 | 55 | 236 |
Saundersfoot II | 13 | 10 | 2 | 51 | 52 | 203 |
St Ishmaels II | 13 | 9 | 4 | 58 | 50 | 198 |
Crymych | 13 | 8 | 4 | 52 | 44 | 176 |
Lawrenny II | 13 | 7 | 5 | 46 | 47 | 164 |
Haverfordwest III | 13 | 5 | 6 | 50 | 39 | 159 |
Carew III | 13 | 4 | 6 | 48 | 30 | 118 |
Llangwm II | 13 | 2 | 11 | 56 | 27 | 103 |
Llanrhian II | 13 | 1 | 10 | 44 | 24 | 98 |
Narberth II | 13 | 2 | 11 | 42 | 24 | 87 |
Division 5 Table
Team | P | W | L | Bat | Bowl | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Herbrandston II | 13 | 11 | 2 | 50 | 58 | 228 |
Llechryd II | 13 | 9 | 3 | 53 | 50 | 206 |
Pembroke Dock II | 13 | 9 | 3 | 54 | 49 | 197 |
Whitland II | 11 | 6 | 4 | 42 | 29 | 153 |
Cresselly III | 12 | 4 | 7 | 49 | 36 | 127 |
Hundleton II | 12 | 4 | 7 | 41 | 27 | 112 |
Haverfordwest IV | 12 | 3 | 8 | 45 | 26 | 111 |
Neyland III | 12 | 0 | 12 | 40 | 14 | 53 |
Division 6 Table
Team | P | W | L | Bat | Bowl | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pembroke III | 12 | 9 | 1 | 36 | 45 | 180 |
Llechryd III | 9 | 6 | 2 | 32 | 33 | 145 |
H’West/Cresselly | 11 | 3 | 7 | 24 | 34 | 114 |
Lamphey II | 12 | 4 | 5 | 36 | 25 | 104 |
Kilgetty II | 12 | 2 | 8 | 24 | 24 | 68 |
Whitland III | 10 | 3 | 4 | 17 | 24 |
Sport
Double podium finish for local rally driver

A 20-HOUR round trip to Machrihanish Airbase in Campbeltown, Scotland, proved more than worthwhile for 17-year-old rally driver Henri Cynwyl, who returned to Wales with two podium finishes.
Henri, from Ponthirwaun, claimed third place on both days of competition in the British Junior Championship and the 1000cc Ecosse Challenge, strengthening his lead in the F1000 British Junior Championship.

The two-day Mach1 Stages Rally was organised by Dunfermline Car Club, with 31 F1000 members taking to the fast tarmac stages of the airbase, cheered on by a warm Scottish welcome.
“I’m really pleased,” said Henri, who was co-driven by Geraint Evans from Bala. “The stages were long, and I much prefer long stages to short ones as I get into a flow. The fast tarmac really suited my car.”
Now in his second and final year in the championship, Henri is backed by a number of local businesses from the Cardigan area.
“I’m so grateful to all of my sponsors and team,” he said. “The car is prepared by Castle Motors in Newcastle Emlyn, and we’ve just welcomed Pembrokeshire College as one of my new sponsors for 2025.”
Henri is currently undertaking an apprenticeship as an electrician with both Pembrokeshire College and DJ Hoyland.
The next round of the F1000 Championship will take place at Wheaton Barracks in Blackpool at the start of August.
Sport
Kilgetty AFC Women score new Lucozade kit thanks to Tenby Post Office Stores

Local nomination supports grassroots football in Pembrokeshire
KILGETTY AFC Women’s Team has received a brand-new Lucozade Sport Kit, thanks to a nomination by Tenby Post Office Stores and local supporter Fiona Malone.
The donation includes reusable drinks bottles, bibs, a football carrier bag, a kit bag, and bottles of Lucozade Sport – part of a UK-wide initiative that saw only ten teams selected to receive the sports kits.
‘A natural choice’
Fiona Malone, who nominated the team, said: “We were really happy to nominate Kilgetty AFC Women’s football team when we were asked by Lucozade. My son plays for Kilgetty Under-13s, and the whole club is incredibly inclusive, so when Lucozade asked, we immediately thought of the women’s team.”
The kit was officially handed over on Sunday (July 13) during the club’s Chwarae FOR HER Wales v England watch party at Kilgetty AFC Football Club, Kingsmoor Sports Club.
Team thanks local backers
A spokesperson for Kilgetty AFC Women said: “We are very grateful to receive all of the items from Tenby Post Office Stores and Lucozade. We particularly appreciate the reusable drinks bottles and Lucozade Sport drinks – we’ve been bringing our own, or using the men’s bottles. The bibs are great, and the new bags will be really useful. Thank you!”
Backed by the community
The women’s team continues to grow as part of the wider female football movement in Wales, supported by local businesses and groups. Ongoing kit sponsorship for the girls’ teams has come from Ty Francis and New York Welsh, while Tesco Stronger Starts funding and FAW grants have supported equipment and coach education.
The women’s team has also received training kit sponsorship from Kilgetty WI, and playing kit and volunteer support from Saundersfoot Rotary.
Each of these donations, including the new Lucozade kit, is helping transform grassroots football – building players’ skills, boosting confidence, and creating a stronger sense of belonging through sport.
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