Sport

35-strong squad named for bumper autumn series

Published

6 years ago

October 3, 2019

WALES Women head coach Rowland Phillips has named a 35-strong squad for his side’s five matches in November – their biggest autumn series to date. Hooker Carys Phillips will continue to captain the squad which includes 14 uncapped players.

Wales begin the series with three away matches – against Spain, Ireland and Scotland before returning to Wales for the first match against a women’s Crawshay’s team coached by new WRU Council Member Liza Burgess and the first professional female coach in Wales – Rachel Taylor.

That game will take place at Eugene Cross Park, Ebbw Vale on Saturday, November 23, and Taylor will also be part of the opposition coaching team a week later for Wales Women’s first match against the Barbarians in the Principality Stadium double header.

Phillips said: “Our focus hasn’t changed. We are already qualified for the 2021 Women’s Rugby World Cup and our key aim is to build a squad of young players with significant experience under their belts.

“This autumn series is a huge opportunity to do that. All players will gain from the experience of travelling away for three testing encounters against Spain, Ireland and Scotland – all of whom still need to qualify for the World Cup. And to be part of two historic encounters in Wales at the end of November against the Crawhshay’s and Barbarians is something we will all look forward to and enjoy.

“We finished the Six Nations on a high with a dramatic win over Scotland and then a pleasing win and performance against Ireland and we want to build on that momentum this season.

“There is excellent quality coming through – that was evident in the regional programme again this summer and some of those players are rewarded with squad places today. We have a responsibility to continue to develop those players, maximise their potential and also manage them well. We will expose them to an international environment and give them game time when ready. The likes of Lauren Smyth, Manon Johnes, Alex Callender and Gwen Crabb all earned their first caps last autumn and have gone on to become key players in the squad. The opportunity is there for others to do the same if they apply themselves.

“We are clear on where we need to develop to become consistently competitive. There’s a better understanding now from players of what is required of an international player in terms of fitness, skill levels, attitude and everything else that goes with being an international rugby player.

“We aren’t looking beyond the first game. Spain are making significant progress and will provide a tough challenge especially on their home turf. We are looking forward to locking horns with our Six Nations adversaries Ireland and Scotland who both have a point to prove and we want to engage as many home fans as possible in our journey and be part of our home matches at Ebbw Vale at Principality Stadium.”

WRU international skills coaches Geraint Lewis and Chris Horsman have joined Rowland Phillips and Gareth Wyatt in the Wales Women coaching set-up and will provide specialised input throughout the autumn campaign.

Phillips welcomed the addition of the former Wales international forwards. “Geraint and Chris are excellent coaches. With their wealth of experience working with young international players, they understand the need to adapt styles and management skills accordingly. It’s hugely encouraging for the women’s programme to become a more integrated part of the WRU performance structure. I know I’ve learned a lot from coaching female athletes and Chris and Geraint have already shown they will add value to the programme.”

Wales Women autumn series squad:

Forwards: (5 uncapped*)

Alex Callender (Scarlets), Gwen Crabb (Ospreys), Amy Evans (Ospreys), Georgia Evans* (Cardiff Blues), Abbie Fleming* (Cardiff Blues), Cerys Hale (Cardiff Blues),

Sioned Harries (Scarlets), Cara Hope (Ospreys), Jordan Hopkins* (Cardiff Blues), Gwenllian Jenkins* (Scarlets), Natalia John (Ospreys), Manon Johnes (Cardiff Blues), Kelsey Jones (Ospreys), Bethan Lewis (Scarlets), Siwan Lillicrap (Ospreys), Robyn Lock* (Ospreys), Carys Phillips (Ospreys), Gwenllian Pyrs (RGC)

Backs: (9 uncapped*)

Keira Bevan, (Ospreys), Angharad Desmet* (Scarlets), Alecs Donovan (Ospreys), Lleucu George (Scarlets), Courtney Keight* (Ospreys), Kerin Lake (Ospreys), Caitlin Lewis* (Scarlets), Ffion Lewis (Scarlets), Rebekah O’Loughlin* (Cardiff Blues), Kayleigh Powell* (Ospreys), Paige Randall* (Cardiff Blues), Catherine Richards* (Cardiff Blues), Lauren Smyth (Ospreys), Elinor Snowsill Ospreys), Niamh Terry* (Ospreys), Megan Webb* (Cardiff Blues), Robyn Wilkins (Cardiff Blues)

Wales Women fixtures November 2019:

Spain v Wales Women, Estadio Nacional Computense, Madrid, Sunday, November 3, 12.45pm local time

Ireland v Wales Women, The Bowl, UCD, Dublin, Sunday, November 10, 1pm

Scotland v Wales Women, Glasgow, Sunday, November 17, 3pm

Crawshay’s v Wales Women, Eugene Cross Park, Ebbw Vale Saturday, November 23, 2.30pm

Wales Women v Barbarians Saturday, November 30, Principality Stadium 11.45am

Tickets for the Barbarians double-header on sale via wru.wales/tickets

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Sport

Ireland overpower Wales in heavy Six Nations defeat at Rodney Parade

Published

11 hours ago

April 22, 2025

Herald Sport

WALES’ search for a first win in this year’s Women’s Six Nations continues after a tough afternoon at Rodney Parade saw them fall 40-14 to a dominant Ireland side.

Despite a strong start and an early try from Carys Cox, the home team quickly lost control of the match as Ireland ran in six tries – two apiece from Linda Djougang, Aoife Wafer, and Dorothy Wall.

A second-half score from late squad addition Hannah Bluck gave Wales a glimmer of hope, but it was little more than consolation in front of a record crowd of 3,568 at the Newport venue.

Ireland’s forwards proved too powerful throughout, and Wales’ defensive frailties were exposed time and again. The defeat marks Wales’ fourth consecutive loss of the tournament, and they now face a must-win match against Italy to avoid finishing bottom of the table for a second straight year.

Wales began with purpose, with stand-in fullback Lleucu George causing problems early. Her clever kick down the flank forced an error from Ireland’s Amee-Leigh Costigan, allowing Cox to dive on the loose ball for the opening try.

But Ireland soon found their rhythm, capitalising on soft tackling and set-piece pressure. Djougang muscled over after a burst from Wafer, who soon added one of her own as the visitors took control.

Even a yellow card for Ireland fly-half Dannah O’Brien – shown a card for dangerous contact – did little to help Wales. The Irish maintained their dominance with Wall crossing just before half-time to put them 21-7 ahead.

Ireland continued their charge in the second half, with Wall securing the bonus point shortly after the restart. While Cox and Jasmine Joyce-Butchers tried to spark a response, handling errors and turnovers repeatedly derailed Welsh attacks.

Bluck’s try, created by strong carries from Carys Phillips and a sharp offload from Keira Bevan, gave fans something to cheer. But Wafer had the last word, bulldozing her way over from the base of the scrum to seal the win.

Ireland now look to cement third place when they face Scotland, while Wales have one last chance to salvage their campaign when they travel to face Italy.

After the match, head coach Sean Lynn admitted the performance was painful: “It hurts. We all feel it. We had moments where we were right in it – we could have gone 14-0 up – but didn’t take our chances. That’s the difference at this level.”

Ireland’s Aoife Wafer reflected on the team’s spirit: “We talk about being the most connected team in the world. That shows in how we play – not just the 23 here, but the girls back home too. Winning away is never easy, so we’re proud of this.”

Wales team: Joyce-Butchers; Neumann, Jones (capt), Keight, Cox; George, Bevan; G. Pyrs, K. Jones, Scoble, Fleming, Evans, K. Williams, Lewis, Callender.
Replacements: C. Phillips, Davies, Rose, John, A. Pyrs, S. Jones, Bluck, Richards.

Ireland team: Flood; McGann, Dalton, Breen, Amee-Leigh; O’Brien, Scuffil-McCabe; McCarthy, N. Jones, Djougang, Campbell, Wall, Hogan, McMahon (capt), Wafer.
Replacements: Moloney, McGrath, Haney, Tuite, Boles, Lane, Higgins, Elmes Kinlan.

Yellow card: O’Brien (36 mins)

Tries – Wales: Cox, Bluck | Conversions: Bevan 2
Tries – Ireland: Djougang 2, Wafer 2, Wall 2 | Conversions: O’Brien 3, Breen 2

News

Triathlon returns to Fishguard – road closures announced

Published

2 days ago

April 21, 2025

Herald Sport

FISHGUARD will once again play host to the Wales Triathlon this summer, with hundreds of competitors set to descend on the town for the popular sporting event on Sunday, June 15.

Organised by Activity Wales Events, the triathlon includes a two-lap sea swim in Fishguard Bay, followed by a two-lap cycle from Fishguard to St Davids and a four-lap run along the Marine Walk and out onto the breakwater.

In order to facilitate the bike leg on closed roads, several road closures will be in place throughout the day.

Major road closures

The A487 between Goodwick and Mathry will be closed between 9:45am and 3:00pm.

Between Mathry and Croesgoch, the A487 will be closed from 10:00am to 3:00pm, and from Croesgoch to St Davids the closure will run from 10:00am until 2:45pm.

Crossing points will be in operation at Mathry crossroads, Croesgoch crossroads, and the Llangoffan to Granston junction. Diversions will be signposted, with local traffic routed via minor B roads and through Haverfordwest for longer journeys.

Town centre impact

In Fishguard, West Street will be closed between 12:00pm and 6:00pm for the running stage. Residents will still be able to exit side roads, with diversions clearly marked.

Goodwick residents will be able to exit the town via the Tesco roundabout, which will remain open all day.

Care access and course passes

Care workers will be allowed access to visit clients within the closed sections, but must obtain a course pass via their organisation in advance.

On the day, carers using the route must:

Follow the direction of the race
Display their pass clearly
Keep hazard lights on at all times
Exit the route as soon as safely possible

Further information

The event attracted over 1,000 athletes last year, and organisers anticipate another strong turnout.

More information can be found at: www.walestriathlon.com/athletes/event-info
Road closure details are available at: community.walestriathlon.com

For course pass enquiries, contact: [email protected]

News

South Pembrokeshire Short Mat Bowls Association – Final Table 2024/25

Published

2 days ago

April 20, 2025

Herald Sport

All matches complete as season concludes

THE 2024/25 season of the South Pembrokeshire Short Mat Bowls Association – known as The Friendly League – has now officially concluded, with all clubs completing their outstanding fixtures.

The past few weeks saw the following catch-up matches played:

Carew 8–2 Llanteg
St Johns 8–2 Cosheston
Hundleton 8–2 Reynalton
Reynalton 9–1 Lamphey
Cosheston 10–0 Kilgetty
East Williamston 9–1 Kilgetty

Final League Table (2024/25 Season)

Position	Club	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	S/D	Points
1	East Williamston	20	18	0	2	313	158
2	St Johns	20	14	0	6	111	122
=3	Carew	20	11	1	8	105	111
=3	Cosheston	20	12	0	8	77	111
5	Reynalton	20	11	0	9	28	104
6	Hundleton	20	9	0	11	74	97
7	Llanteg	20	7	1	12	-71	92
8	St Twynnells	20	8	1	11	-97	89
9	Badgers	20	6	1	13	-22	82
=10	Lamphey	20	6	0	14	-179	67
=10	Kilgetty	20	6	0	14	-262	67