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BBC News
17-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Sand dunes and sumo - Wales' brutal pre-season
From sand dunes to shark bait sumo, Wales head coach Sean Lynn is delivering on his promise of a brutal a disappointing first campaign in the 2025 Women's Six Nations the former Gloucester-Hartpury boss made no secret of the fact he thought Wales lacked the fitness to play the brand of rugby that won him three successive league with a two-Test tour of Australia and the Rugby World Cup in England fast approaching, Lynn is intent on pushing players to their extended training squad reported for testing at the Welsh Rugby Union's (WRU) National Centre of Excellence at the start of June, the first task being the dreaded bronco runs. True grit For those fortunate enough never to have partaken, it is a fitness test that involves timed shuttle runs over increasing distances."We came in on day one looking at the bronco testing, it's what our lead S&C [strength and conditioning coach] wanted to measure us on," said Lynn."It's really exciting because one of our young pathway players absolutely smashed it, and came top of the forwards league table which is really pleasing to see."Testing has not just been confined to sweltering indoor training barns - the squad headed to Merthyr Mawr on Friday where they endured the energy-zapping 'big dipper' - the largest sand dune in Wales."When you're in these tough situations, it's about making sure that we're all in it together," said Lynn."It's a combination of making sure that we are digging in deep and working hard for each other."We want to be a hard team to beat." As well as welcoming back prop powerhouse Sisilia Tuipulotu, Lynn has stayed true to his word by including a handful of pathway players in his 45-player they are not just there to make up the numbers with Lynn saying they are "very much in the mix" for selection this summer."It's lovely to see the PDCs [player development centres] at the moment and you can see their fruition."We're seeing a real big emphasis on these girls. They are not drowning, they are swimming very nicely in these waters." Back-row Chiara Pearce and scrum-half Seren Lockwood have both come from Wales Under-18s."It's been challenging physically and mentally, but it's a great feeling training with all the big guns, because you see them on telly," Pearce said."I feel confident in everything I'm doing, just because he [Lynn] is on my back saying 'you can do it, just believe in yourself, we're all here together and we're all helping you'."Lockwood added: "We are here for a reason, so it's up to us to prove ourselves now."It's crazy to think about it, I'm 18 years-old, it [selection] would be a dream, but it is in reach, I've just got to fight for it now and see what happens."It is also a first camp for loose-head prop Katherine Baverstock who said it is certainly a "step-up" from under-20s, but they "want to train well and put our names out there". Baby sharks While impressing the coaches, Pearce, Lockwood and Baverstock admit to being daunted by some of the senior players, especially when they do the 'shark bait' contact drill."Basically we fight each other, it's like sumo wrestling and you've got to get each other out of the circle. It gets pretty intense," explained Baverstock."I had Abbie Fleming, I got in the ring and I was shaking, I was like 'oh no'," said at the same time the young trio are more than ready to fight for shirts."I'll have no problem putting myself in the mix and fighting for that position because I know how bad I want it," said Pearce."They've already represented and I haven't yet." That is just the sort of healthy competition Lynn wants before he whittles the squad down to 30 players before heading down under to take on the Wallaroos in Brisbane on 26 July and then in Sydney on 1 beat Australia for the first time in their history at Rodney Parade in a warm-up last September before succumbing to a heavy defeat at WXV2 a week their return to the UK, Wales will have just over three weeks to shake-off the jet lag and get ready for what promises to be the biggest ever Women's Rugby World Cup, with the 10th edition being held across eight different venues in opening game is against Six Nations rivals Scotland on Saturday, 23 August. Wales' World Cup Pool B fixtures Scotland v Wales: Saturday, 23 August, Salford Community Stadium,14:45 BSTCanada v Wales: 30 August, Salford Community Stadium, Saturday, 12:00 BSTWales v Fiji: Saturday, 6 September, Sandy Park, 14:45 BST
BBC News
03-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
New Wales boss Lynn names extended Six Nations training squad
New head coach Sean Lynn has named a 48-player training squad ahead of Wales' 2025 Six Nations Gloucester-Hartpury head coach was named as Ioan Cunningham's successor in January and has named an extended training squad around the 15 Welsh internationals who featured in the Women's Premier Rugby Gloucester-Hartpury take on Saracens in the final on 16 March at StoneX Stadium - with the Swansea-born head coach then taking charge of Wales permanently for the Six Bevan and Alex Callender have been appointed as vice-captains to support captain Hannah squad also includes a number of players from the Celtic Challenge's two Welsh sides, Gwalia Lightning and Brython Thunder."It's exciting to get to name a first Wales training squad and one full of experienced international players, playing well for their clubs and young exciting players who have shone in the Celtic Challenge," said Lynn."To have so many Welsh internationals feature in the PWR semi-finals is a testimony to the players quality and to their performances with their clubs."As coaches we have selected players who have really impressed and put their hands up playing for Gwalia Lightning and Brython Thunder in the Celtic Challenge." The impressive form of Gwalia - who have won five of their seven games and sit third in the league table - has ensured players including Bryonie King, Gwennan Hopkins, Alaw Pyrs, Maisie Davies and Sian Jones feature under Natalia John, Hannah Bluck, Lucy Isaac and Cadi-Lois Davies are also McMullen, Seren Lockwood, Shanelle Williams and Jorja Aiono will join the senior squad from the Under-18s set-up as players of national interest."My rugby philosophy has always been about finding, nurturing and supporting young players and giving them the opportunity to reach their full potential," added Lynn."We have selected a group of young Welsh players from age-grade rugby so the coaches and staff can assess where they are but also so they can experience an international environment and the standards expected at this level."The Celtic Challenge players and the age-grade players are the future Wales family and have been identified because we believe they have talent to make an impact at the highest level now or in the future."Wales begin their Six Nations campaign in Scotland on 22 March before hosting England in Cardiff a week side then travel to France on 12 April before welcoming Ireland to Wales eight days conclude their campaign with a trip to Italy on 26 April. Wales' 48-player extended 2025 Six Nations training squad Forwards: Gwenllian Pyrs, Maisie Davies, Abbey Constable, Stella Orin, Allie Watkins, Meg Lewis, Kelsey Jones, Carys Phillips, Rosie Carr, Molly Reardon, Donna Rose, Jenni Scoble, Cadi-Lois Davies, Abbie Fleming, Robyn Davies, Georgia Evans, Natalia John, Alaw Pyrs, Gwen Crabb, Lily Terry, Alex Callender, Alisha Butchers, Kate Williams, Bethan Lewis, Gwennan Hopkins, Lucy Isaac, Bryonie KingBacks: Keira Bevan, Sian Jones, Meg Davies, Ffion Lewis, Seren Singleton, Lleucu George, Kayleigh Powell, Robyn Wilkins, Courtney Keight, Hannah Jones (capt), Carys Cox, Kerin Lake, Hannah Bluck, Meg Webb, Savannah Picton-Powell, Nel Metcalfe, Catherine Richards, Lisa Neumann, Jasmine Joyce, Jenny Hesketh, Niamh Terry
