Latest news with #Women'sSixNations
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
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 pre-season. After 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 titles. Advertisement And with a two-Test tour of Australia and the Rugby World Cup in England fast approaching, Lynn is intent on pushing players to their limits. His 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. Advertisement "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. Advertisement "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 squad. And 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. Advertisement "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." Advertisement 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 Pearce. Advertisement But 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 August. Wales 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 later. Advertisement On 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 England. Wales' 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 BST Canada v Wales: 30 August, Salford Community Stadium, Saturday, 12:00 BST Wales v Fiji: Saturday, 6 September, Sandy Park, 14:45 BST
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
South Wales Argus
17-06-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Argus
Dow insists Red Roses aren't getting ahead of themselves
The team have not lost a competitive fixture since defeat to New Zealand in the 2021 Women's Rugby World Cup final and enter this year's edition as the number one ranked side in the world, having strung together a 25-game winning streak that has yielded three consecutive Women's Six Nations titles and a double success in the WXV. Backed by what will be a vociferous home crowd, the Red Roses are favourites to lift the trophy for a third time but Dow insists previous achievements will count for nothing when she and her teammates take to the field. 'A World Cup is a World Cup, every game is dictated by that final whistle,' said Dow. 'We have to go into every game putting a target on the back of everyone we're lining up against. 'It doesn't matter how good you are in the Six Nations or WXV. The games people remember are at the World Cup and we as a team need to learn how to handle that pressure. 'It's going to make for an exciting brand of rugby and I'm excited for it, the team is excited for it. 'That's the joy of competitive sport.' Dow was speaking at the launch of a national RFU initiative inviting youngsters to get into rugby union and back the Red Roses by contributing to spectacular Red Rose yarn art city takeovers across the country, inspired by the Red Roses' love of crochet as a team bonding activity. Fans wishing to get involved and contribute to displays across their local communities, clubs and cities can download crochet patterns via the England Rugby website. The patterns available are a red rose, bunting and a rugby ball square. Supplied creations will then be stitched together by dedicated teams of volunteers including the Women's institute and Scouts ahead of a national unveiling of yarn art on Wednesday August 6. Dow added: 'I'm really excited to be part of it. It's an opportunity to get diversity in hobbies and showing that anyone can support rugby and be part of the sport. 'It's a family event and an opportunity for people to pick up a hobby and combine it with sport to show off their personalities. 'Crochet has stereotypes but we deal with that in rugby as well in terms of who you have to be to be a rugby player. We're showing that it's not just a male space but a space where anyone can get involved. 'There are so many parts in life where that's true and crochet is a perfect example. Anyone can pick up a ball of yarn and a hook and start making whatever they want. 'It's the same in rugby, you can pick up a rugby ball and start playing and having fun the way you want.'
South Wales Argus
13-06-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Argus
Red Roses duo launch national campaign
Having introduced crochet to her teammates during the 2022 Women's Six Nations, Dow is revelling in the opportunity to combine the hobby with rugby the purpose of inspiring and uniting the nation alongside one of her most dedicated students in Heard. 'I'm really excited to be part of it,' said Dow, speaking at the initiative's launch at Hazelwood in Sunbury-on-Thames. 'It's an opportunity to get diversity in hobbies and showing that anyone can support rugby and be part of the sport. 'It's a family event and an opportunity for people to pick up a hobby and combine it with sport to show off their personalities. 'Crochet has stereotypes but we deal with that in rugby as well in terms of who you have to be to be a rugby player and we're showing that it's not just a male space but a space where anyone can get involved. 'There are so many parts in life where that's true and crochet is a perfect example. Anyone can pick up a ball of yarn and a hook and start making whatever they want. 'It's the same in rugby, you can pick up a rugby ball and start playing and having fun the way you want. Heard added: 'Crochet is quite a niche hobby but a lot of us Red Roses are interested in it so to be able to have this campaign heading into the World Cup is exciting. 'Abby's big on crocheting and quite good at it and thought it'd be quite relaxing so she has taught me and a few of the other girls in the 6 Nations and I just liked it. 'It'll be really cool to see people getting on board and getting behind us heading into a home world cup. To have people supporting us whether that's in crochet or any other craft is exciting and will be a good boost to us as a squad. 'It's really cool to be a part of something, whether that's crochet or rugby. Being part of a community is huge and making people feel like they're part of something where they can make friends is really important, whether that's through crochet or rugby or any other crafts and hobbies.' Dow learnt to crochet during the first national lockdown in 2020 and quickly fell in love with the craft. Red Roses tradition dictates that a member of the playing squad receives a real red rose for getting a first cap, but with the gift difficult to preserve when away on tour, Dow has taken it upon herself to crochet gifts for players reaching special milestones; a red rose for first caps, silver for 50 and gold for 100. But she insists that her gifts only scratch the surface of what you can achieve with crochet, with the craft lending itself to the creation of almost anything you can set your mind to. She added: 'With crochet, I thought I could just make something and the rest was history. 'You can't kill a crochet flower and my love language is gift-giving so it's a really easy gift to show someone that I like them. 'Flowers don't take long to make and you get a quick sense of accomplishment because of that so lots of people took it up. 'It's an easy way to switch off from the rugby and the noise and the pressure and there are different disciplines and things you can do in crochet, like granny squares, clothing, toys, flowers or hairbands. 'You can go so far into it and it's really nice going into different disciplines and seeing what people do.'
The Herald Scotland
13-06-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Red Roses duo launch national campaign
Having introduced crochet to her teammates during the 2022 Women's Six Nations, Dow is revelling in the opportunity to combine the hobby with rugby the purpose of inspiring and uniting the nation alongside one of her most dedicated students in Heard. 'I'm really excited to be part of it,' said Dow, speaking at the initiative's launch at Hazelwood in Sunbury-on-Thames. 'It's an opportunity to get diversity in hobbies and showing that anyone can support rugby and be part of the sport. 'It's a family event and an opportunity for people to pick up a hobby and combine it with sport to show off their personalities. 'Crochet has stereotypes but we deal with that in rugby as well in terms of who you have to be to be a rugby player and we're showing that it's not just a male space but a space where anyone can get involved. 'There are so many parts in life where that's true and crochet is a perfect example. Anyone can pick up a ball of yarn and a hook and start making whatever they want. 'It's the same in rugby, you can pick up a rugby ball and start playing and having fun the way you want. Heard added: 'Crochet is quite a niche hobby but a lot of us Red Roses are interested in it so to be able to have this campaign heading into the World Cup is exciting. 'Abby's big on crocheting and quite good at it and thought it'd be quite relaxing so she has taught me and a few of the other girls in the 6 Nations and I just liked it. 'It'll be really cool to see people getting on board and getting behind us heading into a home world cup. To have people supporting us whether that's in crochet or any other craft is exciting and will be a good boost to us as a squad. 'It's really cool to be a part of something, whether that's crochet or rugby. Being part of a community is huge and making people feel like they're part of something where they can make friends is really important, whether that's through crochet or rugby or any other crafts and hobbies.' Dow learnt to crochet during the first national lockdown in 2020 and quickly fell in love with the craft. Red Roses tradition dictates that a member of the playing squad receives a real red rose for getting a first cap, but with the gift difficult to preserve when away on tour, Dow has taken it upon herself to crochet gifts for players reaching special milestones; a red rose for first caps, silver for 50 and gold for 100. But she insists that her gifts only scratch the surface of what you can achieve with crochet, with the craft lending itself to the creation of almost anything you can set your mind to. She added: 'With crochet, I thought I could just make something and the rest was history. 'You can't kill a crochet flower and my love language is gift-giving so it's a really easy gift to show someone that I like them. 'Flowers don't take long to make and you get a quick sense of accomplishment because of that so lots of people took it up. 'It's an easy way to switch off from the rugby and the noise and the pressure and there are different disciplines and things you can do in crochet, like granny squares, clothing, toys, flowers or hairbands. 'You can go so far into it and it's really nice going into different disciplines and seeing what people do.'
