Head coaches, Catrina Nicholas-McLaughlin (Gwalia Lightning) and Ashley Beck (Brython Thunder) have both named their teams for the Welsh derby double-header with the Dragons and Scarlets on New Year’s Day.
The Lightning and Thunder teams include Wales Test stars, Wales U20s players and players marked as having real potential to shine at this level in a cross-border tournament, including sides from Ireland and Scotland.
Welsh international second row, Bryonie King, will captain Gwalia Lightning and is one of three players, including prop Abbey Constable and backrower Kate Williams, who have been drafted in from their Premiership clubs in England for the Welsh derby.
All three Welsh internationals, alongside full-back Nel Metcalfe, who has been named as vice-captain, were part of the Wales WXV1 squad in New Zealand. They will bring Test match experience to a young and exciting squad full of potential.
Wales U20s Sian Jones and Carys Hughes are selected at half-backs, with fellow Wales U20s star Gwennan Hopkins at Number 8. All three trained with Wales ahead of the WXV1 tournament back in October.
Catrina Nicholas-McLaughlin, Gwalia Lightning head coach, said: “This squad is a young and exciting one full of potential and some real leadership experience with the Welsh internationals drafted in for this Welsh derby.
“We have made no secret of our ambitions to play and attack, and the message to the players has been to be brave and to play with confidence and to show people what they can do. We have backed the players by selecting them, we want them to back themselves by expressing and showing their talent at Rodney Parade.”
Wales Test star Alex Callander will captain Brython Thunder and will be joined by a host of Welsh internationals who were part of the Wales squad at WXV1 in New Zealand. Meg Webb and Hannah Bluck are the centre partnership with an all-international half-back combination of fly-half Niamh Terry and scrum-half Meg Davies.
Experienced Welsh international, Natalia John, who missed the WXV1 due to injury, returns to action and is joined by Welsh rugby legend Sioned Harries at Number 8 to add experience to the Thunder pack.
Ashley Beck, Brython Thunder Head coach, said: “We have selected a really exciting mix of proven international players and players of real potential for what promises to be a major challenge at Rodney Parade on Monday.
“We are a new team with some real experience, and we are looking to lay some foundations and establish our identity in this Welsh derby, as we build into the Celtic Challenge, and discover where we are at a team.”
Gwalia Lightning
Nel Metcalfe (vice-captain), Katie Thicker, Kelsie Webster, Rebecca Deflippo, Catherine Richards, Carys Hughes, Sian Jones; Abbey Constable, Molly Reardon, Jenni Scoble, Paige Jones, Bryonie King (captain), Katie Jenkins, Kate Williams, Gwennan Hopkins.
Replacements: Mica Evans, Sophie Waugh, Lowri Williams, Maisie Davies, Sydney Mead, Kierra Deeks, Molly Anderson-Thomas, Kate Davies.
Brython Thunder
Lowri Williams, Danai Mugabe, Meg Webb, Hannah Bluck (vice-captain), Eleanor Hing, Niamh Terry, Meg Davies; Chloe Thomas Bradley, Rosie Carr, Katie Carr, Natalia John, Charlie Mundy, Finley Jones, Alex Callender (captain), Sioned Harries
Replacements: Rhian Thomas, Madi Johns, Cadi Lois Davies, Katie Mackay, Georgia Morgan, Seren Singleton, Mollie Wilkinson, Ellie May Troman
