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Wales U18 Women's sides named for opening day of festival

Siwan Lillicrap
Wales Women U18 head coach Siwan Lillicrap

Head coach Siwan Lillicrap has named her two Wales U18’s women’s sides for tomorrow’s opening games of the Six Nations Under-18 Festival being held at Wellington College.

On the opening day of action, Wales face France at 11am and Scotland at midday in two 35-minute matches.

Since their introduction, the U18 Festivals have become a breeding ground for future international stars, providing invaluable experience in a high-performance environment designed to mirror the demands of elite rugby. In 2025, that opportunity returns with two exciting venues set to host this year’s events.

“We’re excited for the opportunity to test ourselves against France and Scotland tomorrow,” said Lillicrap.
“The squad has worked incredibly hard over the past few weeks, and this is a great chance to showcase their progress. As a management group we are so pleased with the squad’sgrowth and development during this block.
“Every player will get game time on day one, and the squad should feel confident after embracing the challenges we have set, and they have been executing well in training.
“We arrived yesterday and have settled in really well as a team – we can’t wait to put on a show.”

The festivals come at a time of growing momentum in rugby pathways. In 2024, more than 380 players and over 120 coaches and support staff participated, underscoring the scale of the events. Since 2018, over 280 players have graduated from the U18 Festivals to the U20 Six Nations, with many going on to earn senior international honours.

That pipeline is especially significant in 2025, a landmark year for women’s rugby as the Guinness Women’s Six Nations continues its record-breaking growth. For the players involved in the U18 Festival, the pathway to the senior stage has never looked clearer, offering a chance to follow in the footsteps of current internationals lighting up the Championship.

Wales v France: Crystal James, Shanelle Williams, Evie Hill, Tegan Bendall, Erin Jones, Jorja Aiono, Amelia Bailey, Chiara Pearce, Lily Hawkins, Ffion Williams, Lily Foscolo, Isla McMullen, Katie Johnson, Beatrice Morgan, Megan Jones.

Wales v Scotland: Georgia Morgan, Taufa Tuipulotu, Ciara Taylor, Cara Mercier, Izzy Jones, Abigail Richards, Chloe Roblin, Charlie Williams, Seren Lockwood, Kacey Morkot, Saran Jones, Sienna McCormack, Lily Foscolo, Meg Thomas, Beatrice Morgan

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