The long wait finally ended for Jenna de Vera last weekend when she was able to put 14 months of injury heartbreak behind here and win her first senior Wales cap.
The 22-year-old’s journey to becoming a full international is a little more unconventional than many others and has its roots in an amazing decision taken by her parents the year before she was born.
“My heritage is Filipino, but I’m Welsh by birth. My mum and dad are both nurses and they met while working in Saudi Arabia,” explained De Vera.
“One day my dad went to Dubai on a trip and saw an advert saying there were jobs for nurses in the UK. His knowledge of the UK was predominantly around London.
“He saw all these places which he assumed to be streets in and around London. He saw Oxfordshire and another one was Carmarthenshire.
“After he landed at Heathrow, he got onto a bus to take him to his destination. Three and then four hours went by, and he was thinking ‘where on earth are we going’.
“He could read London on the signs at the start, but then he noticed that the words on the signs started to become jumbled up a little bit. Then he ended up in Llanelli.
“That’s about 23 years ago and that’s how I ended up being a Welsh-born Filipino. Both my two sisters and I are very proud to be Welsh.
“It was such an unexpected journey for them, and I can’t tell you how much Welsh rugby has played a pivotal role in connecting our two identities. My parents knew nothing of rugby until I started playing.
“They began to get involved at a grass roots level. My mum would help to cook the hot dogs and chips after the games and then in turn she would make noodles and spring rolls for the parents.
“They loved it and always asked for more. It was a funny way to combine our two worlds together and rugby has been huge in bridging the gap between our two national identities.”
Those early days were at Bynea RFC before De Vera moved on to St Michael’s College, in Llanelli, Gower College and then Bristol University, where she is currently completing her Masters in TV, Film and Innovation.
Capped at U18 level, she was first called into the Wales senior squad in 2023 for the Six Nations championship. Wales won three games that season, but De Vera was one of the few players who didn’t get capped.
Then just before last year’s Six Nations disaster struck. She damaged her knee so badly she spent 14 months on the sidelines.
Pulling on the Welsh jersey is about more than playing in an international rugby match. It is about representing your country and giving back to your community that has help to mould you into the person you are. The achievement for me is being able to give back to everyone who has helped me along the way.
“The injury was difficult and came just before the Six Nations last year – a World Cup year, too! I’d begun to build a bit of momentum at Bristol Bears and all of a sudden, I couldn’t contribute to the sport in the way I understood,” she added.
“I was out with an ACL and meniscus injury for 14 months. It has been amazing being back in the mix after such a long time. I’m a different person, seeing pictures differently and I’m seeing the sport in a more positive light. It’s something I’m really passionate about.
“A lot has changed personally for me, rather than as an athlete, although my love for the game hasn’t changed.”
Four games into her comeback this season were enough for head coach Sean Lynn to invite her to join his new look squad. Then came the call for her to sit on the bench against the French in Round 2 of the current Six Nations campaign after Carys Cox pulled out.
Just short of the hour mark she was given the chance to make her debut as a replacement for Hannah Dallavalle. Her dream was about to become true!
It was a full circle moment for me, getting called up for the squad in my first year at university in 2023 and not getting a cap, to coming on last weekend against France.
“It was an indescribable moment, just the most perfect day. The weather was great and the crowd were fantastic. It went by so fast it was difficult to get it all to sink in – what a whirlwind of a week. To be given the opportunity so late on, and then grabbing the opportunity and going for it, was a dream,” added De Vera.
“It was really nice having my parents in the huddle on the field at the end of the game for my capping ceremony. They have been through so much with me.
“Patience and perseverance have been massive in my journey, and I’m a stronger person for it. To be trusted with that opportunity, and having the confidence to go for it, was simply fantastic – I just felt ‘this is it’”.
The game ended in a 38-7 win for the French after Wales had held them to 7-7 throughout a highly competitive first half. Now they have to go head-to-head with the world champion Red Roses at Bristol’s Ashton Gate in Round 3 this weekend.
“We know what’s coming from England having played against so many of their players in the PWR. We need to stretch out our first half performance against France into a full 80-minute show against England,” she said.
