Sean Lynn initially picked a 38 strong squad for the Women’s Six Nations with nine uncapped players, yet in the end it ended up being 40 and 10 newcomers.
The extra body has proved to be one of the biggest talking points in camp since the players got together and is already loved by everyone. There is just one problem – Ralphie Joyce doesn’t qualify to play for the women’s team!
The first baby born to a Welsh international player under the WRU’s new maternity policy has been a real hit with everyone, players and coaches alike, since coming into camp with his super-star parents Alisha and Jazz Joyce, who have won more than 100 caps between them.
In four-and-a-half months he has turned the married couple’s lives upside down, but only in a good way. Now the challenge for his parents is to give him something to shout about throughout the championship, when Alisha will be hoping to make a quick-fire return to the international fray.
“The recovery protocols around pregnancy say you can return any time after 16 weeks if things have gone well. I didn’t put myself under any pressure to come back,” said Alisha.
“First of all, you don’t know how the pregnancy is going to go, what the recovery is going to be like and life being a mum is pretty full on. I didn’t target return date, I just wanted to see how my training went.
“The pregnancy went so well I thought there was no need to hold back, and I might just as well get back to it. It happened naturally for me.
“Nothing can prepare you for motherhood. When Raphie first came it was with all the emotions of having a baby, but then reality set in pretty quickly. We’ve got into the flow of it a bit more now and learned how to be parents. We love every minute of it, and we wouldn’t change it for the world. I’m just lucky to be a Mam!”
And an elite professional athlete! As well as packing kit for camp this time, there has also been a lot of baby paraphernalia with Ralphie coming into camp to stay with his parents at prescribed times.
“The hardest thing to navigate since we had Ralphie has been sleep. Ever since he came into the world, we have split it in half,” added Alisha.
“The first three months were really hard, when he was up every half-an-hour. I just thought then that I couldn’t think about going back to rugby because I simply couldn’t function.
“What made it harder was that Jazz was playing at the time. Every time she left, I’d be at the door saying, ‘please don’t go’, but at the moment he is sleeping like a dream, and we’ve got him into a good routine.
“Last night he was up at 4am, and I did that feed, but if he’s up twice then we will do one each. If I’m struggling a bit, then Jazz will do the whole night – we compromise so we can help each other out.
“Now that he’s going down well, we can actually function, not just survive. The WRU are supporting us very well and have been fully supporting me with my childcare. They’ve been incredible and without that support I wouldn’t be able to be involved in the Six Nations. Childcare is extremely expensive and all the support I’m getting is allowing me to function as a professional athlete.
“On a Monday Ralphie is at home with my Mam; on a Tuesday we have a babysitter, and then she brings him into us to spend the night in camp. As of next week, my sister will be in with us on a Wednesday, so we can still focus on the job in hand but still have him here.
“Sean Lynn is massive on family and having him here brings that family element. I wouldn’t be comfortable leaving him for four or five days a week because he is only four and a half months old and he is like my right arm.
“There is essentially only one away game this season, which is Ireland. That’s a three-night stay and we face England in Bristol. Our plan is he is going to travel to Ireland with my sister.
“Growing up he is going to be around so many strong and inspiring women, not just from a rugby environment, but in family life as well. If we both get the chance to play and see him in the stands it will all be worth it.”
With those nine rising young stars coming into the camp to challenge the likes of the Joyces, Carys Phillips, Hannah Dallavalle, Keira Bevan, Donna Rose, Beth Lewis and Georgia Evans, nobody is guaranteed a place. Nobody is aware of that more than Alisha.
“I trained with Brython Thunder for about five or six weeks before I was given 30 minutes off the bench. My training prepared me really well and Ashley Beck was a huge help to me in my comeback,” she added.
“Some of the training I’ve down has been so intense and maybe even harder than playing. Now I’m excited to see what’s around the corner and to try to get some more game time.
“I was shocked when Sean Lynn called me and told me he wanted me in the squad. I wasn’t expecting it at all. I think I can still offer a lot in terms of experience, especially with nine uncapped players. It will be a slightly different role for me given at 29 I’m one of the slightly older players in the squad.
“I hope I can set an example as to what being in a professional environment is like, enjoy helping the younger girls and add some life to the place.
“Any time you play for Wales is special, but this time if it happens, it will be extra special just because when you have a baby you never know if you are going to make it back. There were a lot of ‘what ifs’, but if I get a chance, I will grab it with both hands.
“It will be so cool to look into the stands and see Ralphie potentially watching us both play. I’ve only played 30 minutes of rugby since by pregnancy, so to be back at elite level rugby and training with these girls is amazing.
“It’s now all about getting that consistency back into my game. That will take minutes on the pitch and more training with the coaches – the more I’m in this environment the more game ready I’ll be.
“I’m massively competitive and want to be the best player in my position in Wales and in the game, but I understand that comes with a lot of effort and sacrifice – it doesn’t just come as quickly as I’d like it to sometimes.”