The massive impact being made in the Welsh women’s game by the Celtic Challenge was once again underlined in Ireland last weekend when Natalia John finally won her 50th cap and Nikita Prothero picked up her first. The highly experienced John came on in the 55th minute to replace Branwen Metcalfe in the second row, […]
The massive impact being made in the Welsh women’s game by the Celtic Challenge was once again underlined in Ireland last weekend when Natalia John finally won her 50th cap and Nikita Prothero picked up her first.
The highly experienced John came on in the 55th minute to replace Branwen Metcalfe in the second row, while Prothero made her Wales debut in the 69th minute as a wing replacement for Hannah Dallavalle.
Each player had a different cause for celebration, but the one common denominator for both was the form they displayed playing in the Celtic Challenge.
John, now 30, didn’t make the Six Nations squad in 2025 and had to battle back from knee, shoulder and then calf injuries to get back into contention this year. A long-standing Bristol Bears player, she wasn’t getting the game time she needed in the PWR and so opted to return to Wales to play for Brython Thunder.
It was a bold move, but one that paid handsome dividends with Wales head coach Sean Lynn taking note of her inspirational performances and recalling her to his squad. That enabled her to lead the team out in Belfast and finally reach half-century landmark.
“It’s the most relaxed I have been on a rugby field because I’ve been chasing this dream for about two and a half years due to injuries and other setbacks,” said John.
“I put pressure on myself to get to 50 caps because my dad hasn’t been well and I wanted him to see me get there. A lot of my family came to Belfast, and it was a great moment for me when I came on.
“The Celtic Challenge helped me to build my confidence back up and gave me the game time I so desperately needed to prove to Sean I could still do a job for him. You need to make mistakes on the pitch, learn from them and grow as a player.
“As far as this Six Nations campaign is concerned, results haven’t gone our way, but this is a young and exciting squad. There is always pressure to get results, but we know what we are capable and we’ve shown glimpses of it throughout this championship.”
With one game left to play against Italy at Cardiff Arms Park (Sunday, 17 May – 12.15pm) Lynn’s side are hoping to break their duck in a bid not to end up on the bottom of the table for a third year in a row.
Lynn introduced nine uncapped players into his initial squad and added two more as the tournament progressed. One of those was the 23-year-old Prothero, who had already gained international experience with England at U18, U21 and Sevens levels, as well as with the GB Sevens squad.
Having grown up in England to Welsh parents, Prothero took full advantage of the English system while at Hartpury College. While at university she had ‘Hiraeth’ tattooed on one of her arms to underline her Welshness and claimed that playing for Wales was a ‘non-negotiable’ in her career projection.
“My parents moved to London, but the whole of my family still lives in Wales. We’ve always been the Welsh exiles in England,” said Prothero.
“I’m pretty ambitious as a player and getting to the top of the game is something I’ve always wanted to do. When Sean told me I was on the bench I actually asked him if he was sure – it was a pretty special feeling coming on to win my first cap for Wales.
“I didn’t really expect to get a cap this early on and in the Six Nations. I’m happy he believes in me and sees something in me.
“I played for England U18 and U20, then three years with England sevens and then GB Sevens. But the ambition to play for Wales one day was always there and was non-negotiable.
“I knew Sean Lynn from my time at Hartpury and we had a conversation at Kingsholm when I was playing for Sale Sharks and unhappy I wasn’t getting the amount of game time I needed.
“That’s when I took up the option of coming on loan to play for Gwalia Lightning in the Celtic Challenge. I found it difficult to go into a new environment to begin with and it was quite an adjustment.
“The off-field interaction wasn’t the same as in the professional environment, although I was happy with the game time I got at Gwalia.
“I knew what to expect coming into the Wales camp having been with English teams before and I also knew Courtney Keight and Gwenllian Pyrs from Sale Sharks. Now I’ve been able to learn from players like Jazz Joyce and Kayleigh Powell about playing in the back three.
“I’d love to have more game time, but Kayleigh is playing out of her skin at the moment and is a different type of player to me at full back. It’s so competitive in the squad.
“Getting a cap is unbelievable. I was absolutely buzzing, especially as I got it in front of my family and my friends.”