Lily Hawkins set her sights on returning to the Principality Stadium with Coleg Gwent this season to defend their WSC U18 Girls title but never thought six months later she might be playing at Twickenham as well.
But such has been the rise of the 18-year-old scrum half that Wales Women head coach Sean Lynn had no concerns about fast-tracking her into his senior squad. Now she has to wait to see if she makes the matchday 23 for the uncapped game against the Barbarians on Saturday 27 June.
If she gets the nod, it will complete an amazing transformation from college player to potential international star.
“It’s been a bit of a hectic year. I have gone from playing College rugby into the Performance Development Centre (PDC), playing for Gwalia Lightning and then Wales U18 and U21,” said Hawkins.
“I have loved it all and being invited into the senior Wales environment and training with the international squad has been amazing. My goal at the start of the season was to enjoy my last year of College rugby and maybe take on a leadership role with Wales U18.
“But things just took off and I had a dream debut for Gwalia in the Celtic Challenge in February when I scored a try. It has been really intense in camp with the senior girls, and you can easily see it is a stepup.“
What has added to the intensity for her this summer has been the addition of her A Level exams in Biology and PE. She hopes to be able to go to Cardiff Met later this year to combine a sports course with her rugby and if her results are half as good as her rugby has been in the past year then she should coast through.
“Playing at Twickenham would be great for any of the younger players that Sean has called into the squad. I’m ready to take advantage of any opportunity that comes along,” added Hawkins.
From New Tredegar, Hawkins first caught the attention of academy coaches while still in Year 11 at Idris Davies Comprehensive School. For the past two years she has balanced training with her studies.
Two Six Nations campaign with Wales U18 were quickly followed by a call to join the Wales U21 side – and to play for Gwalia in the Celtic Challenge. She is also part of the Dragons Academy.
Off the field, she helps to coach the U14 girls’ team at her local club, New Tredegar RFC, and champions young players through Coleg Gwent’s Under Future Programme, which promotes grassroots participation.
“As her coach at Coleg Gwent, I could not be prouder of Lily and everything she continues to achieve. Representing Wales U18 a year early while still in Year 11 was a remarkable milestone and a clear reflection of her talent, dedication, and maturity beyond her years,” said Scott Matthews, Dragons Academy coach.
“Her selection for Gwalia Lightning seniors is another outstanding accomplishment and fully deserved. She epitomises everything we look for in our academy players — an exceptional mindset, meticulous preparation, coachability, work ethic, and high-level skill.
“She leads her peers through her actions both on and off the field, excelling academically while inspiring those around her with her standards and humility.”