Penygraig, Treorchy, Abercwmboi, Ynysybwl and Newport HSOB have all entered teams, resulting in an expansion to six leagues featuring 39 clubs.
This comes at a time when the two teams in the Celtic Challenge, Brython Thunder and Gwalia Lightning, are moving to home and away fixtures next season against their Scottish and Irish rivals, while Wales recently hosted a Women’s U18 Development Camp involving the Netherlands, Scotland and USA in a week-long rugby festival in Cardiff.
On the domestic front, the winners of the league titles last season will all be chasing more glory in the coming season. Llandaff North won the Premiership, Bonymaen took the Championship crown, Clwb Rygbi Cymry Caerdydd were winners in the East, Porthcawl in the West and Shotton Steel in the North.
It proved to be a great season for Llandaff North as they also won the National Cup, beating Seven Sisters 85-14 in the final. They scored 13 tries as they made up for the disappointment of losing to Pontyclun Falcons in 2023.
Bonymaen pipped Haverforstwest 32-26 to win the Plate title and Clwb Rygbi Cymry Caerdydd held off Old Penarthians to clinch the Bowl.
For the 2024-25 campaign the expanded WRU Admiral National League structure will be made of the following teams:
Premiership (8): Bonymaen, Burry Port, Caernarfon, COBRA, Llandaff North, Pontyclun, Seven Sisters, Whitland
Championship (8): Clwb Rygbi Cymry Caerdydd, Gwernyfed, Haverfordwest, Lampeter, Llantwit Fardre, Old Penarthians, Porthcawl, Ynysddu
East (6): Blackwood, Deri, Dowlais, Ebbw Vale, Newport HSOB, Senghenydd
Central (6): Abercwmboi, Penygraig, Taffs Well, Treorchy, Whitchurch, Ynysybwl
West (6): Morriston, Newcastle Emlyn, Pembroke, Tondu, Tumble, West Swansea Hawks
North (5): Abergele, Holyhead, Llangefni, Shotton Steel, Wrexham
The games will kick-off on 5 September and run through to February. There will also be cup competitions to add into the mix.
“We now have 1,700 women aged 18+ playing across Wales and the expansion of the league system reflects the growing demand for more opportunities for women to play rugby across Wales. There are more players, more clubs and a more clearly defined pathway,” said WRU Girls and Women’s Community Lead, ex-international Caryl Thomas.
“The greater visibility around the Wales Women’s national team, the advent of professional contracts and the greater awareness in general of women’s sport has led to more women and girls wanting to play rugby.
“With the national team having qualified for next year’s World Cup in England the rise in interest and demand is only likely to climb even higher. That’s why it is great to see new clubs coming on board in the national league system.
“We’ve also six schools and colleges playing in a near mirror image of the Welsh Schools and Colleges (WSC) Rugby competition for the boys at U18 level. These are Coleg y Cymoedd, Cardiff & Vale College, Gwent College, Coleg Llandrillo, Coleg Sir Gar and Llandovery College.
“These players now have full international programmes at U18 and U20 levels to grow into, with the Celtic Challenge tournament the next step after that. On top of that, we have a great workforce of nearly 100 WRU 100 Hub Officers to deliver an equitable offering to girls and boys in the schools.
“With more players joining our Girls hubs at clubs across the country we need to ensure that not only are we able to cater for the growing demand to play rugby, but also concentrate our efforts on retaining those players and helping them to graduate through the system and into the senior club game.
“The WRU Hub Officer Education Programme is also making significant impact in providing increased opportunities for young girls to engage in rugby within their education setting and be transitioned to become active registered players within the Girls Hubs or mixed rugby at clubs.”
There are now around 4,800 girls aged under 18 taking part in rugby activities in Wales, giving a playing population on the female side of the game of around 6,500.
WRU WOMEN’S ADMIRAL NATIONAL LEAGUE FIXTURES
PREMIERSHIP
15 September: Bonymaen v Burry Port; Caernarfon v COBRA; Llandaff North v Pontyclun; Whitland v Seven Sisters
22 September: Caernarfon v Bonymaen; COBRA v Llandaff North; Burry Port v Whitland; Seven Sisters v Pontyclun
06 October: Bonymaen v Llandaff North; Pontyclun v COBRA; Seven Sisters v Caernarfon; Whitland v Caernarfon
13 October: Burry Port v Pontyclun; Caernarfon v Seven Sisters; COBRA v Bonymaen; Llandaff North v Whitland
03 November: Bonymaen v Pontyclun; Burry Port v Caernarfon; Seven Sisters v Llandaff North; Whitland v COBRA
10 November: Bonymaen v Whitland; COBRA v Seven Sisters; Llandaff North v Burry Port; Pontyclun v Caernarfon
17 November: Burry Port v COBRA; Caernarfon v Llandaff North; Seven Sisters v Bonymaen; Whitland v Pontyclun
01 December: Burry Port v Bonymaen; COBRA v Caernarfon; Pontyclun v Llandaff North; Seven Sisters v Whitland
08 December: Bonymaen v Caernarfon; Llandaff North v COBRA; Pontyclun v Seven Sisters; Whitland v Burry Port
15 December: Burry Port v Seven Sisters; Caernarfon v Whitland; COBRA v Pontyclun; Llandaff North v Bonymaen
05 January: Bonymaen v COBRA; Pontyclun v Burry Port; Seven Sisters v Caernarfon; Whitland v Llandaff North
12 January: Caernarfon v Burry Port; COBRA v Whitland; Llandaff North v Seven Sisters; Pontyclun v Bonymaen
26 January: Burry Port v Llandaff North; Caernarfon v Pontyclun; Seven Sisters v COBRA; Whitland v Bonymaen
02 February: Bonymaen v Seven Sisters; COBRA v Burry Port; Llandaff North v Caernarfon; Pontyclun v Whitland
CHAMPIONSHIP
15 September: Clwb Rygbi Cymry Caerdydd (CRCC) v Old Penarthians; Gwernyfed v Ynysddu; Haverfordwest v Lampeter Town; Porthcawl v Llantwit Fardre
22 September: Haverfordwest v Porthcawl; Lampeter Town v CRCC; Llantwit Fardre v Gwernyfed; Ynysddu v Old Penarthians
06 October: Gwernyfed v Haverfordwest; Old Penarthians v Lampeter Town; Porthcawl v CRCC; Ynysddu v Llantwit Fardre
13 October: CRCC v Gwernyfed; Haverfordwest v Ynysddu; Lampeter Town v Porthcawl; Llantwit Fardre v Old Penarthians
03 November: Gwernyfed v Lampeter Town; Llantwit Fardre v Haverfordwest; Porthcawl v Old Penarthians; Ynysddu v CRCC
10 November: CRCC v Llantwit Fardre; Lampeter Town v Ynysddu; Old Penarthians v Haverfordwest; Porthcawl v Gwernyfed
17 November: Gwernyfed v Old Penarthians; Haverfordwest v CRCC; Llantwit Fardre v Lampeter Town; Ynysddu v Porthcawl
01 December: Lampeter Town v Haverfordwest; Llantwit Fardre v Porthcawl; Old Penarthians v CRCC; Ynysddu v Gwernyfed
08 December: CRCC v Lampeter Town; Gwernyfed v Llantwit Fardre; Porthcawl v Haverfordwest; Old Penarthians v Ynysddu
15 December: CRCC v Porthcawl; Haverfordwest v Gwernyfed; Lampeter Town v Old Penarthians; Llantwit Fardre v Ynysddu
05 January: Gwernyfed v CRCC; Old Penarthians v Llantwit Fardre; Porthcawl v Lampeter Town; Ynysddu v Haverfordwest
12 January: CRCC v Ynysddu; Haverfordwest v Llantwit Fardre; Lampeter Town v Gwernyfed; Old Penarthians v Porthcawl
26 January: Gwernyfed v Porthcawl; Haverfordwest v Old Penarthians; Llantwit Fardre v CRCC; Ynysddu v Lampeter Town
02 February: CRCC v Haverfordwest; Lampeter Town v Llantwit Fardre; Old Penarthians v Gwernyfed; Porthcawl v Ynysddu
WEST
15 September: Pembroke v Newcastle Emlyn; Tondu v Morriston; West Swansea Hawks v Tumble
22 September: Newcastle Emlyn v Morriston; Pembroke v West Swansea Hawks; Tumble v Tondu
06 October: Morriston v Tumble; Tondu v Pembroke; West Swansea Hawks v Newcastle Emlyn
13 October: Morriston v Pembroke; Tondu v West Swansea Hawks; Tumble v Newcastle Emlyn
03 November: Newcastle Emlyn v Tondu; Pembroke v Tumble; West Swansea Hawks v Morriston
10 November: Morriston v Tondu; Newcastle Emlyn v Pembroke; Tumble v West Swansea Hawks
17 November: Morriston v Newcastle Emlyn; Tondu v Tumble; West Swansea Hawks v Pembroke
01 December: Newcastle Emlyn v West Swansea Hawks; Pembroke v Tondu; Tumble v Morriston
08 December: Newcastle Emlyn v Tumble; Pembroke v Morriston; West Swansea Hawks v Tondu
05 January: Morriston v West Swansea Hawks; Tondu v Newcastle Emlyn; Tumble v Pembroke
EAST
15 September: Blackwood v Ebbw Vale; Deri v Dowlais; Newport HSOB v Senghenydd
22 September: Blackwood v Deri; Dowlais v Newport HSOB; Ebbw Vale v Senghenydd
06 October: Deri v Ebbw Vale; Newport HSOB v Blackwood; Senghenydd v Dowlais
13 October: Dowlais v Ebbw Vale; Newport HSOB v Deri; Senghenydd v Blackwood
03 November: Blackwood v Dowlais; Deri v Senghenydd; Ebbw Vale v Newport HSOB
10 November: Dowlais v Deri; Ebbw Vale v Blackwood; Senghenydd v Newport HSOB
17 November: Deri v Blackwood; Newport HSOB v Dowlais; Senghenydd v Ebbw Vale
01 December: Blackwood v Newport HSOB; Dowlais v Senghenydd; Ebbw Vale v Deri
08 December: Blackwood v Senghenydd; Deri v Newport HSOB; Ebbw Vale v Dowlais
05 January: Dowlais v Blackwood; Newport HSOB v Ebbw Vale; Senghenydd v Deri
CENTRAL
15 September: Abercwmboi v Ynysybwl; Penygraig v Treorchy; Whitchurch v Taffs Well
22 September: Taffs Well v Treorchy; Whitchurch v Abercwmboi; Ynysybwl v Penygraig
06 October: Abercwmboi v Taffs Well; Penygraig v Whitchurch; Treorchy v Ynysybwl
13 October: Penygraig v Abercwmboi; Treorchy v Whitchurch; Ynysybwl Taffs Well
03 November: Abercwmboi v Treorchy; Taffs Well v Penygraig; Whitchurch v Ynysybwl
10 November: Taffs Well v Whitchurch; Ynysybwl v Abercwmboi; Treorchy v Penygraig
17 November: Abercwmboi v Whitchurch; Penygraig v Ynysybwl; Treorchy v Taffs Well
01 December: Taffs Well v Abercwmboi; Whitchurch v Penygraig; Ynysybwl v Treorchy
08 December: Abercwmboi v Penygraig; Taffs Well v Ynysybwl; Whitchurch v Treorchy
05 January: Penygraig v Taffs Well; Treorchy v Abercwmboi; Ynysybwl v Whitchurch
NORTH
03 November: Holyhead v Shotton Steel; Llangefni v Wrexham; BYE: Abergele
10 November: Llangefni v Holyhead; Shotton Steel v Abergele; BYE: Wrexham
17 November: Abergele v Holyhead; Wrexham v Shotton Steel; BYE: Llangefni
01 December: Holyhead v Wrexham; Llangefni v Abergele; BYE: Shotton Steel
08 December: Abergele v Wrexham; Llangefni v Shotton Steel; BYE: Holyhead
05 January: Shotton Steel v Holyhead; Wrexham v Llangefni; BYE: Abergele
CUP FINAL REPEAT IN ROUND 1 OF NATIONAL WOMEN’S CUP
Seven Sisters will get the chance to avenge their Road to Principality National Women’s Cup final defeat to Llandaff North when they head to the Welsh capital for a first round repeat on Sunday 20 October.
It wasn’t a pleasant day at the home of Welsh rugby for Seven as they found themselves buried under an avalanche of 13 tries in a 85-14 defeat. That enabled Llandaff North to regain the title they had won two years earlier.
The 2023 champions Pontyclun will host COBRA, while last season’s Plate winners Bonymaen head to Lampeter Town. Plate runners-up Haverfordwest will host Gwernyfed.
National Bowl winners Clwb Rygbi Cymry Caerdydd kick-off in the Cup competition with a long trek to Caernarfon, while the team the beat 34-21 in the final, Old Penarthians, will host Burry Port.
NATIONAL WOMEN’S CUP – SUNDAY 20 OCTOBER
Round 1: Caernarfon v Clwb Rygbi Cymry Caerdydd; Haverfordwest v Gwernyfed; Lampeter Town v Bonymaen; Llandaff North v Seven Sisters; Llantwit Fardre v Whitland; Old Penarthians v Burry Port; Pontyclun v COBRA; Ynysddu v Porthcawl
NATIONAL WOMEN’S BOWL – SUNDAY 20 OCTOBER
Round 1: Abergele v Shotton Steel; Blackwood v Dowlais; Newcastle Emlyn v Tondu; Senghenydd v Deri; Taffs Well v Whitchurch; West Swansea Hawks v Morriston; Ynysybwl v Penygraig
