The 24-year-old Skewen centre is one of only two mums in the Wales Six Nations squad (wing Rafiuke Taylor being the other) and while other mothers have been treated like royalty on their special day, Kerin has been focusing on the challenge that lies ahead for Wales Women this afternoon when they take on Ireland at St Helen’s. (Midday kick-off).
This afternoon’s clash takes on extra significance as Italy stunned championship favourites France yesterday to blow the title race wide open. A win for either side this afternoon will put the victors on six points alongside France going in to the final round of action next weekend.
Kerin will start the match on the replacements bench, but she will have the honour of stepping out on to the pitch with two-year-old son Jacob as her mascot as Wales aim to take their first silverware since 2009.
“It’s a big day for us today as we are going for the Triple Crown,” said the medical administrator who has to juggle rugby commitments along with her job and being a full-time mum, which poses its own problems.
“It’s really hard to juggle the time especially if I am working – sometimes I get up, drop the baby off before work. I won’t see him if I have to come to training till the next morning, so that is really difficult,” she said.
“He’s just starting to say the word ‘rugby’ so if he is asked where I am, he just says ‘rugby’. It’s going to be a wonderful moment when the girls walk out today alongside their mascots and I for one think I will be very emotional with Jacob in my arms – it is going to mean the world to me and something I won’t forget for a long time.”
Wales began their campaign with a shock victory over England in the opening round and followed that up with a victory against Scotland before losing to France in the last round. A victory against Ireland this afternoon would not only secure a Triple Crown for Wales, but give them an unlikely chance of championship glory next week in the final round against Italy.
