Today sees a battle for the North Wales Cup and the South Wales Plate and Cup. Coming the day after Wales closed their TikTok Six Nations campaign in their highest position for 13 years, despite a 10-8 defeat to Italy, it underlines the growth in the women’s game across Wales.
Bank Holiday Monday will see the Girls take centre stage with National Plate and Cup finals at U18 and U15 age levels. All matches are available to watch free of charge on the WRU You Tube channel.
Sunday, 1 May – Women’s Cup Finals
North Wales Cup Final: Caernarfon v COBRA (1.00pm kick-off)
South Wales Plate Final: Blackwood v Lampeter (3.15pm kick-off)
South Wales Cup Final: Bonymaen v Llandaff North (5.35pm kick-off)
Monday, 2 May – Girls National Finals Day
U18 Plate Final: Stradey Sospans v Chargers (11.00am kick-off)
U18 National Cup Final: Ceirw Nant (Nant Conwy) v Cardiff Quins (1.10pm kick-off)
U15 National Plate Final: Merched Mynydd Mawr (Tumble) v Chargers(2.45 kick-off)
U15 National Cup Final: Nelson v Cardiff Quins (4.40pm kick-off)
The North Wales Cup final will kick-start the two day festival with WRU Premier League clubs Caernarfon and COBRA meeting at Principality Stadium. They have met three times this season and when they played in the league it was a good day for Caernarfon, who won Caernarfon 62-15, but COBRA have notched one victory.
That was one of two wins Caernarfon have picked up to date and they are due to meet South Wales Cup finalists Bonymaen in their next league fixture on 8 May. As for COBRA, they simply can;t wait for their chance to play at the home of Welsh rugby.
“We’re all so excited to have the chance to play at Principality Stadium. I’m just so chuffed for the girls to have that experience,” said COBRA head coach, Rhodri Davies.
“The first and second halves of our season have been very different. We were picking up some comfortable wins to begin with, but joining the Premiership was a real eye opener for us.
“They’ve been really competitive games, and the scores haven’t always looked good on paper, but we’ve learned so much. It’s a cliché but we’ve really valued those experiences.
“A real highlight for us has been seeing the amount of U18 girls coming through the system and playing the game. It’s great for us as a team to develop our future players and keep that pathway building.
“It’s been a real team effort at COBRA to get the team to where we are today. Our assistant coach, Robert Rudge has been vital developing the squad especially our forwards.
“Then there’s Ffion Williams, who’s both a player and our team manager. I’m just the coach, she does all the admin stuff behind the scenes, pulls all the girls together and organises everything.”
“We’ve played Caernarfon a few times already this season, so we’re getting to know them pretty well. They are really strong up front and their back three players are really expansive. We know their threats are going to come out wide. If we can match them out there, then we’re in with a good shout.”
Caernarfon will have 16-times capped Jess Kavanagh at full back and another international and Sale Sharks player, Teleri Wyn-Davies, at the heart of their pack. Hooker Non Meleri Roberts is excited at the chance to play at the same venue where all the international stars turn out.
Caernarfon
“It’s been fantastic for us playing in the Premiership this season and we’ve picked up some really good results. Having been with Caernarfon for so long, it’s been great to see so many new players coming in,” said Roberts.
“A lot of youngsters are becoming more involved and learning so much, so it just goes to show that the pathway is working and how it’s starting to pay off.”
“We’re getting to know COBRA quite well and they’re a really nice team to play against. They’re very quick and very hard and we always come away from games against them a bit battered and bruised.”
TEAMS
Caernarfon: Jess Kavanagh; Mali Jones, Rhodd-Alaw Parry, Siwan Holloway, Kate Davies; Iona Evans (captain). Ega Williams; Meg Gray, Non Meleri Roberts, Ally Rooke Dennis, Teleri Wyn Davies, Sarah Williams, Seren Brown, Ffion Jones, Morfudd Ifans
Reps: Mared Jones, Natasha Preston-Jones, Emma Edwards, Harriet Rowlands, Hannah Hughes, Sophie Richards, Abi Couins, Lois Eleneid Jones
COBRA: Adeilade Edwards; Fiona Moss, Kim Thurlow, Grace Potter, Kerry Hazeldine; Jaya Whittingham, Ffion Williams; Kirsty Walsh, Annie Fairclough, Elin Green, Cara Higgins, Teleri Lloyd Evans, Daisy Evans, Gemma Robinson, Libby Jones
Reps: Hannah Parry, Alice Upcott, Lucky Morgan, Sian Jones, Mareike Wenzel, Grace Jones, Katie Howells, Ffion Worthington
The South Wales Plate final will see Blackwood face Lampeter. It will be an incredible day out for the Blackwood team, who have come from nowhere to earn the right to play at the home of Welsh rugby.
A year ago they were playing as an unsupported team at Fleur-de-Lys and lost every single game. Blackwood then took them on as a development team, with no league status, but they went on to climb the division and win almost every game.
That has brought them into the Plate final for what will be a very special occasion. No 8 Lily Snape will be carrying the hopes of her family, all of who are involved in the club. Her sister, Megan, is in the squad, her mother, Rosie, has played for the team at the age of 58 and is a travelling reserve, while her Dad is the forwards coach.
Head coach Sophie Shide will be guiding operations at outside half, where she partners Sophie Vidal in a key half-back combination.
Lampeter lock Nia Gwyther has played for the Wales Sevens team, while centre Sioned Jones is a Touch Rugby international. Tight head prop Chloe Fletcher is joining Bristol Bears in the summer having previously played for Emerging Wales.
BlackwoodTEAMS
Blackwood: Kayleigh Phipps; Robyn Graham, Ebbonie Tedstone, Ceri Bailey-Lewis, Aimee Jones; Sophie Shide, Megan Vidal; Katie Paul, Jemma Singer, Abbie Madden, Cerys Williams, Robyn Allen, Chloe Evans, Jasmine Dunleavy, Lily Snape
Reps: Xez Mellor, Ffion Griffiths, Rebecca Price, Jessica Mays, Paisley Price, Teri Stokes, Kourtney McKay
Lampeter: Ashley James; Carwen Richards, Sian Davies, Sioned Davies, Ellie Pritchard; Natasha Roberts, Chloe Evans; Sara Jarman, Branwen Lewis, Chloe Fletcher, Carys-May Schofield, Nia Gwyther, Elini Gapper, Carys Haf Davies, Rhian Thomas
Reps: Dani Wrightman, Steph Parry, Nerys Davies, Katie Langslow, Cerian Jones, Suzanne Walker, Fiona Protheroe, Sarah Webster
The South Wales Cup final will feature the top two teams in the WRU Premier League, with Llandaff North probably going in as slight favourites over Bonymaen. The Cardiff-based side won a thriller when they met in the league, 19-14 at Bonymaen, and are currently unbeaten at the top of the table.
Current Wales squad member Lilianna Podpadec is at the heart of the North pack, where she is co-captain with Kira Philpott, and wing Catherine Richards will be hoping to make it a family double by following in the footsteps of her brother, Newport full back David, who was man of the match in his club’s Indigo Group Premiership Cup final win over Aberavon last weekend.
Scrum half Rhi Parker is another international player in their ranks. Both Richards and Molly Philpott have played for Wales Sevens, while Sioned Young will be making a return to the stadium having played there for Swansea University in the women’s Welsh Varsity Match.
North were winners of the Women’s Plate in 2019 and warmed-up for the final with a 33-0 win at Caernarfon last week. They also beat COBRA 70-5 earlier in April. For Bonymaen, the game represents a massive achievement having only launched in 2016.
At the heart of their pack are the Stevens sisters, Demi and Georgia. Prop Demi was the first female to play for Bonymaen at at the age of 10, while her younger sister Georgia, who is in the back row, started a few years later when she was six.
Outside half Sophie Moore is a Welsh Thai boxing champion, while centre Ffion Bowen and flanker Amy Price are both senior Welsh internationals. Centre Lucy Rees is back at the stadium having been one of the coaches with the Swansea Schoolboys U11 side who played in the DC Thomas Cup finals last week.
Bonymaen
TEAMS
Bonymaen: Sasha Bailey; Angharad Jones, Lucy Rees, Ffion Bowen, Leah Pascoe; Sophie Moore, Davina Moore; Demi Steens, Sianon Nolan, Sarah Berry, Amy Thomas, Natalie Murphy, Amy Price, Lauren Weaver, Georgia Stevens
Reps: Hannah Jones, Ruth Leiws, Bethan Rickard, Cherry Morris, Rachel Wassermann, Gillian Conway, Cerys Beynon, Jennifer Champion
Llandaff North: Amberley Ruck; Cath Richards, Molly Philpott, Claudia Meyrick, Zoe Heeley; Jo Jones, Rhi Parker; Jade Evans, Beth Kenure, Jennie Scoble, Lilianna Podpadec, Ffion Evans, Kira Philpott, Cerys Ballett, Keely Ward
Reps: Sophie Waugh, Bridget Jones-Crabtree, Rita Breen, Becky Newton, Sioned Young, Ceri Edwards, Catrin Turner, Biba Chuta
