Being Wales Women's first professional captain: Q&A with Siwan Lillicrap
Wales captain Siwan Lillicrap who played a large role in the contract negotiations between the women’s squad and the WRU tells us what it’s been like in the first few weeks of professionalism, how the contracts came about and hopes for her country in the future.
Siwan, it’s been a rollercoaster few weeks, was there a moment where you let everything sink in after the contracts were announced?
“I still don’t think it has sunk in at all yet. It feels like it’s all happened really fast and credit to the WRU for getting all that through in a short space of time. We’ve kicked into our full-time programme and are now going into week three and it’s been a brilliant first three weeks. But no, I don’t think it’s truly sunk in yet, it doesn’t quite feel real!”
Was it difficult giving up your day job as Head of Rugby at Swansea University?
“I want to say it was a tough decision but it wasn’t. I knew being a professional rugby player is what I wanted to do and to be the best player I can be. The reality is your playing career isn’t going to last forever and so I handed in my notice at Swansea University even though I’ve loved my job there and the journey we’ve been on as a university club. I’m sad to leave that behind but it’s the right decision for me. Throughout January I’ve been juggling commitments and handing over everything at Swansea whilst training full time for Wales so it’s been a busy few weeks.”
Explain the emotion you felt on the day the contracts came into fruition.
“The emotion was mostly the realisation that we’d got to this point and reflecting back over my own personal journey. I was a teenage girl who loved rugby and was down the rugby club every weekend but didn’t have the opportunity to play until I was 17 as there was only a senior women’s rugby team, so to be at that point as a kid that loved rugby but couldn’t play, to having my first cap at the age of 28 and being part of an extended squad for so long, to then captain Wales and now be a professional player, it’s been an unbelievable journey.”
Didn’t expect this emotion. The reality definitely hit home today; how far we’ve come and where we are going ???????. This moment is for the little girl that fell in love with the game. A big thank you to @waunrfc for showing me why the game is so special. ? Now someone pinch me ? https://t.co/3fgvhSoXb8
— Siwan Lillicrap (@SiwanLillicrap) January 12, 2022
How hard were the past 12 months and when did it start to get better for you as a squad?
“What we’ve been through as a squad and the carrot of contracts being dangling for so long, you start to question whether it’s ever going to happen but one thing we didn’t lose was faith and unity as a squad and credit goes to Steve Phillips (WRU CEO) and Nigel (Walker) for trusting myself and the group, and listening to what we had to say and what changes we believed could be made- it wouldn’t have happened without them listening to us.”
“The last two years have been incredibly difficult; going on a losing streak and not winning games whilst not knowing what your future looked like was really draining but that changed during the Autumns which gave us more freedom to perform. Ioan (Cunningham) coming in has been a breath of fresh air for the squad and reinstalled belief in us and the structure to play.”
You had a large part to play in the contract negotiations with the WRU how did that work?
“We went through a tough Six Nations campaign in 2021 and Steve (Phillips) met with myself after the tournament and we had a good, open, honest conversation and he told me he was going to conduct an independent investigation off his own back which gave players past and present an opportunity to speak openly and feed into that.
“We knew we wanted to change our lives as players because the way we were living wasn’t sustainable. A model got presented to us and we were asked what we thought, we came together as a squad and specifically as a leadership group and worked within the parameters that were given to us and we unanimously agreed as an Autumn squad that this model worked best and enabled us to change the narrative of Wales Women and everyone bought into that. We felt listened to and cared about throughout the whole process.”
How does your everyday life as a professional player work now?
“We’re probably fortunate that we’re a small county, so even though a lot of us play across the border, the majority of us live in Wales so it’s not too far to get to the Centre of Excellence just outside Cardiff. But it changes weekly, so we were in Wales full time last week with a weekend camp but this week has seen the focus move on to club and then the following week will be a mixture of both so it depends on our clubs or Wales’ demand. If a player had a game on the Sunday for their club they wouldn’t be expected to be in for Wales on the Monday, so that they can recover. It’s individualised and bespoke to the player.
There are six Bristol Bears players with full time Wales contracts, how beneficial will that be?
“The six of us are now living and breathing in each other’s company and it’ll help us, especially as we’re in positions across the field, from second row, to myself and Alisha (Butchers) as back rows, Kiera (Bevan) at nine, Snowy (Elinor Snowsill) at 10 and Jaz (Joyce) in the back three, so it pencils into the spine of the team.”
When will the semi-professional players train alongside with the full-time players?
“It varies depending on individual circumstances and the arrangements they’ve been able to make with work, studying or club commitments. But mainly they’ll be with us once or twice a week and we’re able to cover off a lot in those sessions.”
The excitement is palpable as the first full-time #WalesWomen players settle into camp
Captain @SiwanLillicrap : "This is going to change our lives and Welsh women's rugby" pic.twitter.com/beYa6nMeAu— Welsh Rugby Union ??????? (@WelshRugbyUnion) January 12, 2022
Is the conversation in camp geared towards the World Cup or are you focussing on the Six Nations?
“We speak about the World Cup and our objectives and goals and where we want to be in ten month’s time but we’re moving towards the Six Nations as the next two months will fly by. We’re working hard on making strides forwards and don’t really speak about results, we speak about performance from the many aspects of the game, so that’s really our main focus.
Obviously, these contracts are pitched towards Wales’ performances on the pitch but how much is it about the legacy that you leave behind?
“We’re hoping this will inspire the next generation of girls to play rugby. I feel like our duty is bigger than what we do on the field. How we want to inspire is through rugby performance so that’s always our fist objective.
“When I was a child, I couldn’t play rugby until I was 17 but now hearing girls say they want to be a professional rugby player for Wales in the future and for that to be possible, is what it’s all about.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Pick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
15 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
15 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
15 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
15 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
15 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
15 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
15 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to comments