‘It was so special’: Freya Bell on her Wales breakthrough and grandmother’s dream

For Freya Bell, earning her first senior start for Wales against South Africa last Friday night was the culmination of a journey that began later than most.

“I was a bit of a late comer,” she admitted. “When I was younger, I kind of did every sport, but rugby.

“I grew up in a very sporty family, so I played football, netball, cricket, but my dad and my brother are massive rugby fans, so I just wanted to give it a go.”

At 16, Bell decided to stick with rugby. What followed was a rapid rise through the Welsh pathway, but there was one person in particular who had always dreamed of seeing her represent Wales.

“My grandma has been the biggest Welsh supporter all the time. She always wanted me to play for Wales, and while she’s no longer with us, I just always wanted to do her proud.

“When I had the opportunity to come into the Welsh pathway, I absolutely jumped at it, and I’ve never looked back since.”

Now, standing in a Welsh jersey and sharing the field with players she grew up alongside, Bell is beginning to realise just how far that decision has taken her.

With Wales kicking off their WXV Global Series campaign with an impressive 50-19 win against the Springbok Women at Cardiff Arms Park, there could hardly have been a more memorable setting for her first start.

“It was such a surreal game,” she said.

“We had such belief. When we went onto the pitch, we all just backed each other from start to finish, so to get the win was so special.

“I was really grateful to get my first start. I feel like as a squad, we had built a lot of confidence into that game, and it was nice to see that the hard work throughout pre-season had paid off, and the coaches were confident enough to back some of us younger players coming in.”

For the 21-year-old, the occasion was made even more special by the presence of several familiar faces in the Wales squad.

Bell’s Cardiff Met teammates Maisie Davies, Amy Williams, Seren Singleton and Elan Jones have been part of her development away from the international stage, making the prospect of sharing a Welsh jersey with them all the more meaningful.

“It was really special to share the pitch with them. We’ve all grown so much from when we started at university to where we are now.

“We would never have thought a few years ago when we were playing together in Under-20s that we’d all be playing in a full-on Welsh jersey together.

“Being able to play side by side is so special, and just shows to the younger girls, it’s so doable, and it’s at close distance to everyone.”

Bell’s own route to Cardiff Met came after she played for Horsham and Sussex at county level before earning a place in Harlequins’ Centre of Excellence.

Wanting to combine university with a strong rugby environment, Cardiff Met offered an opportunity to continue developing while also keeping her Welsh ambitions within reach.

One of the most exciting aspects of Bell’s game against South Africa was something relatively new to her at international level: kicking. In Wales’ eight-try victory over the Springbok Women in their WXV Global Series over, she slotted over five conversions successfully.

“Kicking was an exciting, new thing, but I’ve been working on it over pre-season and it was a relief to get the first kick over.

“I’ve always enjoyed kicking, so I’m just trying to show that in my game now and bring it out where I can. It’s nice that the team and coaches are like backing me to show that,” she explained.

Her initial call-up during the 2025 Guinness Women’s Six Nations came unexpectedly and during what she described as a “hectic time”. Since then, playing in Wales’ 34-17 victory over the Barbarians in June before completing a full preseason with the national side has allowed her to establish herself within the group.

“I feel like we’ve just built so many connections, and I feel a lot more confident now.”

One of those connections is with centre Courtney Keight.

“Stepping onto the pitch with Courtney Keight as my 13, we’ve got a strong relationship, so I felt comfortable, and I feel like that shows in the game as you’re more comfortable and confident,” she added.

That growing confidence will be tested again this weekend when Wales face the USA Women’s Eagles in Cardiff.

The Americans arrive after a 40-36 victory over Ireland in Dublin and they sit now sixth in the World Rugby rankings, five places above Wales who rose to 11th place after their victory over South Africa.

For Bell, however, the focus is not on rankings but on maintaining the momentum Wales have built.

“I can’t wait for the weekend. There’s a really good energy around and we all have a lot of belief in each other. We just need to back what we did on Friday and stick to our processes and hopefully the result will come.

“Obviously, the USA are ranked higher than us, so it’s going to be a challenge, but it should be a really good occasion.

“The USA and South Africa have different strengths, so I think we have to push Friday aside now and look at this weekend and just go for it.”

The South Africa victory may have ended Wales’ 14-month wait for a Test win, but the 21-year-old centre is already looking ahead, with the USA and Japan providing further opportunities for this young side to grow.

“We got the win and we’re over the moon with that, but there’s a lot we still need to work on and things we can take into this game.

“I can’t wait for the rest of the WXV Global Series. These next few games are going to be good for us to keep building on what we’ve already worked on.

“We just want to show that we want to keep winning,” she concluded with a big smile on her face.

Sean Lynn’s side will face the Eagles at Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday 26 September.