Wales Women

A team that is consistently ranked as one of the top 10 sides in the world, the Wales women’s rugby team is an exceptional side with an illustrious history. This includes many notable achievements, from their fourth-place finish at the 1994 Rugby World Cup to their third-place world ranking in 2009.

Want to explore the history of Welsh rugby? Read about up-and-coming Welsh players? Or follow their RWC progress? Make this page your go-to source for insights and updates on the Wales women’s rugby team.

The Wales women’s rugby team has participated in eight Rugby World Cups. This includes hosting the inaugural tournament in 1991. They achieved their best result in 1994, when they competed in their first and only bronze final.

The Welsh squad started out strong. They won both of their Pool D fixtures and beat Scotland 8-0 in the quarter-finals. But, the tables turned at the semi-final stage, when Wales suffered a bruising 15-56 defeat at the hands of the United States. 

The same fate awaited them in the third-place play-off, where they lost to France 27-0. As a result, they ended the tournament in fourth place. This remains Wales’ best RWC result to date. 

Since then, Wales have missed just one tournament: 2006. In a controversial move, Samoa qualified in Wales’ stead. This was due to Wales’ campaign at the 2005 Six Nations, which ended in their second consecutive wooden spoon.

Following their 1994 success, Wales slid to 11th place in 1998. They have slowly ascended the table over the years, bettering their result by one position in each of the next five tournaments. They reached seventh place in 2017 and competed in the quarter-finals in 2021. 

Next, Wales will contest their ninth Rugby World Cup in 2025. They qualified for the tournament by securing their spot in WXV 2 for 2024.

Women’s rugby rose to prominence in Wales during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The sport gained so much interest that the Cardiff Arms Park was renovated for its female spectators. 

By World War I, the popularity of women’s rugby had skyrocketed. Several notable teams made their names, including the Cardiff Ladies. The all-female team posed for a photograph in December 1917. Unbeknown to them, this was a historic moment. Today, this image is believed to be the oldest photograph of a women’s rugby team.

Exactly 70 years later, in 1987, the national Wales women’s rugby team played their first international fixture. They faced England at Pontypool, where the visitors claimed a 22-4 victory. Finally, in 1994, the Welsh Women’s Rugby Union was formed.

In the decades since, the Welsh team has performed admirably. They have placed fourth in the Rugby World Cup (1994) and been the runners-up at the Six Nations on three occasions (2006, 2008 and 2009). They’ve also won the Triple Crown once, in 2009. 

Throughout their history, Wales have been represented by a series of phenomenal players. This includes World Rugby Hall of Fame inductee, Liza Burgess. The number 8 captained the Welsh squad in 62 matches and played in four Rugby World Cup tournaments.

Wales’ current rugby team is made up of stalwart players like hooker Carys Phillips and scrum-half Keira Bevan, plus centre and team captain, Hannah Jones.