Senior International Matches (Women)

Sun 3rd August 2025   - KO  16:00 - The Gnoll, Neath , Wales
  Attendance: 300
Official: Rob Apsee

Wales

18

FT

12

Half Time
12 - 10

Scotland

Tries

Lucia Davies (15)
Kathryn Salter (33)
Bethan Dainton (78)

Sarah Smart (39)
Grace Field (3)

Goals

Amberley Ruck (3/3)

Sarah Smart (2/3)

Match Preview: Scotland Prepare To Make Women's Debut Against Wales

Wales and Scotland have named their women’s squads for a senior international at the Lextan Knoll, Neath on Sunday 3 August, kick off 4pm. The match will be broadcast by S4C.

For Wales, the game is preparation for their clash with England at the same venue the following week while Scotland make their debut, with head coach John Whalley keen to see what his charges will come up with following a number of camps in preparation.

“Wales are a great side. This is a perfect match for us to see where we are at, against a team that has qualified for the World Cup,” he said. “It will be a tough challenge, but it’s one that we will embrace and build from.”

He has chosen Swinton Lionesses’ Emma Welsford as his captain with Steph Gray from Salford as vice-captain. There is experience in the side with Grace Field and Kaiya Glynn from Women’s Super League side Leeds Rhinos, while Rebecca Moffat and Ciorstaidh Ainsworth make their bow from rugby union.

There is one potential debutant in the Wales squad in Olivia Williams who plays for Cardiff Demons, the side that are currently top of the Women's Championship table. Two more Demons players, Ffion Jones and Amberley Ruck, are set to win their first caps in three years, with injuries keeping them out of the last World Cup qualifying campaign.

Kathryn Salter also returns after missing a Wales match for the first time last autumn. She, along with Charlie Mundy, are the only two players in this squad who took part in Wales Women's first game in 2019.

Wales women’s head coach Tom Brindle said: “We are expecting a really tough test against Scotland, they’ve managed to pull a strong squad together with a lot of experience across the Women’s Super League and Championship competitions, and they have a number of players with international experience with other nations.”

Tickets can be bought by going to https://ticketpass.org/o/324959259/wales-rugby-league/events. No cash or cards will be taken on the gate.

Wales Women's Squad
Lucia Davies, Jasmine Gibbons, Ffion Jenkins, Ffion Jones, Hannah Jones, Sara Jones, Charlie Mundy, Amy Price, Amberley Ruck, Meg Whittaker, Olivia Williams* (all Cardiff Demons), Brittony Price (Fremantle Roosters), Gracie Hobbs (Huddersfield Giants), Bethan Dainton (Leeds Rhinos, captain), Kathryn Salter (London Broncos), Georgia Cussons (Sheffield Eagles), Dani McGifford (St Helens), Carys Marsh (Wigan Warriors), Agnes Wood (York Valkyrie) 

Scotland Women’s Squad
Nicole Stewart (Barrow Raiders), Enya Lackie (Bristol Gold Ferns), Rebecca Moffat (Cartha Queens Park RFC), Bettie Ginlley (Stewartry Sirens RFC), Grace Field, Kaiya Glynn (Leeds Rhinos), Abi Gordon (Leigh), Rebecca Smart, Sarah Smart (London Broncos), Georgia Briggs (Oulton Raidettes), Stephanie Gray (Salford Red Devils), Ciorstaidh Ainsworth (Stirling County RFC), Demi Fisher, Charlotte Hill, Morgan Pearson, Sammi Simpson, Emma Welsford (Swinton Lionesses), Isabel Glover (Thatto Heath), Evie Tonkin (Workington Town)

1 August 2025
1 Megan Whittaker
Full Back
Rebecca Smart 1
21 Lucia Davies
Right Wing
Sarah Smart 2
3 Olivia Williams
Right Centre
Sammi Simpson 3
4 Kathryn Salter
Left Centre
Emma Whelsford 4
5 Danielle Mc Gifford
Left Wing
Eve Tonkin 5
6 Carys Marsh
Stand Off
Demi Fisher 6
7 Amberley Ruck
Scrum Half
Isabel Glover 7
8 Ffion Jenkins
Prop
Grace Field 8
14 Jasmine Gibbon
Hooker
Abi Gordon 9
15 Gracie Hobbs
Prop
Kaiya Glynn 10
11 Georgia Cussons
Second Row
Charlotte Hill 11
12 Charley Mundy
Second Row
Steph Gray 12
13 Bethan Dainton
Loose Forward
Nicole Stewart 13
16 Sara Jones
Int 1
Morgan Pearson 14
10 Agnes Wood
Int 2
Georgia Briggs 15
17 Amy Price
Int 3
Rebbeca Moffat 16
22 Ffion Jones
Int 4
Enya Lackie 17
20 Hannah Jones
Reserve 1
Ciorstadia Ainsworth 18

A superb solo try, by player of the match Wales women skipper Beth Dainton two minutes from time, saw her side home 18-12 against Scotland women at the Lextan Knoll, Neath in a thriller.

A penalty from Sarah Smart in the 67th minute gave the Scots, superbly led by Kaiya Glynn and Charlotte Hill, a share of the spoils on their international debut but Dainton - who was ably supported by Charlie Munday and Agnes Wood off the bench - saw the hosts home before an enthusiastic Celtic crowd.

Scotland dominated the opening exchanges territorially and prop Grace Field made history by becoming their first-ever try scorer, pouncing on a Demi Fisher grubber that bounced off a post protector, Sarah Smart goaling.

Dainton’s purposeful runs and Amberley Ruck’s distribution got Wales back into the game and they posted three unconverted tries, Lucia Davies sent over in the right hand corner, Kathryn Salter – who missed all three conversions - on the left after another Dainton break, and St Helens winger Danni McGifford sliding over after out wide after debutant Olivia Williams had gone close.

Just before the break, another Fished chip kick caused havoc, Sarah Smart gathering on the full, her conversion attempt going across the face of the posts to leave it 12-10 at the break.

The second half was end-to-end with some impressive scrambling defence from both sides but without a by-product, Sarah Smart levelling when Wales were deemed to have taken out a dummy runner. But Dainton’s smash-and-grab effort – after Amy Price had been held up - saw Wales home, as they prepare to face England at the same venue next week.

“We knew it was going to be a tough game, we play against and alongside a lot of them week-in, week-out,”  said Dainton. “Those are the games we want, we don’t want easy ones. We came out firing at the start of the second half but couldn’t take our opportunities, but we’ve come a really long way since playing England last year and I’m happy with that.”

Bitterly disappointed Scotland women’s head coach John Whalley was immensely proud of his charges on their debut. “I thought we did enough at times to win it,” he noted. “To come off the back of four sessions and almost do it, it’s a building block, we’ve got a pathway in place and the future’s definitely bright. We look forward to preparing for facing Jamaica next and will be ready.”

Photo credit to Penallta Photographics

4 August 2025