Wales women's head coach Tom Brindle says the team want to play their part in growing rugby league as a "small nation punching above their weight". His side make the country's Rugby League World Cup debut against England on Saturday in Perth, before facing Samoa and co-hosts Australia in Sydney. Group A provides a daunting test for a team who played their first full international in June 2021.
"Not only is it a big opportunity for us as Wales and the people of Wales, I think it's a big opportunity for rugby league across Europe," said Brindle. "We have to pinch ourselves that we set off on a journey and we got here and we're not too far away from competing at our first World Cup game."
Brindle has named a 21-player squad, with three new caps in the starting line-up. Hannah Bluck will represent Wales in her fourth sport, having earned 15 senior caps in rugby union as well as representing the country at basketball and U19s level football. Canterbury Bulldogs captain Tayla Preston makes her debut at scrum-half alongside Ffion Lewis at stand-off, who becomes the first Welsh woman to play in a World Cup in both codes. St Helens second row Paige Travis is the other debutant in the starting line-up.
Captain Bethan Dainton says the new faces have "bought into the culture" of the team. Erin Williams, on the bench, hopes to follow in the footsteps of her brother Zak, who also represented Wales in rugby league. With an aggregate deficit of 144-0 in two matches against England, Wales know they face a tough task, but Brindle believes the team's progress will inspire more teams across Europe, including Ireland and Scotland.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing