Search is on for missing Wales Women’s internationals

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has embarked on a mission to compile a comprehensive list of all players who have earned the coveted title of being ‘capped’ by the Wales Women’s team.

This includes those who have graced the international stage since the team’s inception in 1987, theoretically right up until the present day.

The WRU has come to the realization that records from the earlier years, before the women’s game was fully incorporated into the organization this century, are incomplete, with many player names missing. The WRU refuses to let these players fall into obscurity, and is determined to ensure that all who have represented their country in the past receive their rightful place in Welsh rugby history.

To achieve this, the WRU plans to present each of these players with a physical cap at a ceremony later this year. This act will serve as a poignant reminder of the immense contribution that these trailblazers have made to the sport and their country.

“We have been trying hard to locate all of our former Welsh internationals, we have tracked down many but there is still a significant number out there who have not been given the recognition they deserve and we would like to fix that and appeal to them to come forward,” said Claire Donavon, the former Welsh international who became only the second woman, after Liza Burgess in 2019, to be elected onto the WRU Council in 2021.

“There are a significant number of people out there who have played an important part in the proud history of Women’s international rugby in Wales and we want to recognise them properly.

“It has always taken a huge personal commitment to play for Wales and these people deserve to be recognised for their roles in our history and heritage.

“Perhaps they have moved away from Wales or changed their names through marriage or have been lost to us or put off from making contact for any other reason, but we have tried tracking people down in all the traditional ways and all that we have left to do now is launch an appeal for these former players to come forward.

“There are players out there who deserve their place in history, so if anyone out there can help please get in touch!”

In 2021 a group of former internationals who were found through the initial search were invited to a cap presentation at Principality Stadium along with their families including Sue Lovell who played in the first Wales Women international against England in 1987 and Lynne Delfosse who first represented Wales Women in ’91 in Spain, but when on to feature in the Canada Cup in ’93 and Rugby World Cup in Scotland in 1994.

With this powerful gesture, the WRU aims to honor the determination and hard work of these remarkable athletes, who have shattered barriers and inspired generations of rugby players to come. The ceremony promises to be a truly historic moment, one that cements these players’ legacies and acknowledges their place in Welsh rugby’s rich tapestry.