Wales internationals Alisha and Jasmine Joyce have confirmed that they are going to be playing their club rugby in Wales next season.

The duo will leave Bristol Bears at the end of the 2025/26 PWR season, following a long association with the Professional Women’s Rugby club.

The couple, who married in 2023, have a son Ralphie and are based in West Wales and travelled to play their club rugby in Bristol. Alisha returned to rugby with Brython Thunder in the Celtic Challenge only 123 days after giving birth to her son.

She then returned to the Test match arena with Wales as a replacement in in the recent 2026 W6N clash against England 158 days after her son was born. Alisha won her 56th cap for country against Italy and has scored seven tries for Wales.

The couple have played for the Bears since 2020, and the club’s final game of the season was against Gloucester-Hartpury.

Winger Jasmine is the only rugby player to have represented GB in three separate Olympic Games in Rio, Tokyo and Paris. She has won 57 Wales caps and scored 11 tries for her country.

“This has not been an easy decision but one we have made for family reasons with the arrival of Ralphie,” Alisha Joyce said.

“The travel to and from Bristol to train and play is not ideal when you have a young family and we know we need the support network provided by our families and friends to bring up Ralphie.

“Our lives have changed out of recognition since his arrival, but we are still committed to our careers as rugby professionals. We know this will provide us with certainty and support to do that.

“We are grateful to Bristol, which has been like a second home to both of us, for their understanding and we leave with some fantastic memories.”

Both made their debuts for Brython Thunder in the recent Celtic Challenge campaign and were part of the side to reach the play-off semi-finals.

“This was a big decision and one we haven’t taken lightly but it’s the right one for us as a family,” Jasmine Joyce added.

“Our son Ralphie is at the centre of our decision-making now and we want the best for him while maintaining our rugby careers as professional athletes.

“We are both still very ambitious and feel we have things to prove at club and Test level with Wales.

“Both of us have always wanted to play a high standard of club rugby in Wales but we have never had that opportunity until now.”

Their national team coach, Sean Lynn hailed the “faith” that the pair have shown in the Welsh rugby system in making this decision.

“We have made no secret of our ambition to see our Welsh internationals return home and play rugby in Wales,” Lynn said.

“The fact that Alisha and Jaz have taken this decision after playing in the Celtic Challenge shows they have faith that we can provide them with the platform to further their club and Test careers.

“To have their experience of the PWR and Test rugby rub off on the younger players emerging through our pathway is going to be a real benefit to everyone.”

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