After just two minutes of Wales’ final match before the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, disaster struck.

Alex Callender, talismanic flanker and newly installed co-captain, limped off the field at the North Sydney Oval, and pictures after the match of the 25-year-old in a protective boot had fans fearing the worst.

Cut to two weeks on and Callender is sitting with a wide smile on her face as she confirms that she will be fit to take on Scotland in Wales’ opening match of the tournament.

“It was a precaution to take me off, I just tweaked an old injury, but I’m raring to go for Scotland,” Callender said.

Callender was made co-captain alongside fellow flanker Kate Williams this summer and had missed much of the 2025 Six Nations with an ankle injury suffered while playing for club side Harlequins.

Her importance to Wales was shown on her return to the side. In her first outing as captain, Callender topped the charts for tackles and carrying from an unfamiliar number eight role, as her side earnt a morale boosting 22-12 victory over the Wallaroos.

And asked if she thought her World Cup was over, she added: “Yes, to be honest but I’m in a really good place at the moment, I’m just excited to get going.”

That Scotland game takes on immense importance for Wales. Not only were they Sean Lynn’s first opponents after he took over this spring, but they are also the team most likely to stand in Wales’ way of a quarter final place.

Three years ago, it was a similar scenario. In a group with Australia, New Zealand, and Scotland, Wales had to beat the Scots to progress. A Keira Bevan penalty long after the 80th minute saw her side through in the most dramatic of fashion.

This year, number two Canada are widely expected to top Pool B, with Wales and Scotland vying for second, and Fiji – coached by former Wales boss Ioan Cunningham – bringing up the rear.

Callender and Williams, for whom this will be the latter’s first World Cup, underline the feeling that the squad is in a transitional phase.

There are four teenagers in the 32-player squad – Seren Lockwood, Tilly Vucaj, Alaw Pyrs, and Branwen Metcalfe. Lockwood and Vucaj made their debuts on that tour Down Under, while Metcalfe is uncapped.

As well as those two, the likes of Katherine Baverstock, Catherine Richards, Jenni Scoble, Maisie Daives, Meg Davies, and Molly Reardon all have less than ten caps.

With Lynn developing some real depth in the Wales squad despite his short time in charge, there is no place in the squad for Natalia John, Hannah Bluck, Jenny Hesketh, Sian Jones or Robyn Wilkins, some due to injury.

“I’ve been super impressed by Branwen,” Lynn explained. “I have watched all the games in the under 20s but I’ve also watched a lot of the training and diligence off the pitch.”

Metcalfe is one of two pairs of sisters in the squad, with elder sister Nel Metcalfe along with siblings Alaw and Gwenllian Pyrs.

“It’s really cool,” said Williams. “I think that the way they interact is quite funny. They all work so hard in training.

“It’s nice to have that family feel. We talk about family, and we’ve got real family in the team. So, it’s brilliant to have another set of siblings around the squad!”

If Wales can channel the family feeling, then Sean Lynn’s first real test as Wales coach will be a success. One thing is for sure, the squad will be ready for it.

“We live for these moments and these Test matches,” said Callender.

“We’re all really excited to step out and showcase all the hard work that we’ve put in over the last couple of months, and hopefully we can put in a performance, and the result will follow.”

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Sportin Wales’s coverage of Wales’s World Cup qualifying campaign is proudly sponsored by S4C. You can watch all of Wales’s matches this year for free on S4C and S4C Clic.

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