When Wales hosted Ireland last month in a crucial World Cup qualifying match the home side knew they needed their big-name players to stand up tall.

For Wales, that was their captain Bethan Dainton, who made history last year as the first Welsh player to appear in a women’s Challenge Cup final, sadly she was on the losing side, as her Leeds Rhinos team were beaten by St Helens.

Dainton scored a double against Ireland, helping her side to a 28-10 win, getting her side off to the perfect start with a try from short range before her moment of brilliance in the second half.

Taking the ball off debutant hooker Agnes Wood, Dainton began from her own half, breaking through two would-be tacklers, before fending off the fullback and then showing good speed to beat the cover.

“Our game plan was to hit the wider runner so the ball shouldn’t have hit me, but I saw they’d clocked off a bit so I shouted at Agnes to give me the ball,” said Dainton.

“Then it was just head down and try and get as far as you can and then I was through.”

Dainton’s score, under the posts, resulted in Wales taking a 20-point lead, although they still needed some rear-guard defensive work to secure the win.

“It was really competitive, can’t take anything away from Ireland, I think they went over the line about two or three times just we held them up,” said Dainton.

“All I asked for was composure and to do your own job well, then it’s about believing in each other and if anyone messes up, we park that and move on. I thought the girls really bought into that and I think that sticking together as a team probably got us that win.

“We made a few mistakes, pushed our limits a bit because we probably got carried away at times, but I couldn’t have asked for anything more from the girls.”

Alongside Dainton are a core of players who play for Cardiff Demons in the women’s Super League South.

Several of those players balance playing league and union throughout the season including Shaunni Davies who returned to international duty having previously spent nearly two years out with a knee injury.

“We’ve had a lot of movement because of injuries in vital positions, a few girls have moved over to contracts with rugby union as well,” said Dainton.

“It was unreal to get Shaunni Davies back, she’s such a good player, underrated as well. Her tackling as well, I’m so glad she’s on my team!

“Her performances in the Challenge Cup says a lot, she was in team of the month from Cardiff Demons, you don’t see many people from the Super League South in that team of the month, we’re so lucky to have her, she’s just going to get better and better as she grows in confidence.

“The majority of our team do play rugby union and I think they only train once a week at Cardiff Demons but it’s testament to them because you can’t tell. They’ve only just finished the rugby union season and it’s hard for them going back and forth between the two codes.

“But all the teams entered the Challenge Cup and they’ve had that exposure, playing the better teams in the Superleague and that’s massively it definitely helped.”

Wales now sit on the precipice of history, needing one win away from home against the Netherlands in June to reach a first ever World Cup.

Netherlands travel to Ireland on the 19^th of May having thrashed Italy 56-6 in Venice last month.

Both sides are battling for a place at the southern hemisphere World Cup. The venue is as yet unknown, with the tournament having previously been pushed back multiple times.

Dainton played rugby union for Wales but missed out on playing at a World Cup in 2017 having “shattered” a bone in her foot while on sevens duty.

Wales’ wheelchair team has already booked their place for the 2026 World Cup, while the men’s League side could book their place later this year.

“We do back ourselves against Netherlands, so long as we perform the way we know we can do we should get a result,” said Dainton.

“I think the uncertainty has helped us a little bit as we’ve got more people coming in, 12 new people in the programme and I think we’re now in a stronger position than we were last year to qualify.

“I definitely think rugby league in Wales is growing, we’re getting a lot more people interested, wanting to come in to our camps. We need to get the culture and environment right, if we’ve got that right then people will want to come and play alongside us.

“Our focus now is on a second win and to hopefully be at our first ever world cup which would be unreal, we’re not too bothered where it is, we just want to be there and compete.

“The more teams we can get out there, the more exposure we’ll get. It’ll be great to get that many Welsh people over there playing for the badge.”

 

Photograph – Penallta Photographics