Wales Womens Young Hopefuls
Tuesday 14th Jun, 2011 @ 15:30
Excitement is at an all-time high for the four youngest female members of the Welsh Touch Squad. The girls; Cerys Ballett (17), Joanne Jones (17), Thea Lawson (17) and Lowri Morgan (16) have been training hard to make their World Cup dreams come true in Edinburgh, in this years Touch World Cup (TWC) 2011.
The girls were introduced to the game 2 years ago by their manager and good friend Owen Smith, Assistant Coach with the Wales Womens Open, who also takes great pleasure in managing and coaching their Rugby Union club team - the Cardiff Quins under 18s. Owen has been instrumental in identifying and nurturing young Touch players for Wales for several years.
All of the girls play in local Touch leagues in Cardiff during the summer and were "over the moon and buzzing" to be selected to represent Wales at this years Touch World Cup.
Since taking up the sport the girls have significantly improved their core skills, gaining in confidence at each season and tournament. Working with the Opens elite players has contributed immeasurably to their development, with massive strides over the past year, although they do admit to being a bit daunted by the prospect of playing against the world leading teams Australia and New Zealand.
The road to Edinburgh has not been easy for these youngsters, for as in addition to their strict Touch training programmes, they have had to plan and undertake revision for GCSEs and AS exams, this all coming on top of their other sporting commitments.
Fortunately, they have had terrific support from their family and friends as well as the experienced players of the respective teams, who have helped and guided them along the way. They are all certainly in agreement over one thing they have learntthis year - cooperation, team work and interdependency are required for success.
These girls have been exceptional so far - now for the final push. They are hoping that the Touch World Cup will be a really positive experience, with them each coming home with medals, celebrating success and victories!
