Wales Women are making significant strides in growing the game, with the Welsh FA committed to increasing female involvement at all levels.
As the team continues to inspire, initiatives aimed at expanding participation and improving resources are breaking down long-standing barriers.
With greater investment and visibility, the future of women’s football in Wales looks brighter than ever, paving the way for the next generation to thrive.
As the team continues to inspire, initiatives aimed at expanding participation and improving resources are breaking down long-standing barriers.
With greater investment and visibility, the future of women’s football in Wales looks brighter than ever, paving the way for the next generation to thrive.
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00:00Now, the rise of the Wales women's national team has been a remarkable journey with steady
00:07progress propelling them onto the international stage. In recent years, they've achieved significant
00:13milestones from improving their World Cup qualifications to consistently competing at
00:18the highest levels of European football. Under the leadership of their dedicated coaching
00:24staff, the team has developed a strong core of talent, bringing experienced players with
00:29rising stars. We spoke about their growth, which has not only elevated the profile of
00:34women's football in Wales, but also inspired future generations of players to follow in
00:39their footsteps.
00:40Looking at the Wales women's national football team, well, they actually got a really good
00:49draw in their most recent outing against Sweden, one of the world's best teams in women's football,
00:54and what it finished there. And obviously, we could talk for ages about the Lionesses
01:00in English football and what they have done for the English women's game. If you look
01:03at the Wales game, yes, it's perhaps not quite as advanced or quite the same stage as England
01:09is, but certainly getting a draw against a team of that calibre stands them in good stead
01:13for the future and to what they can become, because of course, they've seen the men go
01:18from international minnows to a side who are regularly competing to qualify for major
01:24tournaments. And yes, the men's game is different, but it shows it can be done for a nation with
01:29only a small population like Wales do. So looking at that result, obviously in isolation,
01:36it's great, but what does it mean just in general for Welsh women's football?
01:40Yeah, as you say, it's massive. And I think, you know, you compare it to the Lionesses
01:45and their sort of journey to the very, very top of women's football, you know, really
01:51competing at the top. I mean, Wales with the smaller talent pool that it has, they're probably
01:56ahead of the Lionesses if you think about it in that sort of sense. You know, the Lionesses
02:00have so many top WSL teams to choose from, these players they've produced from the likes
02:06of, you know, Arsenal, Man United. These are the real top women's sides. Chelsea as well,
02:12winning so many league titles. In terms of Wales football, it's huge. It's something
02:17that the Welsh FA have sort of rejigged over the last few years to really get the best
02:22out of them. You know, firstly, grassroots and secondly, the women's game. And I think
02:26these are two things that they're really working on getting to the very, very top. As I say,
02:31the confidence, the belief behind her group of girls is unbelievable. You know, she believes
02:36they can compete constantly against the world's best teams. So yes, it's all to be seen in
02:41the summer, you know, at the Euros. But the attitude reflects a real shift in the mindset
02:46of Wales and the Welsh team as well. And you look as far as Craig Bellamy for the men's
02:51team and the sort of confidence he has and the aspects and aspirations he has for his
02:58Wales men's team. So I think as a whole, as a bigger picture, the Welsh FA is really improving.
03:06The confidence, the belief, the ambitions is going up a notch. And it's really exciting
03:12if you're following football in terms of Wales and these players coming into these major
03:17tournaments. So as I say, all to be seen in the summer. Here's what Rhiann Wilkinson had
03:23to say about her side. And as I say, she expresses so much confidence and it's great to see.
03:30So we'll see what she has to say. And, you know, obviously coming into the Euros in the
03:35summer, it's a real promising time to be following Wales.
03:41What people have done in the past and we've got to be appreciative of the position that
03:46we're in now. And we need to keep constantly bashing down those barriers too for those
03:54to come and take our shirts later on. Even we had a meeting yesterday and there's more
03:59staff than there are players. So we've just increased everything off the pitch. We're
04:06equal to the men now and we're equal in many ways, not just equal pay. You know, our media
04:13team and our medical team, everything, our coaching staff, everything off the pitch is
04:21equal to the men's. And we've just improved so many different things along the way, even
04:26in that 10-year gap. And, you know, it's just making it as professional an environment
04:30as possible. And it has helped that the game as a whole is more professional now. And we've
04:37got players coming in who are at a professional level, professional club, day in, day out.
04:42And we know what to expect.