In the first of our monthly “World Cup Watch” articles, we look at how our hopefuls in the women’s and wheelchair games are performing in their respective competitions, with the Wheelchair side preparing for this Saturday’s Celtic Cup. Picture – Matthew Merrick/SWpix.com.
Our wheelchair captain Jodie Boyd-Ward has prepared well for the Celtic Cup, after having a good month with Leeds Rhinos, scoring seven tries in her three matches, including hat-tricks in the wins over Edinburgh Giants and Wigan Warriors. Vice-captain Stuart Williams has also been in scoring action for Edinburgh Giants, getting a brace in the narrow defeat to Hull FC and scoring a goal in the loss to Halifax.
Sid Ramsey has been celebrating his upcoming Wales debut with a string of good form with Sheffield Eagles. He’s also scored seven tries in three matches, with four in the win over Bradford Bulls and two in their victory against Hull FC. Matthew Turner scored his first try in Wigan Warriors colours in their defeat at Halifax Panthers. Brogan Evans played in the Warriors’ loss to Leeds in the Challenge Cup, whilst she and Mark Williams have also been in try-scoring action for Wigan’s development sides.
Matthew’s former club, North Wales Crusaders, have had just the one match in the last month, a 46-44 defeat to Rochdale Hornets in the Championship, where Harry Mitchell-Jones got a brace of tries, Martin Turner got a try and six goals and Jonathan Gill also played. In that same competition, Midlands Hurricanes were just six seconds away from clinching a win over Batley, only to concede a try in the corner as they lost 44-42. Gary Preece kicked all seven conversions in that match, with Alan Caron, Libbie Sargent and Lee Sargent all also in action. Caron, the Wales head coach, also played a couple of weeks later, scoring a try in an amazing 58-18 win at York Knights where the Hurricanes travelled with the bare five players.
Many of our women’s squad are with Cardiff Demons, and they have now won three out of four in the league this season, boosted by recent victories against Castleford Tigers and Warrington Wolves. Against Castleford, Leanne Burnell reached 50 tries for the club, the magic number being the first of her hat-trick. Frances Layton and Zoe Heeley also each went over three times. Rhi Parker scored a brace of tries and a goal, with Amberley Ruck getting a try and five goals. Charlie Mundy and Seren Gough-Walkers each registered single tries in the 70-0 win. Heeley followed that up with another hat-trick a week later as Cardiff beat Castleford 38-28. She’s now surpassed 30 tries for the club. Layton scored two tries and Lucia Davies one. Other Wales squad members involved this month were Jasmine Gibbons, Ffion Jenkins, Sioned Young, Katie Carr, Meg Whittaker, Hannah Jones, Bridget Jones and Sara Jones.
Dani McGifford continued her outstanding form for St Helens in the Challenge Cup. She scored a hat-trick of tries against Barrow Raiders in their 68-6 quarter-final win, before helping Saints to a semi-final victory against Leeds Rhinos.
St Helens will play Wigan Warriors in the final at Wembley, and Dani could come against her Welsh international team-mates Carys Marsh and Bethan Dainton. Both scored tries in the 112-0 demolition of London Broncos in the quarter-final, with Dainton registering a hat-trick, before helping Wigan to a 52-0 win over York Valkyrie in the semi-final, and an opening Super League win against Leeds.
Agnes Wood came off the bench for York in that defeat, and she was 18th player in York’s next match, victory over Huddersfield Giants, for whom Gracie Hobbs and Georgia Cussons lined up.
London bounced back from their defeat with a 66-0 win over Salford, where Emily Hughes scored a try and Kathryn Salter kicked nine goals. Both played again a week later, where Salter kicked a goal in their 38-10 loss at Swinton Lionesses.
