00:00A new era is beginning for women's rugby in Wales. From grassroots to the international stage we're
00:11building a system that's inclusive, competitive and distinctly Welsh. This is the most significant
00:19investment in the women's game in our history because the future starts now.
00:25Women's rugby is growing fast across the world and Wales is ready to lead. Recent progress has been
00:36encouraging but to compete at the highest level we must accelerate development. That's why we're
00:44investing in a connected pathway that keeps talent in Wales, nurtures ambition and creates a future every
00:51girl can believe in. The women's game is a massive area for growth so I think we want to create
00:57opportunities that drive that growth. One is you need to grow that player base at the bottom so we need
01:02to create a bigger player base and get more girls playing rugby. The investment focuses on people,
01:07performance and pathway. A dedicated Women's National Academy will provide a high performance environment
01:15for players aged 18 to 23. Three player development centre hubs will be supported by nine new
01:23satellite centres across Wales. This will ensure girls can access high performance training opportunities no
01:29more than one hour away in travel time. And the ambition for a new women's domestic league will deliver
01:35competitive minutes needed for emerging talent right here in Wales. Alongside all of this investment in the
01:43Celtic challenge has supercharged, rising from the current investment of 200,000 per team to 500,000 per team in year 1,
01:52rising to 680,000 by year 4. Gwalior Lightning and Brython Thunder have already proven themselves as breeding
02:00grounds for success, accelerating the playing careers of a number of internationals including Maisie Davis,
02:07Alau Pirs, Molly Riordan, Jenny Scoble and Sian Jones this season. The Celtic challenge is a vital part of the
02:15national player program, creating professional environments that rival the best in the world.
02:21We're sure providing a future for players for eight-year-old girls just as we do for eight-year-old boys. It is through a
02:28pathway on a system that is visible, that is coherent, it is accessible and it does deliver the success that
02:37we so desperately want. This is a long-term commitment by the Welsh Rugby Union because we can see the
02:43opportunities ahead. This is about more than funding, it's about building a culture. A culture that inspires young
02:52girls to dream big, keeps talent in Wales and creates a clear pathway to the top of the game. By 2030 we will
03:01have a fully integrated system that produces homegrown players ready to compete on the world stage. Every match,
03:09every session, every moment matters. A new era begins. Let's build it together.
