Cymru will write a new chapter in the history of our women’s game next month as Rhian Wilkinson and her squad head to Switzerland to compete at UEFA Women’s EURO 2025. Here’s the story of how Cymru finally made the dream of generations before them a reality.
Inspiring confidence and belief in a talented group of players, Wilkinson has brought out the very best of her squad since her appointment and will not go to Switzerland just to make up the numbers. Delivering success after years of disappointment, Cymru travel to WEURO 2025 as the pride of all those who have gone before, especially the pioneers who smashed through glass ceilings for those who wear the shirt today.
Where it all began
The history of the Cymru women’s national team and the story behind it continues to inspire the current squad of players as they prepare to represent their country on the biggest stage. It is a motivating story that shows how anything is possible with determination and belief, and how the trailblazers of the past paved the way for the superstars of today to shine at the highest level of the European game.
It was just over 50 years ago that the 50-year ban on women’s football was lifted. An unthinkable situation now, but this was the reality of the time. For the next two decades, amateur trailblazers committed their time to represent Cymru in sporadic fixtures at their own expense. Players of that era pushed the FAW for change, and from the early 1990’s onwards, Cymru finally had an official women’s team.
The appointment of Jarmo Matikainen in 2010 marked the start of a new professional era. His work with the WU17, WU19 and senior squad laid the foundations for his successor Jayne Ludlow to build upon, but qualification for a major tournament remained elusive. Gemma Grainger would then take Cymru to the 2023 World Cup play-offs, and the irony of a painful defeat to Switzerland has not been lost on the current squad.
A change at the top
Grainger was appointed Cymru head coach in March 2021 and announced her arrival by targeting qualification for WEURO 2025. However, on the eve of the qualifying campaign, Grainger decided to make the switch to Norway and will now lead the Grasshoppers at the finals this summer instead. Just a week before the qualifying draw was made, Cymru appointed Rhian Wilkinson.
Born in Quebec, Canada, to an English father and Welsh mother, Wilkinson actually spent a few years living in Cowbridge where she attended Bont Faen Primary School. However, it was in the United States, Norway and Canada where Wilkinson would make her name as an established international defender, winning bronze medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games and being inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame.
Wilkinson represented Canada between 2003 and 2017, scoring seven goals in 183 games for her country. Coaching would be the continuation of her career path, working with the Canadian national team at intermediate and senior level, in addition to coaching with England and Team GB. In 2022, Wilkinson delivered the NWSL Championship as the head coach of Portland Thorns.
The qualifying draw
Cymru would compete in League B4 in a change to the traditional qualifying format and would take on Croatia, Ukraine and Kosovo in the initial group phase that would run between April and July 2024, with the top three teams reaching the WEURO Play-Offs later in the year. “We are the highest-ranked, and whenever you’re highest-ranked there’s an expectation to win the group,” explained Wilkinson.
“The first step for me is to get to know my players. I’ve watched a lot of their games, I’m getting to know them as people and then the tactics have to be a combination of what works best for the team and then who we’re playing. There will be some adjustments made, but that will be something that we grow into as we get to know each other and we go through this qualifying campaign together.”
Undefeated in League B
The campaign and the Wilkinson era would kick-off at The STōK Cae Ras against Croatia in Wrexham in April 2024. Jess Fishlock scored twice in the 4-0 win with Rachel Rowe and Angharad James completing the scoring. Rowe and Elise Hughes would then score a brace each while Kayleigh Barton and Ffion Morgan also added their names to the scoresheet in a 6-0 win away to Kosovo a few days later. Two wins, ten goals.
In a surprise announcement, Sophie Ingle confirmed that she was relinquishing the Cymru captaincy after leading the team for almost a decade, with Angharad James later claiming the armband. “I just think it’s the right time for me and for the team moving forwards that I pass on the captain’s arm band,” Ingle explained. “I think it’s the right time now going into the new campaign, and we have leaders all across this team.”
A double-header against Ukraine would provide Cymru’s toughest test. Barton scored from the penalty spot to earn her side a point in a 1-1 draw at Parc y Scarlets, and the striker converted from the spot in the return match the following week. Fishlock’s goal on 77 minutes should have been enough for Cymru to win the match, but Ukraine levelled deep into added-time in a 2-2 draw at the neutral venue of Poland.
For the third game in a row, Barton scored from the penalty spot as Cymru claimed an impressive 3-0 win away to Croatia in July, with the experienced duo of Fishlock and Ingle scoring the first two goals. A 2-0 win over Kosovo in Llanelli completed the campaign, with Fishlock become Cymru’s all-time leading goalscorer and Mary McAteer at the other end of the spectrum scoring her first. Cymru were group winners.
Destiny in Dublin
With the momentum in their favour, Cymru were confident heading to Slovakia for the Play-Off Semi-Final 1st leg match in October. However, it proved to be a difficult night as Slovakia claimed a shock 2-1 win, although a late consolation goal from Ffion Morgan off the bench would prove crucial ahead of the return match in Cardiff.
Over 10,500 fans would be in attendance at the Cardiff City Stadium for the decisive match. Big games require big characters and it was Fishlock who levelled the tie just before half-time. Cymru enjoyed long periods of possession and created plenty chances, but extra-time would be required before Ceri Holland scored the crucial second goal to take Cymru through to the Play-Off Final 3-2 on aggregate.
Record ticket sales for the 1st leg of the Play-Off Final confirmed that the momentum had spread across the country and 16,845 fans would witness a physical encounter between Cymru and the Republic of Ireland in Cardiff. Despite a strong start from the visitors, Lily Woodham would open the scoring for home side midway through the opening half, but an own goal from goalkeeper Olivia Clark via a cruel deflection off the crossbar would level the score.
A winner-takes-all match in front of over 25,000 fans at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin would follow and the match did not disappoint. Cymru would benefit from a VAR review early in the second half and Hannah Cain took the responsibility of dispatching the resulting penalty before substitute Carrie Jones added a second goal. Ireland threw everything at the Cymru defence, and while they pulled a goal back through Anna Patten late on, they had no time to equalise.
The final whistle brought an outpouring of emotion. Cymru had finally done it. Some players ran in different directions, some fell to their knees, everyone cried tears of joy. The euphoria of being the first team to ever take Cymru to a women’s major tournament was too much to take in for those that have been on this journey for so many years. Centurions like Fishlock, Ingle and James must have wondered if this day would ever come. A nation united in their celebration of a 50 year journey to this one night of success.
“This is a special team,” explained Wilkinson to BBC Sport Wales after the match. “This team and how they don’t quit on each other, they never do anything the easy way. This team pushed and pushed and found a way, they never broke on one another, they stayed strong. I’ve never been prouder of a team, ever. This team stands on the shoulders of giants who came before, and they’re proving how good they are.”
Preparation for Switzerland
As the winners of League B4, Cymru would gain promotion to League A of the Nations League with fixtures against Italy, Denmark and Sweden taking place between February and June. These high-profile competitive matches would provide the preparation for the WEURO finals, and Wilkinson took the opportunity to experiment with tactics and personnel while ensuring her team maintained the same positive approach that had delivered qualification.
“I think I’ve inherited a team at the exact right moment to them to do something special,” explained Wilkinson earlier this year. “I think they’re a testament to all the people that came before and all the players that came before, and that my arrival was maybe just that kind of new coach at the right time who was able to ask them to do things that maybe in the past they weren’t ready for, and that now, they’re ready to try.”
Although Cymru would not register a victory, two impressive 1-1 draws with Sweden confirmed that Wilkinson’s side can play against Europe’s elite without fear or intimidation, while the performances in a narrow defeat away to Italy and twice against Denmark deserve more credit than the results offer. Defensive frailties in the final match Italy will be a concern, but it was better to suffer the 4-1 defeat in June rather than July.
Squad announcement
Wilkinson will head to the summit of Wyddfa, the highest-point in the country, to announce her WEURO squad on Thursday 19 June. “Being able to announce our first ever major tournament squad on Wales’ summit will be a truly special occasion,” she explained. “The area is very close to my heart. We hope that hosting the event on the summit will showcase our country’s natural beauty and will help put Wales on the world stage.”
Teenage defender Mayzee Davies made a huge impression during the Nations League campaign but will not be a part of the squad having suffered an ACL injury in the 1-0 defeat to Denmark last month. Ingle has been out of action with the same injury since September but is hopeful of recovering in time, while Rhiannon Roberts has missed the last two games but is expected to be included in the 23-player squad.
There will be some difficult conversations for Wilkinson ahead of the squad announcement, and that is testament to the development and progression of the players emerging through the Cymru intermediate teams. With competition for places in the starting XI at a premium, Wilkinson has plenty of options and plenty of decisions to make ahead of the challenge of taking on the Netherlands, France and England in Group D.
Cymru recently moved up one place to 30th in the official FIFA World Rankings, but will be the lowest-seeded team at the WEURO finals. However, the Red Wall will travel to Switzerland in their thousands, and few nations will be able to match the pride and passion that Cymru will deliver when the action begins next month. Realising the dream of generations, the women’s game in Wales will never be the same again.
