Pair help Wales win
RUGBY
TWO young women from Bridgend helped Wales Women to an 18-17 victory over Scotland Women at Colwyn Bay to kick off a treble-winning weekend for Welsh rugby against the Scots.
And for 20-year-old University of South Wales student Hannah Bluck it was a dream debut, scoring one of the Welsh tries, and achieving a treble of her own, possibly unique in Welsh sport.
She had already represented Wales at basketball when she was in school, aged 15. Centre back Hannah then represented Wales in football at three age grades – U16, U17 and U19.
Her selection for Wales Women in rugby capped a whirlwind few years for Hannah, who is studying for a degree in Strength and Conditioning at the University of South Wales, based at its Nantgarw Sports Park.
However, her promising career took a major knock when she broke her leg just above the ankle.
Hannah said: “I was just training and went to turn quickly, and it just snapped,” she explained. “It was obviously a huge shock, and I had to just get used to not training. I used to train all the time, but the injury sort of proved that I had to take control of it, and make sure it was planned.”
There was also another shock for Hannah when she also discovered she had the rare condition avascular necrosis in her tibia, which could have seen her leg collapse into her ankle.
“I thought I could have lost my foot after the fracture, and definitely may not have been able to continue playing,” she explained.
“But I had MRI scans on the foot to keep an eye on it, did my rehab, and was able to get back to playing.”
After returning to playing football, she was asked to help out with training the Women’s Rugby Team at USW, and it’s from there that she started to consider playing a different sport.
“When I was doing the coaching I had a go at goal kicking. That was last February, and I thought I’d give rugby a go,” she said.
“I was selected to play for Cardiff Blues, and the next thing I was asked to try out for the Wales squad. After spending the summer coaching football in America, I came back and was approached again, and now I’m in the squad for the Six Nations.
“I couldn’t be happier to have been given the chance to represent Wales. I’m really keen to be a role model, and show others that it’s possible to achieve anything if you work hard enough.
“With the women’s game becoming more and more popular, and the men’s game already being strong, I’m hoping to be able to use my degree and get a job in the strength and conditioning side of things, and I can only see my experience helping with that.”
She has now signed for Worcester Valkyries and looks to have a bright future in rugby.
The other young woman is Robyn Wilkins, also from Porthcawl, who has won 30 caps at outside half and centre.
Wilkins made her debut at 18 years of age against Italy in the opening game of the 2014 Six Nations, where she kicked two penalties. She has been an ever-present of the Wales squad since.
She follows in the footsteps of her father Gwilym, who earned a Welsh cap on the wing against Tonga in 1994 and played club rugby for Bridgend and Aberavon. She has also featured regularly in the midfield for Wales and plays for Llandaff North and the Ospreys.